Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-04-14
CHAPTER II
Who Is Alan conradY

Who Is Alan conrad7
The recipient OF the letter while
Benjamin C0ryet had written an
later so excltedIy attempted to r.
cover. was asking himself a questi0
which was almost the same az TN
question which Constance Sheriff. ha,
asked. He was the second morning
later. waiting FOR the first OF the tw,
daily eastbound trains which stopped
ut the little Kansas town OF Blue
Rapids which be called home. As
long as he could look back Into his life
the question, who Is this person they
eaii Alan Conrad. and what am | 10
the man who writes from Chicago had
been The paramount enigma Of exist
ence Tor him. Since he was now
iweniy-three. as nearly as he had been
able to approximate Il. and as distinct
recollection Of Isolated, extraordinary
events went back 10 the time when he
was i've. Il was quite eighteen years
since he had first noticed the question
put to the people who had him IN
ehecse; 80 this Is little Alan Con
rad. Who is he?"
Following the arrival OF certain
letters. which were distinguished from
most others arriving az the house by
having no ink writing on the envelope
but lust sort Of Turple or black
printing Ake newspapers, Alan in.
ynriahiy received dollar To spend
just rs he liked. 70 be sure, unless
'pr2a" took him 10 town, there was
nothing for him to spend II upon: so.
likely escugh. Il went into The square
Iron saa}s. OF which the key was lost
but quite often he did spend II ac-
cordhg 10 pl8ns agreed upon among
all his fricBds aad In memory az these !
occasions AMI In anticipation OF the |
next, Aims dollar" became a com
muniiy Institution among the children.
who gives Il TO you. Alnnl" was a
question more often asked. ms time
went on. The only answer Alan could
give vaS 1T comes from C...cngo-
The post-merk on the envelope. Alan
noticed. was always Chicago; that
Was an he ever could find out about
his dollar. He was about ten years
old when. for reason as inexpllcabIc
as the dollars coming. the letters with
the typewritlea addresses aud the en-
closed money ceased.
Except for the loss OF the dollar a,
TIE end Of every second month--a loss
much discussed by all the children
ana not accepted as permanent TIL
more than two years had passed.
Alan feu no immediate results fron
the cessation or the letters from
Chicago Papa and mama felt them
when'the farm had to be given up. and
the family moved 10 the town. and
papa went 10 work In the wooden mill
becidc the river
fnpa aud mama. M FIRST surprised
ana aisinayed by the stopping OF the
letters stsi chung to the hope OF the
familiar. typewriter addressed en-. !
Felope appearing again: but when. {
liter two years. no more tSoney came. 9
'esentucat which had been steadily Z
rowing sgains, tine person who had {
eni the money began 10 turn against
Wan; and his parents" told him all h
hey knew shout him. n
In 1896 hey had noticed an adver- h
lsesnent Tor persons 20 care for n q
MD. they Ind answered II 10 the n
iiice " the newspaper which printed II
|. In response 10 the letter man m
eiieJ upon them and. after seeing -
Rem ana going around 10 see their al
lends had made arrangements win a
ZEN 70 take a hos ~ three. " no was 10
good health and came ~ good IN
'epi~ lle paid 10 advance .aarf for
,rnf nnd agreed a. send certain 30
nosnf every fHo months after thaf
Hie. The mao brought fhe hor 10
ln" D. called Alan C01md. sfd lefi 81,
%. fef sefeo years fhe moaey hu
tte1 1pen eane pos h had ceased "a
q pare hea 90 Nag ~ Hnd'ng ils h.,
'n ihe Nans gwen nJ him appeared eol
- hn'iiinns ang le had ian no sd
ifs4 ffftpi ffnrlal delivery Hhl IA.
VI faps fnfH nNin|ff m1f0 iian a
y - haa aftvN.ei ln as Nl il,
~ repefs pfef flr m4Hfy siannr1 io
.iNf and if Na9 communicated u|
4 ffaf 600 Namfg fHia1 Al a. li
= f'iiNsfp 100 te ll4 lftfuri noIl 4
ft4a ~ fN ~ ~ ilOf.N fa.
a attniaI llfH fNHi nlu Ir Ia.
~ hff tl0l ilf Nu H4i al N.
ufa Hff 'Nf ll iN0H M ll0 ~.
+ Afnff iH ai| l1| l.l 0n.
Ntf f0N1 iN AlW ri Hl Nv
tlfiW Fr IuN 'NNN M W..
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