The Meeker herald., 1922-06-10


In the late afternoon, as dusk wss
drawing Into dark. she stood at the
window, with one Of those deluslve
hopes which come during anxiety that,
because II was the time OF day ut
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, not
from the south MS 1t would hnve been
II he was coming from his office or his
club, and 1t had turned into the Drive
from the west. She knew, therefore,
that he was coming from Uncle Ben
ny's house. and, as the car swerVed
and wheeled In, she ran out into the
hall to meet him.
He came In without taking of hat
or coat: she could see that he was
perturbed. greatly agitated.
"What is II. father?" she demanded.
"What has happenedr'
II do not know. my dear"
ut is something-something that
has happened to Uncle Benny?"
II am afraid 30, dear-yes. But l
do not know what 1t is that Inns hap
pened, or ! would tell you"
He put his arm about her md drew
her Into 4 room opening of the hnll-
his study. He made her repent ngain
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.
"TeIl me. little daughter. You
have been grent deal with Uncle
Benny and have talked with him; !
want you TO think carefully. Did you
ever hear him speak of any one called
Aim ConradT'
She thought. "SO. father"
mo reference either to any ono
living In Kansas. or a town there
called Blue Rnpids"
| mo. father. Who IL Alan Conrnd?"
81 do not know, denr. ! never heard
the mime until to-day. and Hurry
| Spenrman had never heard 1t. But II
nppears to he Intimately connected In
some way with whnt was troubling
| Uncle Benny yesterday. He wrote
letter yesterday TO Aim Conrad In
Blue Rapids and mailed 1t himself;
and aftcrwnrd he tried to get 1t back.
but 1t already had been taken up and
was on It's way. I have not been nble
to learn anything more about the letter
| than that. To-day that mime, Alan
Conrad. came to me In quite another
way, In a way which makes 1t certain
| IL t. ,In fDI w T.,
ever has happened to Uncle Benny.
You are quite sure you never heard
him mention 1t. dear7"
| "Quite sure. father"
| He released her and. still In his hat
and cont, went swiftly up the stairs.
She ran after him md found him
standing before highboy In his dress
Ing room. He unlocked drawer In
the highboy. and from within the
drawer he took n key. Then. still dis
regarding her. lie hurried back down.
stairs.
As she followed him. she caught up
a wrap, end pulled 1t around her. He
had told the chauffeur. she realized
now, to wait; but as he reached the
door, he turned and stopped her.
81 would rather you did not come
with me. little daughter. I do not
know ut all what It Is TINT has hap
pened-I will let you know rs soon as
| I find out"
The hnnlity In his tone stopped her
| from argument. As the house door and
| then the door of the Limousine closed
after him, she went buck toward the
window, slowly taking OF the wrnp.
For the moment she found 1t difficult
| to think. Something had happened to
Uncle Benny. something terrible.
| dreadful for those who loved him;
| that was plain. though only the fact
| and not Its nature was known to her
or to her father; and TINT something
| was overwhelmingly connected.
her father had snid-with nnme
which no one who knew Uncle Benny
ever heard before, with the name OF
Aim Conrad Of Blue Rapids. Kansas.
| Who was this Alan Conrad. and what
could his connection be with Uncle,
Benny so to prccipItute disaster upon
him?