The spectator., 1922-05-19

very flushed; then she was quite pale as she asked him, You wanted me?" He was white as she, and could not speak at once. "You told me last night, Miss Sherrill," he said, that the last thing that Mir. Corvet did-the last that you know of-was to warn you against one of your friends. Who was l that?"
 She flushed rneasily. "You mustn't attach any importance to that; I didn't mean you to. There was ne reason for what Mir. Corvet said, except in Mir. Corvet's own mind. He had quite unreasonable animOsity-"
 Against Mir. Spearman, you mean"
 She did not answer.
 "His animosity was against Mr. Spearman, Miss Sherrill, wasn't it? That is the only animosity of Mir. Cor vets that anyone has told me about" | "Yes."
 'It was against MT. Spearman that he warned you, then?" "Yes."
 "Thank you" He turned and, not waiting for the man, let himself out. He should have known it when he had seen that Spearman, after announcing himself as unable to get back to the | office, was with Constance. He went swiftly around the block to his own house and let himself in at the front door with his key. The house was warm; a shaded lamp on the table in hn lor ;nht fro was burning in the open grate, and the rooms had been swept and dusted. The Indian came into the hall to take his coat and hat. Dinner Is at seven," Wassaquam announced. You want some change about that?" No; seven is all right" Alan went upstairs to the room next to Co~ets which he had appropriated for his own use the night before, and found it now prepared for his occu- pancy. When he came down again to the finst floor, Wassaquam was mo- where about, but he heard sounds in the service rooms on the basement floor. He went part way down the service stairs and saw the Indian in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Wassa- Quam had not heard his approach, and Alan stood an instant watching the Indians tall, thin figure and the quick movements of his disproportionately small, well-shaped hands. almost like woman's; then he scuffed his foot upon the stair, and Wassaquam turned swiftly about.
 Anybody been here today. Judah?" Alan asked.
 No, Alan. I called tradesmen; they came. There were young men from the newspapers"
 What did you tell them?"
 "Nothing"
 'Why not?'
 ''Henry telephoned I was to tell them nothing"
 You mean Henry Spearmanf"
 "Yes"
 Do you take orders from him, Ju- dah?"
 ''I took that order. Alan"
 Alan hesitated. You've been here in the house all dayw
 "Yes Alan"
 Alan went back to the first floor and into the smaller library The room was dark with the early winter dusk, and he switched on the light; then he knelt and pulled out one of the draw CTS he had seen Spearman searching through the night before, and carefully ,x rnin nnI in it hu but found them only ordinary papers. He pulled the drawer completely out and sounded the wall behind 1t and the partitions on both sides but they ap- peared solid. He put the drawer back in and went on to examine the next one. and, after that, the others. The clocks in the house had been wound. for presently the clock in the library struck six, and another in the hall chimed slowly. An hour later, when the clocks chimed again. Alan looked up and saw Wassaquam's small black eyes, deep set in their large eye sock cts, fixed on him intently through the door. How long the Indian had been there, Alan could not guess: he ha0 not heard his step.
 What are you looking for, Alan?" the Indian asked.
 Alan reflected q moment. "Mr. Sher- Till thought that Mir. Corvet might have left a record of some sort here for me. Judah. Do you know of any thing like that?'
 No. That is what you are looking for?"
 "Yes. Do yey know of any place where Mir. Corvet would have been likely to pvt away anything like that?'
 Ben put papers in all these draw CTS he put them upstairs, too-where you have seen."
 Nowhere else, JudahT'
 If he put things anywhere else, Alan, l have not seen. Dinner Is served. Alan"
 Alan ,,,ont tA ha loua tarx, nr, tho