The Snowflake herald. [volume] (Snowflake, Ariz.) 1913-1969, 1922-06-30
CHAPTER discontinued.

she, ne saw, was listening, ike MINI
self. for the sound of Sherrill's ar
oval at the house; and when it came
abe recognized it first, rose, and eX-
cused herself. He heard her voice in
tie hall, then her fathers deeper voice
which answered. and ten minutes
later, he looked up to see the man
these things had told him must be
sherriII standing in the door and look
ing at him.
Alan had arisen at sight of him
gherrill, as he came in, motioned him
back to his seat; he did not sit down
himself, but crossed to the mantel and
leaned against it.
al am Lawrence Sheriff." he said
AS the tall. graceful, thoughtful
man stood looking down at him. Alan
could tell nothing of the attitude of
this friend of Benjamin Corvet to-
ward himself His manner had the
came reserve toward Alan, the same
questioning consideration OF him, that
Constance Sheriff. had had after Alan
had told her about himself
"AIy daughter has repeated to me
what you tod her, Mr. Conrad"
Sheriff. Observed "Is there anything
you want to add TO me regarding
thHt?"
There's nothing can add" Alan
answered. 81 told her all that l know
about myself"
"And about Mr. Corvet?"
81 know nothing at all about Mr..
COrvef."
81 am going to tell you some things,
about Mr. Corvet," Sheriff. said 81
had reasOn--I do not want to explain
iust yet what that reason was-for
thinking you could tell us certain
things about Mr.. Corvet, which would,
perhaps, make palmer what has hap
pened to him. When l tell you about
him now, it is In the hope that, In
that way, may awake some forgotten
memory of him in you; Ii not that,
you may discover some coincidence of
dates or events Ia Cervet's life with
Iates or events In your own. Will you
tell me frankly. IL you do discover any
thing like that?"
eyes; certainly"
For several moments, Sheriff. paced
up and down before the fire; then he
returned to his place before the
nantel.
~ first met Benjamin Corvet," he
commenced, nearly thirty years ago.
I had come West for the first time
the year before; l was about your own
age and had been graduated from
college only short time, and a bust
ness opening had offered itself here
Times were booming on the Great
Lakes. Chicago, which had more than
recovered from the fire, was doubling
its population every decade; CIeve-
tand. Duluth, and Milwaukee were
Ieaping up as ports. Men were grow
ing millions of bushels of grain which
they couldn't ship except by lake !;
hundreds of thousands of tons of orc
had to go by water; and there were
tens of millions of feet of pine ard
hardwood from the Michigan forests
Sailing vessels, it is true, had seen
their day and we're disappearing from
the lakes; were being Sold many of
them. as the saying is. 'to the insur-
ing. Steamers were taking their place.
Towing had come In. felt, young
man though / was, that this trans
portation matter was all one thing,
and that In the end the railroads
would own the SHIPS. l have never
engaged very actively in the operation
Of the ships; rsy daughter would like
me to be more active In 1t than l have
been: but ever since, l have had
money Ia lake vessels. It was the
year frat I began that sort Of invest
mert that / first met Corvet."
Alan looked up quickly. MIR. Cor
set was-?" he asked
''COryet was-is a lakeman," Sher-
sill said.
Alan sat mctionleSs, as he recol-
feeted the strange exaltation that had
come to him when ne saw the lake
Tor the first time. Should he tell
Aherriii of that? He decided 1t was
too vague. tor indefinite to be men
toned; no doubt any other man used
only to the prairie might have felt the
same.
"He was shipowner, then," he
said.
Eyes; he was a shipowner-not,
however, on a large scale at that time.
He had been a master. sailing ships
which belonged to others; then he
mad sailed one of his own. He was
operating then. l believe. two vessels:
but with the boom times on the lakes.