The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-06-24

little of any one. He spent most Of
his time In his own house; OCCASION
ally he lunched Mt his club, at rure
intervals, md always unexpectedly. he
appeared at his office. / remember
that summer he was terribly dis
turbed because one Of his ships was
lost. The Corvet record was broken ;
Corvet ship had appealed for help /:
Corvet vessel had not reached port.
And later in the fall. when two
deckhands were washed from another
OF his vessels and drowned, he was
again greatly wrought up. though his
ships still had most favorable record.
In 1902 proposed to him that I buy
full ownership In the vessels I partly
controlled and ally them with those
he and Spearman operated. Since
then, the firm name hns been COrvet.
Sheriff., and Spcarman.
sour friendship had strengthened
and ripened during those years. The
intense activity of Corvet's mind.
which as a younger man he had d.
rected wholly to the shipping. was
directed, after he had isolated himself
In this way. to other things. He took
Up almost feverishly an immense num-
her Of studies-strange studies most
of them for q man whose youth had
been almost violently active and who
had once been a lake captain. I can
not tell you what they all were
geology. ethnology. nearly score OF
subjects: he corresronded with vari-
Gus scientific societies: lie has given
almost the whole OF his attention to
such things for about twenty years.
But he has made very few acquaint-
ances In that time, and has kept
almost none Of his old friendships.
He has lived alone In he house on
Aston street with only one servant
the same one NIL these years.
1.-THE only house he Inns visited with
any frequency has been mine. He has
always liked my wife: he had-he has
a great affection for my daughter. who.
when she was child, ran In aud out
OF his home as she pleased. My
daughter believes now that his present
disappearance-what has hap
pened to him-is connected In some
way with herself. do not think that
IL so"
Sheriff. broke OF and stood In
thought for a moment; ne seemed to
consider. and to decide that 1t was
not necessary TO say anything more
OIL that subject.
SIS there anything In what I have
told you which makes It possible for
you to recolect or TO explain?"
Alan shook his head. flushed. and
then grew q little pale. What Sheriff.
told him had excited him by the coin
cidences 1t offered between events In
Benjamin Corvet's life md his own:
1t Ind not made him 'recollect"
Corvet. hut 1t had given dehniteness
and direction to his speculntions US
to Corvet's relation to himself.
Sheriff. drew one Of the large chairs
nearer TO Alan and sat down facing
him. He felt In an Inner pocket and
brought out an envelope; from the en-
veiope he took three pictures, and
handed the smallest OF them to Alan.
As Alan took 1t. he saw that 1t was
q tintype OF himself aS u round-face
boy OF seven.
''Tlint Is you?" Sheriff. asked.
AYES; It was taken by the photos-
rnpher in Blue Rapids"
"And thls:"
The second picture. Alan saw. was
one that had been taken In front OF
the barn ut the farm. 1t showed Alan
Mt twelve. In overalls and bnrefooie,l.
holding IL stick over his head ut which
u shepherd dog was jumping.
"Yes. that Is Shcp and I. Mr.. Sher
rll. 1t was taken by IL man who
stopped ut the house for dinner one
dry: he liked Shcp md wanted a
picture OF him: so he got me to make
Sl.ep jump, and he took It,"
Doesn't IL occur to you that 1t was
your picture lie wanted. and that he
had been sent to get II? wanted
your veritication TINT these earlier
pictures We're Of you. but this last one
is enslly recognizable"
Sheriff. unfolded the third picture;
II was larger than the others and had
been folded across the middle to get
II into the envelope. Alan leaned for
ward TO look ut II.
THAT is the University OF Kansas
football team" he said. 81 am the
second one in the front row; played
end my junior year and tackle when
I wns II senior. Mr.. Corvct-!"
"Ycs; Mr.. Corvcl had these pictures.
They came into my possession day be-
fore yesterday. the day after Corvct
disappeared do not want TO tell Just
yet how they did that"
Alan's face. which had been flushed
at first with excitement. had gone
quite pale. and his hands. MS he
clenclled md mclenchcd them nerv-
ously, were cold. and his lips were
very dry. He could think OF no pos
sible relationship between Benjamin
Corvet md himself. except one. which
could account for Corvct's obtaining