The St. Charles herald., 1922-05-27
CHAPTER IlI-Continued.

CHAPTER III-Continued.
81
She, he saw, was listening, like him
self, for the sound Of Sherrills ar
rival at the house; and when 1t came
she recognized 1t first, rose, and ex-
cused herself. He heard her voice In
the hall, then her fathers deeper voice
which answered; and ten minutes
later, he looked up to see the man
these things had told him must be
Sheriff. standing In the door and look
ing at him.
Alan had arisen at sight Of him;
Sheriff., as he came In, motioned him
back to his seat; he did not sit down
himself, but crossed to the mantel and
leaned against it.
II am Lawrence Sheriff." he said.
As the tall, graceful, thoughtful
man stood looking down at him, Alan
could tell nothing Of the attitude OF
this friend of Benjamin Corvet to
ward himself. His manner had the
same reserve toward Alan, the same
questioning consideration Of him, that
Constance Sheriff. had had after Alan
had told her about himself.
"My daughter has repeated to me
what you told her, Mr.. Conrad"
Sherrills observed. SIS there anything
you want to add to me regarding
thatr
"There's nothing I can add" Alan
Al all khnt n
about myself"
"And about Mr.. Corvet7"
II know nothing at all about Mr..
Corvet."
II am going to tell you some things
about Mr.. Corvet," Sheriff. said. II
had reason-I do not want to explain
1ust yet what that reason was-for
thinking you could tell us certain
things about Mr.. Corvet, which would,
perhaps, make palmer what has hap
pened to him. When tell you about
him now, 1t IL in the hope that, In
that way, may awake some forgotten
memory Of him in you; II not that,
you may discover some coincidence OF
dates or events in Cervet's life with
dates or events in your own. WIN you
tell me frankly. II you do discover any
thing like thatr
sYes; certainly"
For several moments, Sheriff. paced
M and down before the fre; then he
returned to his place before the
maptel.
Il first met Benjamin Corvet," he
commenced, nearly thirty years ago.
I had come West for the FIRST time
the year before; I was about your own
age and had been graduated from
college only short time, and busi.
ness opening had offered itself here.
Times were booming on the Great
Lakes. Chicago, which had more than
recovered from the fre, was doubling
it, population every decade; Cleve.
land. Duluth, and Milwaukee were
leaping up - ports. Men were grow
Ing millions Of bushels Of grain which
they couldn't ship except BY lake
Hundreds Of thousands Of tons Of ore
had to 20 BY water; and there were
tens Of millions Of feet Of pine and
hardwood from the Michigan forests
Sailing vessels, It IL true, had seer
their day and were disappearing from
the lakes; were being Sold many o.
them, as the saying is, to the insur
ance companies by deliberate wreck
ing. Steamers were taking their place
Towing had come in. felt, yount
man though was, that this trans
portation matter was all one thing
and that in the end the railroads
would own the ships. have nevel
engaged very actively IN the operation
Of the ships; my daughter would lfk'
me to be more active In 1t than ] hav'
been: but ever since, have hat
money In lake vessels. It was tn
year that began that sort Of invest
ment that / first met Corvet."
Alan looked up quickly. "Mr. Coz
vet was-r he asked.
.sCorvet was-is lakeman," Shez
rill said.
Alan sat motionless, as he recol
lected the strange exaltation that ha'
come to him when he saw the LAX
for the first time. Should he tel
Sheriff. Of thati He decided It wa
too vague, too indefinite to be men
TONED; no doubt any other man use
only to the prairie might have felt th
same.
HE was . shipowner. then," b
said.
YES; he was q shipowner-no'
however. on q large scale at that tint
He had been q master. sailing ship
which belonged to others; then p
had sailed one Of his own. He wa
cperafing then. believe. two vessels
hut With the boom times on tne iaKe'