The Ordway new era., 1922-06-30

become very low, now ceased. she
vas speakinc to Alan Of his father@a
father whom he had never KNOWN anu
whom he could not have recoshizeu ny
sight until she showed him the picturo
a few weeks before; but she "aS
speaking of his father.
"Mr. sheriff. didn't feel tllat IL was
necessary for him to do anything even
though he thought that!
..Js Mr.. Corvet was dead, we couid
do him no good. surely, by telling inns
TO the police; II the police succeeuea
in finding out all the facts. we wouio
he doing only what Uncle Benny aiu
not wish-what he preferred death 10.
We could not tell the police about II
without telling them all about Mr. .or-
VET TOO. So father would not let him-
self believe that you had been attackeu
TO be killed He had to believe '"e
police theory was sufficient.
Alan made no comment at once.
.Wassaquam believes Mr.. Coryet 10
dead" he said finally. He told me SO.
Does YOUR father believe thatE
Il think he is beginning 10 believe
it,
'I've not told any one" he said, now
watching her. how l happened to he
out of the house that night. | followed
a man who came there 10 the house.
Wassaquam did not know his name
He did not know Mr.. Corvet was gone'
for he came there to see MIR. CorHet.
He was not an ordinary friend of MIR.
Corvet's; but he had come there often.
Wassauuam did not know why. Was
saquam had sent the man away, and
| ran out after him; but L could not
find him"
He stopped an instant, studying her,
"That was not the first man who came
to the house." he went on quickly, as
she was about to speak. 81 Found a
man in Mr.. Coryets house the first
night that spent there. Wassaquam
was away, you remember and | was
alone in the house.
"A man there in the house?" she re-
peated.
He was going through Mr.. Corvet's
things-not the silver and all that, bat
through his desks and files and cases.
He was looking for something-some-
thing which he seemed to want very
much; when l interfered, it greatly ex-
cited him. l frightened him. He
thought 1 was ghost"
a ghost. Whose ghost?" .
He shrugged. 81 don't know; some
one whom he seemed to have known
pretty weIl-and whom Mr.. Coryet
knew, he thought"
"Why didn't you tell us this before?"
AT least-I am telling you now,
Miss Sheriff. l frightened him. and
he got away. But l had seen him
plainly. | can describe him. :.
You've talked with your father of the
pen to me such as, perhaps, happened
TO Mr.. Corvet. If anything does hap
pen to me, a description of the man
may . prove useful"
Then clearly and definitely as he
could, he described Spearman to her.
She did not recognize the description !;
he had known she would not. Had not
cptdl btti III btyollu
that, was not connection of Spearman
with the prowler in Corvet's house the
one connection of all most difficult for
her to make?
They were silent as they went on to-
ward her home. He had said all he
could, or dared to say; to tell her that
the man had been Spearman would not
merely have awakened her incredull-
ty; it would have destroyed credence
utterly. A definite change in their re-
lation to one another had taken place
during their walk. The fullness, the
frankness Of the sympathy there had
been between them almost from their
first meeting, had gone; she was
quite aware, he saw, that he had not
frankly answered her questions; she
was aware that In some way he had
drawn back from her and shut her