Licking Valley courier., 1922-05-04
CHAPTER xl
The Land Of the Drum.


Alan went with Wassaquam into the
front library, after the Indian had
shown Spearman out.
"This was the man. Judah, who came
for Mr.. Corvet that night was hurtr
"Yes, Alan." WassaQuam said.
"He was TIE man, then, who came
here twice a year. ut least. to see Mr..
CorvetT
"Yes."
II was sure Of It," Alan said. "Can
you tell me now why he came here.
JudahT
~ have told you I do not know"
Wassaquam replied. "Ben always saw
him; Ben gave him money. I do not
know why"
Alan had been holding his hand over
the papers which he had thrust into
his pocket; he went back into the
smaller library and spread them under
the reading lamp to examine them.
But, as he looked the pages over now.
he felt chill Of disappointment and
chagrin. They did not contain any
narrative concerning Benjamin Cor
vets life; they did not even relate to
single event. They were no narra-
tive at all. They were-in his Arst
examination Of them, he could not tslf
what they we're.
They consisted In all Of some dozen
sheets Of irregular size, some Of which
had been kept much longer than 9th.
ers, q few of which even appeared
fresh and new. The three pages
which Alan thought. from their yel.
lowed and worn look. must be the old.
est, and which must have been kept
for many years, contained only q list
Of names and addresses. The remain.
Ing pages, which he counted as ten
In number, contained nearly Z hun
dred brief clippings from newspapers
the clippings had been very carefully
cut out, they had been pasted with
painful regularity on the sheets. and
each had been dated across Its face
dates made with many different pens
and with many different Inks. but oil
In the same irregular handwriting as
the letter which Alan had received
from Benjamin Corvet.
Alan. his fingers numb In his disap
polntment, turned and examined all
these pages; but they contained moth
ing else. He read one Of the clippings
which was dated "Feb. 1912"
1.-THE passing away Of one Of ths
oldest residents Of Emmet county oc
Cured at the poorfarm on Thursday
Of last week. Mr.. Fred Westhoust
was one Of four brothers brought by
their parents into Emmett county II
1S40. He established himself here al
a farmer and was well known amoni
our people for many years. He wa,
nearly the last of his family. whicl
was quite we'll or at one time, Mr.
Westhouse's three brothers and hi
father having perished In various dis
nsters upon the lake. His wife die,
two years ago. He Ia survived by I
daughter, Mrs. Arthur Pearl, OF Flint.
He read another:
"Hallford-Spens. On Tuesday lbs
Miss Audrey Hallford. daughter O
Mr.. and Mrs. Bert Hallford. Of thi
place. was united In the bonds Of hol,
matrImony to Mr. Robert Spens, o
Escanaba All wish the young coupl
we'll"
He read another:
"Rom to Mr. and Mrs. Hal French
n daughter, Saturday afternoon last
Miss Vera Arnbella French. at her Al
rival weighed seven and one.hn'
pounds"
This clipping was dated. In Benj'
min Covet's hand, "Sturgeon Bn!
WIS.,, Aug. 1914" Alan put Il as.d
In bcwllderment and amaze and too
up ngn'n the sheets he first had locke
ut. The names and addresses 1n theI
Oldest, ycllowed pages had been fri
written, 1t was plain, oil at the SAN
time and with the same pen and In
and c0ch sheet In the beginning hQ
contained seven or eight names. SON
Of these original names and even Il
(ContInuod nm nara ny