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

4
0 beside the door.
) The door opened almost instantly
7 so quickly after the ring. indeed, tina
Alan, with leaping throb Of his hear,
knew that some one must have bee
awaiting him. But the door opene,
only half way, and the man who stoo,
within, gazing out at Alan question
, ingly, was obviously servant.
What Is TT? he asked. as Alar
stood looking at him and past him t,
the narrow section Of darkened hal
which was in sight.
Alan put his hand over the letter
In his pocket. i've come to see Mr.
Corvet," he said--"Mr. BENJAMIN
Corvet."
What is your nameY
Alan gave his name; the man re-
peated II after him, in the manner of
trained servant, quite without In
Election. Alan, not familiar with such
tones, waited uncertainty. SO far as
he could tell, the name was entirely
strange to the servant, awakening
neither welcome nor opposition, but
indifference. The man stepped back,
but not In such manner as to invite
| Alan In; on the contrary, he half
| closed the door as he stepped back,
leaving 1t open only an inch or two
but 1t was enough so that Alan heard
him say to some one within:
He says he's him."
ASK him in; will speak to him."
1t was girls voice-this second one.
a voice such as Alan never had heard
before. Ii was low ana soft but quite
clear and distinct, with youthful, i'm
pulsIve modulations and the manner
of accent which Alan knew must 60
with the sort of people who lived in
houses like those on this street.
The servant. obeying the voice, re-
turned and opened wide the door.
"Will you come In, sir?"
Alan put down his suitcase on the
stone porch; the man made no move
to pick 1t up and bring 1t in. Then
Alan stepped into the hall face to face
with the girl who had come from the
big room on the right.
She was quite young girl-not
over twenty-one or twenty-five. Alan
judged; like girls brought I'D in
wealthy families, she seemed to Alan
to have gained young womanhood In
far greater degree in some respects
than the girls he knew, while. at the
same time, in other ways, she retained
more than they some characteristics
of child. Her slender figure had a
woman's assurance and grace; her
soft brown hair was dressed like a
woman's; her gray eyes had the open
directness of the girt. Her face
smoothly oval, with straight brows
and skin so debate that at the
temples the veins showed dlmly blue
was at once womanly and youthful;
and there was something altogether
ikable and simple about her, as she
studied Alan now. She was slightly
pale, he noticed, and there were lines
If strain and trouble about her eyes.
Il am Constance Sheriff." she an
bounced. Her tone implied quite evil
iently that she expected him to have
ome knowledge Of her. and she seemed
urprised to see that her name did not
mean more to him.
"Mr. Corvet is not here this MORN
n.y." she said.
He hesitated, but persisted: 81 was
0 see him here today. Miss Sheriff..
lie wrote me, and telegraphed him
you'd be here today"
II know" she answered. 1--WE had
our telegram. Mr.. Corvet was not
ere when II came, 50 my father
pened IT," Her voice broke oddly.
nd he studied her In INDIGESTION, won q
ering who that father might be that
pened Mfr. Corvet's kilograms.
Mr.. Cervet went away very sud
emily she explained. She seemed, he u
bought. to be trying to make some )
hing plain to him which might be a u
hook to him; yet herself to be un- y
srtain what the nature of that shock
light he. Her look was scrutinizing, a
lestioning, anxious but not I'M
'iendly. After he had written you Il
nd something else had happened n
think---to alarm my father about
m, father came here to his house to
ok after him. He thought some VI
ing might have 5. happened to Mr..
orvet here In his house, But Mr..
3rvet was not here" OF
You mean he has-disappearedT !
Yes; he has disappeared" al
Alan gnzed at her dizziy. Benja- eS
In Corvet-whoever he might be-
ID disappeared; he had gone. Did hi
" one else, then. know about Alan 81
,nrad! he
mo one has seen Mr.. Corvet," she bi
Id. since the day he wrote TO he
u. We knew that-that he became ha
disturbed after doing that-writing he
you--that we thought you must CHI
Ing with you information Of him." TEL
Information !" as
$50 we have been waiting for you -
come here and tell us what you II
Uw about him or--or your connec- II
Il with him" II
A.. II