The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-05-25

has DetH away from nome OF recent
years have been when he visited an
acquaintance of his-the head porter
in a South Side hotel. / went to the
telephone In the house next door and
called the hotel and found Wassaquam
there. | told him over the telephone
only that something was wrong. and
hurried to my W home to get the
key, which | had. to the Corvet house
but when | came back and LET myself
into the house, / found il empty and
with no sign Of anything having hap
peneG.
1.-THE next morning. Alan. I went to
the safe deposit vaults as soon as they
were open. | presented the numbered
key and was told that il belonged TO a
box rented by Coryet, and that Corvet
had arranged about three days before
for me to have access TO the box If |
presented the key. ] had only to sign
my name in their book and open the
box. In 1t, Alan, | found the pictures
Of you which | showed you yesterday
and the very strange communications
that am going TO show you now"
Sheriff. opened the long envelope,
from which several thin. folded papers
fell. He picked up the largest of these.
which consisted of several sheets
fastened together with a clip. and
handed 1t to Alan without comment.
Alan, as he looked at ii and turned the
pages, saw that IT contained two col.
umns of typewriting carried from page
to page after the manner of an ac-
count.
The column to the left was an inven-
tory of property and profits and in
come by months and years, and the
m to the right was a list of losses
and expenditures. Beginning at an in
definite day or month in the year 1895,
there was set down In a lump sum
what was indicated as the total Of Ben
jamin Corvet's holdings at that time.
To this, In sometimes undated items,
the Increase had been added. In the
opposite column. beginning apparently
from the same date in 1895, we're the
missing mans expenditures.
Alan having ascertained that the pa
pers contained only this account,
looked up questioningly to Sheriff. Z;
but Sheriff., without speaking, merely
handed him the second of the papers.
Alan unfolded 1t and saw that ii was
u letter written In the same hand
which had written the he
had received in Blue Rapids and had
made the entries in the little memo
randum book of the remittances that
had been sent TO John Welton.
1t began simply:
Lawrence
This will come to you In the event
that l am not able to carry out the
plan upon which / am now, at last, de-
termined. You will find with this a
list of my possessions. Deeds for all
real estate executed and complete ex-
cept for recording Of the transfer at
the county office; bonds, certificates.
II other documents representing my
ownership of properties, together with
signed forms for their legal transfer
TO you, are In this box. These o
ties, in their entirety. i give to you In
trust to hold for the young man now
known as Alan Conrad of Blue Rap
ids, Kan, to deliver any part or all
over to him or to continue to hold it
all in trust for him as you shall con
slider to be to his greatest advantage.
"This for the reasons which | shall
have told TO you or him-I cannot
know which n Of you now. nor do !
know how / shall tell 1t. But when
you learn, Lawrence, think as well of
me as you caB and help him to be
| charitable TO me.
with the greatest affection,
BENJAMIN CORyET."
Alan, as he finished reading, looked
up to Sheriff.. bewildered and dazed.
what does Ii mean Mr.. Sheriff.
Does it mean that he has gone away
and left everything he had-everything
to me?"
IF Mr.. Corvet does not return, and
] do not receive any other instructions.
| shall take over his estate, as he has
instructed, for your advantage"
"And, Mr.. Sheriff., he didn't tell you
why? This is all you know?"
Yes; you have everything now. All
we can do, Alan, is to search for him
In every way we can. There will be
others searching for him too now; for
information of his disappearance has
got out. There have been reporters at
the Office this morning making in
| quiries. and his disappearance will be
in the afternoon papers"
Sheriff. put the papers back in their
envelope. and the envelope back into
the drawer, which he relocked.
Il wen over all this with Mr. Spear
a this morning" lie said. HE is as
much at a loss 10 explain IL as l am"
He was silent for ii few oment
THE transfer OF Mr.. Corvet's prop
| critics TO ME for YOU he said sudden
ly. Includes. is you "a seen, Cor
vets interest In the Arm Of 'Corvet,
Sheriff. Il Spearman.' l went very
carefully through me deeds and trans
fers IN the deposit box, and II was
plain that. while he had taken great
| care with the forms If transfer for all
The properties, he had taken particular
| pains with whatever related TO his
| holdings In this company aid to his
shipping Interests. If make wei the
| properties to you. Alan. | shall begin