The Holly chieftain., 1922-05-25
THE INDIAN DRUM
BY William Macfiarg and Edwin Balmer
Copyrights b &aBa

| little Of any one. He spent most Of
his time in his own house; occasion
ally he lunched at his club, at rare
intervals. and always unexpectedly. he
appeared at his office. I remember
that summer he was terribly dis
turbed because one Of his ships was
lost. The Corvet record was broken;
n Corvet ship had appealed for help;
a 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 I proposed to him that buy
full ownership in the vessels l partly
controlled and ally them with those
he and Spearman operated. Since
then, the firm name has been Corvet,
Sheriff., and Spearman.
"Our friendship had strengthened
and ripened during those years. The
intense activity of Corvet's mind.
which as 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-
Der Of studles-strange studies most
Of them for a man whose youth had
been almost violently active and who
had once been a lake captain. l cam
not tell you what they all we're
geology, ethnolOgy, nearly score of
subjects; he corresponded with vari-
GUS scientific societies; he has given
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 the house on
Astor street with only one servant
the same one all these years.
"The only house he has visited with
any frequency has been mine. He has
always liked my wife; he had-he has
great affection for my daughter, who,
when she was child. ran in and out
of his home as she pleased. My
daughter believes now that his present
isappearance-whate has hap
pened to him-is connected in some
way with herself. do not think that
is So
Sheriff. broke off and stood In
thought for moment; ne seemed to
consider. and to decide that 1t was
not necessary to say anything more
on that subject.
"Is there anything in what have
told you which makes 1t possible for
| you to recollect or to explain?'
Alan shook his head, flushed, and
then grew little pale. What Sheriff.
told him had excited him by the coin
cidences 1t offered between events In
Benjamin Corvet's life and his own;
1t had not made him "recollect"
Corvet, but 1t had given deflniteness
and direction to his speculations as
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-
velope he took three pictures, and
handed the smallest Of them to Alan.
AS Alan took 1t. he saw that 1t was
boy of seven.
''That Is you?" Sheriff. asked.
"Yes; 1t was taken by the photog-
rapher in Blue Rapids"
"And this?
The second picture, Alan saw, was
one that had been taken In front of
the barn at the farm. 1t showed Alan
holding stick over his head at which
shepherd dog was jumping.
"Yes. that is Shep and I, Mr.. Sher-
rill. 1t was taken by man who
stopped at the house for dinner one
day; he liked Shep and wanted
picture of him; so he got me to make
Shep jump, and he took It,"
Doesn't It occur to you that 1t was
your picture he wanted. and that he
had been sent to get it? wanted
your verification that these earlier
pictures were of you. but this last one
is easily recognizable"
Sheriff. unfolded the third picture;
1t was larger than the others and had
been folded across the middle to get
1t into the envelope. Alan leaned for
ward to look at It.
'That Is the University Of Kansas
football team" he said. II am the
second one in the front row; I played
end my Junior year and tackle when
was senior. Mr.. Corvet-?"
YES; Mr.. Corvet had these pictures.
They came into my possession day be.
fore yesterday, the day after Corvet
disappeared do not want to tell just
yet how they did that"
Alan's face, which had been flushed
Mt first with excitement, had gone