The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-24
CONTINUED from last issue)

She went back and picked up the
wedding ring The thought which had
come to her that this was Alan's moth.
er's wedding ring, had fastened itself
upon her with sense Of certainty. 1t
defended that unknown mother: 1t
freed her, at least, from the stigma
which Constlnce's own mother had
been so ready to cast. Constance. could
mot vet begin to place Unc1e Benny
lin relation til that ring but she was
ibeginnins to be able to think Of Alan
and his mother. She held The little
band of gold very tenderly in her
hand, she was glad that, as the ac-
cusation against his mother had come
through her people. she could tell him
soon of this. She could not send the
2! ring TO him. not knowing where he
was that was too much risk. Eut she
could ask him to come to her; this
gave that right. -. =. J.
L, She sat thoughtful for several min
utes the ring claspe4l warmly in her
hand; then she wentato hertdesk and
wrote: p.
''Mr. John Welton,
BLUE Rapids. Kansas.
"Dear Mr. Welton:
= cit Is possible that Alan Conrad
has mentioned me--Or ut least told
Il you of my father-inaconnection with
his stay in Chicago. After Alan left
d Chicago, my father wrote twice to his
blue Rapids address, but evidently he
had instructed the postmaster there
TO forward his mail and mad not made
any change in those instructions, for
the letters were returned to Alan's ad-
dress and in that way came back to
us. We did not like to press Inquiries
further than that, as Of course he
could have communicated with us II
he had not felt that. there was some
reason for not doing so. Now, how
ever, something Of such supreme itn-
pOrtance to him has come to us that
it is necessary for us to get word to
him MT once. If you can tell me any
address at which he can be reached
by telegraph or mall--or where n mes
scnger can find hint will oblige us
very much and will he to his interest"
She hesitnted,' about to sign it; then,
impulsively, she added: 49,. y
II trust you know that we have
Alans' interest Mt heart and that you.
Gun safely tell us anything you may
know as to where he is or what he
may he doing. We all liked him here
% very much. :"
She signed her name. There were
still two other letters to write. Only
the handwriting of the address upon
the package, the Manitowoc postmark
and the shoe box furnished clues to
the sender Of the ring and the watch
and the other things. Constance her.
self could rot trace those clues, but
Henry or her father could. She wrote
to both of them, therefore, describing
the articles which hud come and re-
lating what she had done.
p The next noon she received a
wire from Henry that he was coming
up" It did not surprise her. as she
hud expected him the end of the week.
Late that evening, she sat with her
mother on the wide, screened vcranda.
The lights of some boat turning in
between the points and moving swift
) " caught her attention. AS it entered
the path of the moonlight, its look was
% like that OF Henry's power yacht
that she arose. 1t was his way, as
soon as he had decided to leave bust
ness again and so to her, to arrive
as soon rs possible; that had been his
way recently, particularly. So the
sight Of the yacht stirred her warmly
and she watched while 1t ran in close,
stopped and instantly dropped a
dingey from the davits. She saw
Henry in the stern of the little boat !;
It disappeared in the shadow Of a
pier . she heard, presently, the
gravel Of the walk crunch under his
quick steps, and then she saw him In
{ the moonlight among the trees. She
went down on the path to meet him.
! How quickly you came!"
M you let yourself think you needed
me, Connie!''
II did. ="
He had caught her hand In his and
s he held 1t while he brought her to the
porch and exchanged greetings with
her mother. Then he led her on past
and into the house. ..- -.s
When she saw his face in the light,
there were signs Of strain in It. Z
you're tired. Henry"
He shook his head. "It's been rot
ten hot lin Chicago: then guess
was mentally stocking all the way up
here, Connie. But first, where are
the things you wanted me to see?"
She ran upstairs and brought them
down to him Her hands were shak.
ing now as she gave them to him; she
! could not exactly understand why; but
Z her tremor increased as she saw his
big hands funibling as he llnwrappetl
the Enluffler and shook out the things
It inclosed. He took them up one by
one and looked at them, as she had
done. His fingers were steady now,
but only by mastering Of control, the
effort for which amazed her.
He had the watch in his hands.
.sThe inscription is inside the front"
size said. y. .-:..-.-.. $500
y y , ~ 49,