The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-07-13

4 " - 80
"savs the Mlwakal What Do You
Mean, AIanr
all her people-officers and crew-no
one knows how or wherel"
IAN except the one for whom the
Drum didn't beatl"
"What's that7" Blood pricked In her
cheeks. "What do you mean, Alan 2"
Il don't know yet but think I'll
soon find out"
"No; you can tell me more now.
Alan. Surely you can. 1 must know.
1 have the right to know. Yesterday,
even before you found out about this,
you knew things you weren't telling
MEETINGS about the people you'd
been seeing. They'd all lost people on
the lakes. you said but you found out
more than that"
They'd all lost people on the Mi
waka!" he said. IAN who could tell
me where their people were lost; a
few were like Jo Papo we saw yester-
day, who knew only the year his father
was lost; but the time always was the
time that the Miwaka disappeared
"Disappeared!' y she repeated. Her
veins were pricking cold. What did he
know. what could any one know of the
Aiwaka, fhe ssip Of which nothing
ever was heard except the beating Of
the Indian Drum? She tried to make
him say more hut he looked away now
down to the lake.
'-rhe Chippewa must have come in
early this morning" he said. "She's
lying in the harbor; saw her on my
way to the telegraph office. II Mr.
Spearman has come back with her, tell
him I'm sorry can't wait to see him.
"When are you goingr
Now"
She offered to drive him to Petos
key. but he already had arranged for
{ man to fake him to the train.
She went to her room after he was
gone and spread out again on her bed
the watch-now the watch Of Captain
stafford Of the Miwaka-with sthe
knife and coins OF more than twenty
years ago which came with it. The
meaning Of them now was all changed !;
she felt that; but what the new mean
Ing might be could not yet come to
her. Semething Of 1t had come to Alan !;
that. undoubtedly. was what had so
greatly stirred him but she could not
yet reassemble her ideas. Yet a few
facts had become plain.
A maid came to say that Mr.. Spear
man had come up from his boat for
breakfast with her and was down.
stairs. She went down to find Henry
Iounging in one Of the great wicker
chairs In the living room. He arose
and came toward her quickly; but she
halted before he could seize her.
whats wrong dear?"
"Alan Conrad has been here, Henry"
He has? How was that7"
She told him while he watched her
intentiy. "He wired to Buffalo about
the watch. He got reply which he
brought to ne half an hour ago" 2
'.Yesr'
~The watch belonged TO Capt.sE
STAFFORD who was lost with the MI
waka, Henry"
He made no reply but waited.
"You may not have known that 1t
was his; mean, you may not have
known that II was he who rescued the
people Of the Winnebago, but you must
have known that Uncle Benny didn't"
yes; knew that, Connie" he an
swerd evenly.
"Then why did you let me think the
watch was his and that he must be-
deadf'
That's all's the matterf You had
thought he was dead. i believed 1t was
better for you-for every one-to be-
lieve that"
She drew little away from him,
with hands, clasped behind her back,
gazing intently at him. "There was
some writing found In Uncle Bennys
house in Asfor street-a list of names
Of relatives Of people who had lost
their lives upon the lake. Wassaquam
knew where those things were. Alan
says they were given TO him in your
presence. Why didn't you tell me
about that7r
He straightened as II with anger
"Why should II Because he thought
that should? What did he tell you
about those listsf'
"Nothing-except that his father
had kept them very secretly; but he's
found out they were names Of people
who had relatives on the Miwakaw
"What?r
Recalling how her blood had run
when Alan had told her that. Henry's
whiteness and the following suffuslon.
Of his face did not surprise her.
II told that fellow long ago not to
start stirring these matters up about
Ben Corvet, and particularly ! told
him that he was not to bring any Of 1t
to you. It's not-a thing that a man
like Ben covered up for twenty. years