Williams news., 1922-08-04

pretense of courtesy now in Spear
 mans manner; he sat motionless at
 his desk, his bold eyes fixed on Alan
 intent1y. Alan closed the door behind
 him and advanced toward the desk.
 q thought we'd better have some 1 explanation" he said, about our
 meeting last night"
 | "Our meeting?" Spearman repeated !; | his eyes had narrowed watchfully.
 "You told MT Sherrill that you were l in Duluth and that you arrived home | in Chicago only this morning. Of course you don't mean to stick to that
 story with meT'
 "What are you talking about?'' | Spearman demanded.
 "Ot course, I know exactly where you were part of last evening; and | you know that know. I only want to know what explanation you have to offer.''
 Spearman leaned forward. "Ta1k
 sense and talk 1t quick, if you have
 anything to say to mel''
 q haven't told MT. Sherrin that I found you at Corvet's house last night;
 but I don't want you to doubt for minute that I know you-and about your d-g of Benjamin CorVet and your cry about saving the Mfwaka !"
 A flash of blood came to Spearman's face; Alan, in his excitement, was sure of it but there was just that flash, no more. He turned, while Spearman sat chewing his cigar and staring at him, and went out and partly closed the door. Then, suddenly, he reopened it, looked in, reclosed it sharply, and went on his way, shaking a little. For. as he looked back this second time at the dominant, determined, able man seated at his desk, what he had seen in Spearman's face was fear; fear of himself, of Alan Conrad of Blue Rap ids-yet it was not fear of that sort which weakens or dismays; 1t was or that sort which, merely warning of danger close at hand, determines one to save himself.
 Alan, still trembling eXcitedly, crossed to Corvet's office to await Sherrill. It was not, he felt sure now, | Alan Conrad that Spearman was op- | posing; it was not even the apparent | successor to the controlling stock of | Corvet, Sherril1 and Spearman. That | Alan reSembled some lonesome one | whose ghost had seemed to come to | Spearman and might, perhaps, have | come to Corvet-was only incidental | to what was going on now; for in Alan's presence Spearman found luredl-dH acIlVe, present against himself. Alan could not i'm agine what the nature of that threat could be. Was it because there was something still concealed in Corvet's house which Spearman feared Alan would find? Or was 1t connected only with that some one whom Alan resem- bled?
 
 Constance Sherrill's most active thought that day was about Henry Spearman, for she had a luncheon en- gagement with him at one o'clock.
 The tea room of a department store offers to young people opportunities for dining together without furnishing reason for even innocently connecting their names too intimately, if a girl is lot seen there with the same man too often. There is something essentially casuai and unpremeditated about it- IS though the man and the girl, both shopping and both hungry, had just . happened to meet and go to lunch to- 5ether. As Constance recently had lrawn closer to Henry Spearman in Ter thought, and particularly since . he had been seriously considering l marrying him, she had clung deliber- . ltely to this unplanned appearance I bout their meetings. l
 OHC SIdAC0d dCIOSS dI nl1Il, Wn0n Sne | lad settled herself, and the first little ( rivialities of their being together were yer. f "I took a visitor down to your office T his morning." she said. I "Yes," he answered.. ( Constance was aware that 1t was C nly formally that she had taken Alan r Conrad down to confer with her fa- I her; since Henry was there, she knew | CT father would not act without his l. greement, and that whatever disposi- n ion had been made regarding Alan ii ad been made by him. I f ''Did you like him, Henry? I hoped y ou would.'' VI 'aftress brought their order, and he r erved her; then, as the waitress loved away, he looked across at Con- a -ance with a long scrutiny. c You've seen a good deal of him, | W and today, your father tells '' le," he observed. - "Yes."
 "It's plain enough you like him." he u emarked. Ie tough hadn't thought of 1t just that | g ay, because I was thinking most | fe bout the position he was in and about V, MT. Corvet. But do like him." fc "So do l." Spearman said with a fir eeming heartiness that pleased her. At least should like him, Connie, if et