Connecticut western news., 1922-12-28

ana spoke to Alan. You have been !. saving me, so now I tried to save yeu," he said simply. What reason did you have for doing that7 Why have you been keeping by mel"
 . 'Tm Alan Conrad of Blue Rapids. Kansas" Alan cried to him. And you're Benjamin Corvetl You know me; you sent for mel Why did you do that?"
 Corvet made no reply to this. Alan, peering at him underneath the truck, could see that his hands were pressed against his face and that his body shook. Whether this was from some new physical pain from the movement of the wreckage, Alan did not know till he lowered his hands after a mo- ment; and now he did not heed Alan or seem even to be aware of him.
 Dear little Connie !" he said aloud. Dear little Connie She mustn't marry him-not himl That must be seen to. What shall do, what shall I doT Alan worked nearer him f''Why mustn't she marry him7" he cried to Corvet. "Why7 Ben Corvet,, tell me Tell me whyT" t .. "Who are youT Corvet seemed only with an efroFt to become conscious of Alan's presence.
 "Tm Alan Conrad, whom you used to take care of. I'm from Blue Rap ids. You know about me: are you my | father, Ben Corvet? Are you my fa- ther or what-what are you to mel"
 "Your father?" Corvet repeated. Did ne tell you that? He killed your father"
 Killed him? Killed him, howP
 ''Of course. He killed them all-all. 7, But your father-he shot him; he shot him through the headp
 Alan twinged. Sight of Spearman came before him as he had first seen Spearman, covering in Corvets H. brary in terror at an apparition. And the bullet hole above the eyew So Spearman fired which had killed Alan's father-which shot him through the head! Alan peered at Corvet and called to him.
 "Father Benitoti" Corvet called in response, not directly in reply to AIan's question, rather in response to what those questions stirred Father Benitoti" F f.. ....ta ..".
 Some one, drawn by the cry, was and arm with torn sleeve showed {; Alan could not see the rest of the flg- ure, but by the sleeve he recognized that 1t vas the mate.
 'aWhos caught herer' he called down. ~ "' --
 "Benjamin Corvet of Corvet, Sher- Till and Spearman, ship owners of Chi- cago," Corvet's voice replied deeply, fully; there was authority in it and wonder too-the wonder of man find Ing himself in a situation which his recollection cannot explain.
 "Ben Corvet! I" the mate shouted in surprise he cried 1t to the others, those who had followed Cervst and obeyed him during the hour before and had not known why. The mate tried to pull the wreckage aside and make his way to Corvet but the old man stopped him. '-rhe priest, Father Benitot Send him to me. shall never leave here; send Father Benitotw ...@
 The word was passed without the mate moving away. The mate, after a minute, made no further attempt to free Corvet; that indeed was useless, and Corvet demanded his right of sac rament from the priest who came and crouched under the wreckaes beside him. ! .
 Father Benitott'
 "T am not Father Benitot. I am Fla. ther Perron of LAnse," u<
 Tt was to FatheF Benitot of St. Ig' mace should have gone, Fatherl <.
 The priest got little closer as Cor. vet spoke, and Alan heard only voices now and then through the sounds of changing metal and the drum of ice against the hull. The mate and his helpers were working to get him free They had abandoned all effort to save the ship; it was settling. And with the settling, the movement of the wreckage imprisoning Alan was in creasing. This movement made useless the efforts of the mate; 1t would free Alan of itself in a moment, if 1t did not kill him; 1t would free or finish Corvet too. But he, as Alan saw him was wholly oblivious of that now. His lips moved quietly, firmly; and his eyes were fixed steadily on the eyes of the