Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-06-24

muscles In his shoulders but his bod
had become fat and soft, his face wa
puffed and his eyes watery and bright
his brown hair, which was shot ii
through with gray, was dirty and ma,
ted he had three or four days growt
Of beard When he sa. up and locke
about II was plain that whisky wa
only one OF the forces working upOl
him--the other was fever whlcl
burned up and sustained him intermIt
tently
$40" he greeted Alan. where
shat d--n Iniin, heyI knew Bel
Corvet was shcre---knew he was sher,
all time. Course he's shere; he goI
to be shere. That's shright. You e
get 'im''
"Wbo are your" Alan asked
/ Say, who'r your What t'heIs syou
doin here? Never see you before
go--go get Ben Corvet. Jus
| say Ben Corvet, Lu--Iuke's shere. Ben
Coryet'll know Lu--luke all right; al
wash, alwaysh knows me. :"
whats the matter with your
Alan had drawn back but now went to
the man again. The first idea that this
might have been merely some old sail
or who had served Benjamin Corvet
or, perhaps, had been comrade In
the earlier days, had been banished
by the confident arrogance of the
mans tone--an arrogance not to be
explained entirely by whisky or by
the fever.
"How long have you been this way"
Alan demanded. where did You come
FRONT" He put his hand on the wrist
1t was very hot and dry: the pulse
was racing. Irregular; at seconds 1t
seemed to stop; for other seconds II
was continuous. The fellow coughed
and bent forward. what Is IT,
pneumonlaT Alan tried to stralghten
him up.
"Gf me drink Go get Ben
Corvet, tell You! Get Ben
Corvet quick! Say-yous shear? You
get me Ben Corvet; you better get
Ben Coryet you tell him Lu--uke's
here; won't wait any more; goin'
t'have my money now srIght
away, your shear? Kick me out sloon;
| guess not no more. Ben Corvet give
me all money | want or talkr'
"Talk =
"Syou know II ! amt goin' !"
He choked up and tottcred back;
Alan, supporting him. laid him down
and stayed beside him until his cough
Ing and choking ceased, and there was
only the rafting rasp Of his breathing. |
When Alan spoke to him again, Luke's |
syes opened. and he narrated recent
experiences bitterly: all were blamed
% Ben Coryet's absence; Luke, who |
lad been drinking heavily few
lights before. had been thrown out
when the saloon was closed; that was
Ben Corvet's fault II Ben Corvet had
'een around, Luke would have had
money, all the money any one wanted;
10 one would have thrown out Luke
hen. Luke slept in the snow, all wet.
When he arose, the saloon was open
gain. and he got more whisky, but not
'nough to get him warm. He hadn't
'een warm since. That was Ben Cor
cts fault. Pen Corvet better he
round now: Luke wouldn't stand any
more.
Alan felt of the pulse again; he
pened the coat and under fiannels
nd felt the heaving chest. He went
0 the hall and looked In the telephone
directory. He remembered the name
{ the druggist on the corner Of Clark
treet and he telephoned him, giving
he number on Aston street.
Il want a doctor right away" he
AID. ANY good doctor: the one that
gu can get quickest" The druggist
romised that a physician would be
here within quarter Of an hour.
Ian went back to Luke, who was
Ilent now except for the gasp OF his
reath: he did not answer when Alan
poke TO him. except 10 ask for whis-
Y. Alan stood watching. strange.
mixing tremor shaking him, This
IAN had come there to make claim
IA claim which many times before.
)parently, Benjamin Corvei had adj
lifted. Luke came 10 Ben Corvet
If money which he always got.-.all
; wanted--the alternative 10 giving !
hich was that Luke would talk. l
lackmall that meant. OF course: {
ackmail which NOT only Luke had 4
Id OF but which Wassaquam toe had ,
limited, as Alan now realized Money h
r blackmail--tha was the reason
r that thousand dollars In cash r
hich Benjamin Corvet always kept
the house. \
Alan turned with sudden SILVER :
revulsion toward his fathers chair I
place before the hearth; there for y
'urs each day his father had sat i
Ith book or staring into the Are II
ways with what this man knew v
nging over him, always arming b
ainst II with the thousand dollars h
ady for this man, whenever he came. Ii
Getting bhckmail. paying blackmail
r as long as Wassaquam had been h
the house, for as long as II took TO Il
AXE the once muscular powerful fig u
= Of the snilor who threatened to | a