Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-05-13

\ man who had brought him theref Hs
4 the money ceased coming because II
person who sent 1t was deadf
that case, connection of Alan with II
place where he belonged was pc
manently broken. Or would some otht
communication from that source reac
him some time--if not money, the
something else? Would he be sent fc
some dayy
Externally, Alan's learning the Ilttl
that was known about himself mad
no change In his way of living; h
went to the town school. which com
bined grammar and high school
under one roof and, as he grew Older
he clerked In one of the town store
during vacations and In the evenings
Alan always carried his money hom
as part payment Of those arrears whlcl
had mounted up against him since tn,
letters ceased coming. At seventeen
having finished high school, he wa,
clerking officially in Merrill's genera
store, when the next letter came.
1t was addressed this time not tc
papa. but to Alan Conrad. He seized
| II, tore 1t open. and bank draft for
fifteen hundred dollars fell out. There
was no letter with the enclosure. no
word Of communication just the draft
to the order of Alan Conrad. Alan
wrote the Chicago bank by which the
draft had been issued; their reply
showed that the draft had been pur-
chased with currency, so there was no
record of the identity of the person
who had sent 1t. More than that
amount was due for arrears for the
seven years during which no money
was sent, even when the total which
Alan had earned was deducted SO
Alan merely endorsed the draft over
to father; and that fall Jim. Alan's
foster brother, went to college. But,
when Jim discovered that 1t not only
was possible but planned at the uni
versity for boy to work his way
through, Alan went also.
-Four wonderful years followed. In
companionship with educated people,
ideas and manners came to him which
he could not have acquired at home;
athletics Strengthened and added bear
Ing to his muscular, well-formed
body; his pleasant, strong young face
acquired self-reliance and self-control.
Life became filled with possibilities for
himself which II had never held before.
But on his day of graduation he
had put away the enterprises he had
planned and the dreams he dreamed
and. conscious that his debt to father
and mother stir remained unpaid, he
had returned to care for them; for
health had failed and Jim, who
had opened law office In Kansas
City, could do nothing to help.
No more money had followed the
daft from Chicago and there had
been no communication Of any kind
but the receipt Of so considerable a
sum had revived and intensified all
Alan's speculatlons about himself The
vague expectation of his childhood
that sometime, In some way. he would
30 sent for; had grown during the
asst six years to definite belief.
And now--on the afternoon before
he summons had come.
This time, as he tore open the en-
'elope, he saw that beside q check.
here was writing whitman uneven
md demonstrating but plainly legible
In longhand. The
ctter made no explanation. II told
lim. rather than asked him, to come
0 Chicago, gave minute instructions
or the journey. and advised him to
when he started. The
heck was for a hundred dollars to
a" his expenses. Check and letter
rec signed by name completely
TRANCE to him.
He was distinctly attractive look
ig lad. as he stood now on the station
latform of the little town, while the
astbound train rumbled In, and he
ngered In his pocket the letter from
hicago.
On the train he took the letter from
Ii pocket and for the dozenth time
,read II. Was Covert q relativei Was
e the man who had sent the remit
lnces when Alan was little boy,
nd the one who later had sent the
fteen hundred tlollars? Or was he
erely go-between. perhaps law.
err There was no letterhead to give
d In these specluations. The ad-
ress to which Alan was to come was
Astor street. He had never heard
lie name OF the street before. Was 1t
business street, Corvets address In
me great office building. perhaps?
AT Chicago Alan. following the
'rter with his suitcase from the car,
epped down among the crowds
FRYING to and from the trains. He c
~ not confused. he was only In.
nsely excited. Acting in implicit ac.
I'd with the Instructions Of the letter.
lich he knew by heart, he went to c
e uniformed attendant and engaged Ii
taxicab--itself no small experience (,
ere would be no one at the station W
meet him. the letter had said. He %
We the Aston street address and got n,
10 the cab. fc
It had begun 10 snow heavily. For O Ell
" blocks the taxicab drove north to
st more or less ordinary build Il
~ then turned east On broad ~