The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-06-15

II want a doctor right away" he
said. ANY good doctor; the one that
you can get quickest" The druggist
promised that a physician would be
there within a quarter Of an hour.
Alan went back to Luke, who was
silent now except for the gasp of his
breath he did not answer when Alan
spoke to him, except to ask for whis-
ky. Alan stood watching, a strange,
sinking tremor shaking him. This
man had come there to make claim
"a claim which many times before,
apparently, Benjamin Corvet had ad-
mitted. Luke came to Ben Corvet
for money which he always got-all
he wanted-the alternative to giving
which was that Luke would talk"
Blackmail, that meant. of course;
blackmail which not only Luke had
told of but which Wassaquam too had
admitted, as Alan now realized Money
for blackmail-that was the reason
for that thousand dollars in cash
which Benjamin Corvet always kept
at the house.
Alan turned with a sudden shiver
of revulsion toward his fathers chair
in place before the hearth; there for
hours each day his father had sat
with a book or staring into the fire
always with what this man knew
hanging over him, always arming
against 1t with the thousand dollars
ready for this man. whenever he came.
Meeting blackmail, paying blackmail
for as long as Wassaquam had been
in the house, for as long as 1t took to
make the once muscular powerful fig
ure Of the sailor who threatened to
talk" into the swollen whisky-soaked
hnlk of the man dying now on the
lounge.
For his state that day the man
blamed Benjamin Corvet. Alan. fore
ing himself to touch the swollen face
shuddered at thought of the truth un-
derlying that accusation. Benjamin
Corvets act-whatever 1t might be
that this man knew-undoubtedly had
destroyed not only him who paid the
blackmail but him who received 1t;
the effect of that act was still going
on, destroying, blighting. Its threat Of
shame was not only against Benjamin
| COrvet; it threatened also all whose
names must be connected with Cor
vets. This shame threatened Alan;
1t threatened also the Sherrills. What
Sheriff. had told Alan and even Cor
vets gifts to him had not been able
to make Alan feel tnat without Ques-
ton Corvet was his father, but now
shame and horror were making him
feel 1t; In horror at Corvet's act
vrvta IL tsvIt t,. 81,
at Covert's cowardice, Alan was think
Ing of Benjamin Corvet as his father.
This shame, this horror were his in
heritance.
He left Luke and went to the win
dow to see II the doctor was coming
He had called the doctor because in his
first sight of Luke he had not recog-
nized that Luke was beyond the aid
Of doctors and because to summon a
doctor under such circumstances was
the right thing to do; but he had
thought of the doctor also as a wit
ness to anything Luke might say. But
now-did he want a witness? He had
no thought of concealing anything for
his own sake or for his fathers; but
he would. at least. want the chance to
| determine the circumstances under
which it was to be made public.
He hurried back to Luke. what
Is 1t, Luke7 he cried to him. what
can you tell? Listen! Luke-Luke,
IL 1t about the Miwaka-the Miwaka?
Lukei"
Luke had sunk into a stupor; Alap
shook him and shouted In his ear
without awakening response. As Alan
Strengthened and stood hopelessly look
ing down at him, the telephone bell
rang sharply. Constance Sherrill's
voice came to him; her first words
made 1t clear that she was at home
and had just come In.
THE servants tell me some one wa1
making a disturbance beside your
house a while ago." she said, "and
shouting something about Mr.. Corvet
Is there something wrong theref Have
you discovered somethingf
He shook excitedly while, holding
bis hand over the transmitter lest
Luke should break out again and she
A1M1.