The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-05-04
CHAPTER X.
A Caller.

A Caller.
AS the hrst of the month was ap-
preaching. Wassaquam had brought
his household bills and budget to Alan
that morning directly after breakfast.
TO furnish Alan with whatever sums
he needed, Sheriff. had made a consid-
cradle deposit In Alan's name in tie
bank where he carried his own ac-
count; and Alan had accompanied Sher-
rill to the bank to be introduced and
had signed the necessary cards in or
der to check against the deposit.
Alan had required barely half of the
hundred dollars which Benjamin Cor
vet had sent to Blue Rapids, for his
expenses i'm Chicago; and he had
brought with him from "heme" hun
dred dollars Of his own.
The amount which Wassaquam now
desired to pay the bills was much
more than Alan had on hand; but that
amount was also much less than the
eleven hundred dollars which the sery-
ant listed as cash on hand. This Was
saquam stated, was In currency and
kept by him. Benjamin always had
o Wnssaquam would not touch that sum
now for the payment of current ex-
penses.
On the first of the month, therefore,
Alan drew upon his new bank account
to WassaQuam's order, and In the early
afternoon WassaQuam went to the
bank to cash his check-one OF the
very few occasions when Alan had
been left in the house alone; Wassa.
quams habit, 1t appeared, was to go
about on the first of the month and
pay the tradesmen in person.
Some two hours later, and before
Wassaquam could have been expected
back, Alan, in the room which had be-
come his. was startled by a sound of
heavy pounding, which came suddenly
to him from floor below. Shouts
heavy, thick, and unintelligible-min
gled with the pounding. He ran swift
ly down the stairs, then on and down
the service stairs into the basement.
The door to the house from the area
way was shaking to irregular, heavy
blows, which stopped as Alan reached
the lower hallway; the shouts contin.
the noise Of pounding did not inter-
fere, Alan could make out what the
man was saying. ben Corvet !"-
the name was almost unintelligible--
ben Corvet! BenI" Then the shouts
stopped, too.
Alan sped to the door and turned
back the latch. The door bore back
upon him, not from q push, but from
a weight without which had fallen
against II. A big, heavy man, with
rough cap and mackinaw coat, would
have fallen upon the floor IL Alan had
not caught him. His weight In Alan's
arms was 80 dull. 80 inert, that, If VIC.
lence had been his intention, there was
nothing to be feared from him now.
Alan looked up, therefore, to see II
any one had come with him. The alley
and the street were clear. The snow
In the areaway showed that the man
had come to the door alone and with
great difficulty; he had fallen once up
on the walk. Alan dragged the man
into the house and went back and
closed the door.
He returned and looked at him. The
man was like. very like the one whom
Alan had followed from the house on
the night when he was attacked; GER
tainty that this was the same man
came quickly to him. He seized the
fellow again and dragged him up the
stairs and to the lounge I'm the library.
He was, or had been, q very powerful
man, broad and thick through with
OverdevelOped almost distorting-
muscles In his shoulders; but his body
had become fat and soft, his face was
puffed and his eyes watery and bright !;
his brown hair. which was shot all
through with gray. was dirty and mat
ted; he had three or four days growth
Of beard. When he sat up and looked
about 1t was plain that whisky was
only one Of the forces working upon
him-the other was fever which
burned up and sustained him intermit-
tently.
"Lo" he greeted Alan. "Where's
shat d-n Injin, hey? / knew Ben
Corvet was shere-knew he was shere
ali time. Course he's shere; he got
to be shere. That's shright. You go
get 'imT .a 81
"Who are your" Alan asked.
Say. who'r your What t'hells syou
doin' here7 Never see you before
go-go geeBen Corvet. JUS
say Ben Corvet. Lu--Iuke's shere. Ben
Corvet'l know Luc-iuke all right; al.
waysh. alwaysh Knows me. =. :"
WHATS the matter with your
Alan mad drawn back but now went to
the man again. The FIRST idea that this
might have been merely some old sail
g " Who had served Bepjanih oervet