The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-04-10
CONTINUED from last issue)

sciOusly to separate, the priests voice
from the sensations running through
him. His father was Stafford, dying
at Corvet's feet while Corvet watched
the death of the crew Of the Miwaka;
Alan himself, a child, was floating with
lifebelt among those struggling in
the water whom Spearman and Corvet
were watching die. Memory; was it
that which now had come to him? No;
rather it was realization Of all the
truths which the priests words were
bringing together and arranging right
~ for him. J. - ~
.ss Alan's father died in the morning.
All day they stayed out in the storm,
avoiding vessels. They, dared not
throw Staffords body overheard or
that of the engineer, because, if found,
the bullet holes would have aroused
inquiry. When night came again, they
had taken the two ashore at some wild
spot and buried them; to make .denti-.
fication harder, they had taken the
things that they had with them and
buried them somewhere else. The
child-Alan-Corv had Struggled
ashore and sent away; he had told
Spearman later that the child had
died. F.,
"Peace-rest =" Father Peron said
in deep voice. "Peace to the dead!"
y But for the living there had been
no peace. Spearman had forced Cor
vet to make him his partner; Corvet
had tried to take up his life again,
but had not been able. His wife,
aware that something was, wrong with
him, had learned enough so that she
had left him. Luke had come and
come and come again for blackmafl,
and Corvet had paid him.. Corvet grew
rich; those connected with him pros
pered; but with Corvet lived always
the ghosts OF those he had watched
die with the Miwaka-of those who
would have prospered with Stafford e1-
cept for what had. been done. Cor
vet had secretly sought and followed
the, fate Of the kin Of those people
who had been murdered to benefit
him; he found some of their families
destroyed; he found almost all poor
and struggling. And though Corvet
paid Luke to keep the crime fIoE, dis
closure, yet Corvet swore to himself
to confess it all and make such resti-
tuition rs he could. But each time that
the day he had appointed with him.
self arrived, he put it off and off an !.
( fFS -.
man knew of his intention and some
times kept him from 1T. But Corvet
had made one close friend; and when
that friends daughter, for whom Cor
vet cared now most Of all In the world,
+ had been about to marry Spearrnan,
Corvet defied the cost to himself. and
he gained strength to oppose Spear
man. SO he had written to Srafford's
son to come; he had prepared for con-
fession and restitution: but, after he
had done this and while he waited,
something had seemed to break in
his brain; too long preyed upon by
terrible memories, and the ghosts of
those who had gone, and by the echo
Of their voices crying to him from the
water, Corvet had wandered away !;
he had come back, under the name
of one of those whom he had wrOnged
to the lake life from which he had
sprung. Only now and then, for a
few hours, he had intervals when he
remembered all; in one Of these he
had dug up, the watch and the ring
and other things which he had taken
from Captain StaffOrd's pockets and
written to himself directions of what
to do with them, when his mind again
failed. 49,. -
And for Spearman, strong against
all that assailed COrvet, there had been
always the terror of the Indian Drum
the Drum which had beat short for
the MiwakR, the Drum which had
known that one was saved! That story
came from some hint which Luke had
spread, Cdrvet thought; but Spear
man, born near by the Drum, believed
that the Drum had known and that the
Drum had tried to tell; all through
the years Spearman had dreaded the
Drum which had tried to betray him.
So it was by the Drum that, in the
end, Spearlnall was broken. a..
The priests voice had stopped. as
Alan slowly realized; he heard Sher-
rill's voice speaking to him.
st was trust that he left you,
Alan; l thought it must he that
u trust for those who suffered by the
loss Of your fathers ship. l don't
know yet how it can be fulfilled; and
We must think Of that" ~
S.'That's how understand it," Alan
said. ~ i
Through the tumult in his soul he
became aware Of physical feelings
again, and of Sherrill's hand put upon
his shoulder in cordial. friendly
grasp. Then another hand, small and
firm, touched his, and he felt its warm
tightening grasp upon his fingers; he
looked up, and his eyes filled and hers,
Inc. saw, We're trimming too.
! They walked together. later in the
day, up the hill to the small, white
! house. which had been Caleb Stafrord's.