The Dolores star., 1922-06-02
THE INDIAN DRUM
by WIliam S1facFzag and edam 7almr
: =

W
In the late afternoon, as dusk was
drawing into dark. she stood Mt the
window. with one Of those deiusiNe
homes which come during anxiety thht'
because II was the time Of day at
which she had seen Uncle Benny walk
ing by the lake the day before, she
might see him there again, when she
saw her fathers motor approaching.
1t was coming from the north hot
from the south as 1t would have been
II he was coming from his office or ms
club. and It had turned into the Drive
from the west. She knew, therefore,
that he was coming from Uncle Ben
ny's house, and. rs the car swerHed
and wheeled in, she ran out into the
hall TO meet him.
He came in without taking on hat
or coat: she could see that he was
perturbed. greatly aHtnted.
what Is 1t. father7" she demanded.
"What has happenedr'
81 do not know, my dear"
"It Is somethng-somethin that
has happened to Uncle Benny
IL am afraid so. dear-yes. But ]
do not know what 1t is that has hap
pened or I would tell you
He put his arm about her and drew
her into room opening on the hill
his study. He made her repeat again
TO him the conversation she had had
with Uncle Benny and tell him how
he had acted; but she saw that what
she told him did not help him.
Then he drew her toward him.
"Tell me, little daughter. You
have been great deal with Uncle
Benny and have talked with him; |
want you TO think carefully. Did you
ever hear him speak of any one called
Alan ConradT"
She thought. mo. father"
mo reference either to any one
living in Kansas, or town there
called Blue RapidsT"
mo. father. Who is Alan Conrad2"
81 do not know. dear. never heard
the name until to-day, and Harry
Spearman had never heard 1t. But II
appears to be intimately connected in
some way with what was troubling
Uncle Benny yesterday. He wrote n
letter yesterday to Alan Conrad in
Blue Rapids and mailed 1t himself {;
and afterward he tried to get 1t back,
| but it already had been taken up and
was on its way. | have not been able
| to learn anything more about the letter
I,ut, hpf Il hnt l,,,
| Conrad, came to me in quite another
way, In way which makes it certain
that 1t Is closely connected with what
ever has happened to Uncle Benny.
| You are quite sure you never heard
| him mention 1t. dearT"
quite sure, father"
He released her and, still In his hat
and coat, went swiftly up the stairs
| She ran after him and found him
standing before highboy in his dress
ing room. He unlocked drawer in
the highboy, and from within the
drawer he took key. Then, still dis
regarding her, he hurried back down
| stairs.
AS she followed him. she caught ur
a wrap and pulled it around her. He
had told the chauffeur, she realized
now, TO wait; but as he reached the
door, he turned and stopped her.
Il would rather you did not come
with me, little daughter. ! do moi
know at all what it is that has hap
pened-I will let you know as soon as
l find out
The tinality in his tone stopped hel
from argument. As the house door anf
then the door of the limousine CLOSED
after him, she went back toward the
window, slowly taking of the wrap
For the moment she found it difficult
to think. Something had happened tC
Uncle Benny, something terrible
dreadful for those who loved him
that was plain, though only the fact
and not Its nature was known to he,
or to her father; and that sometime
was nnected-intimately connected
her father had sad-with nam,
which no one who knew Uncle Benn,
ever heard before, with the name o.
Alan Conrad Of Blue Rapids, Kansas
VINO was this Alan Conrad, and wha
could his connection be with Uncle
Benny so to preclpitate disaster upor
him?