The Ordway new era., 1922-06-23

as She asked him, "Iou wahteu ine'
He was white as she, and could not
sneak Mt once. "You told me last h'sh''
Miss Sheriff." he said, that the ias.
,hinr that Mr.. Corvet did-the last
,hat Won know of-was to warn you
a,oirSt one of your friends. Who was
that?" ,,,
She flushed uneasily. "1ou mustn't
attach any Importance TO that d'uh |
mean YOU to. There was no reason ioi
whnt Mr.. Corvet said, except In MT
corvets own mind. He had quite
unreasonable animosity-
against Mr.. Spearman, you mean'
She did not answer.
"uis animosity was against MIR.
Spearman, Miss Sheriff., wasn't ''
That is the only animosity OF Mr. oor.
vets that anyone has told me about
"Yes."
at was against Mr.. Spearman that
he warned you, thenY
"Yes."
"Thank you" He turned and, no'
waiting for the man, let himself our.
He should have known it when he hau
seen that Spearman, after announcing
himself as unable to get back TO 'he
office, was with Constance.
He went swiftly around the block TO
his own house and let himself in ut the
| front door with his key. The mousse
was warm shaded lamp on the tapie
in the larger library was lighted, hre
was burning in the open CRATE, ana the
rooms had been swept and busted. The
Indian came into the hall TO take his
coat and hat.
Dinner is at seven,' Wassaquam
announced. "You want some change
about that?'
mo; seven is all right
Alan went upstairs to the room next
to Corvets which he had appropriated
for his own use the night before, and
found il now prepared for his occu-
pancy. When he came down again TO
the first floor, Wassaquam was no
where about, but he heard sounds in
the service rooms on the basement
floor. He went part way down the
service stairs and saw the Indian in
the kitchen, preparing dinner. Wassa-
guam had not heard his approach, and
Alan stood an instant watching the
Indians tall, thin figure and the quick
movements of his diSproportionately
small. well-shaped hands. almost like
woman's; then he scuffed his foot
upon the stair, and Wassaquam turned
swiftly about
Anybody been here today, Judah"
Alan asked.
"NO, Alan. called tradesmen; they
came. There were young men from the
newspapers"
"what did you tell them?"
Nothing"
"Why not?"
Henry telephoned 1 was to tell
them nothing"
"You mean Henry Spearman?"
Eyes"
"Do you take orders from him, Ju-
dah?"
81 took that order, Alan"
Alan hesitated you've been here
in the house all day?"
Eyes. Alan"
Alan went back to the first floor and
into the smaller library. The room
was dark with the early winter dusk,
and he switched on the light; then he
knelt and pulled out one of the draw
through the night before, and carefully
examined the papers in 1t one by one,
but found them only ordinary papers
He pulled the drawer completely out
and sounded the wall behind it and the
partitions on both sides but they ap.
peared solid. He put the drawer back
in and went on to examine the next
one, and, after that, the Others The
clocks In the house had been wound
for presently the clock in the library
struck six, and another in the hal
chimed slowly. An nour later, when
the clocks chimed again, Alan looked
up and saw Wassaquam's small black
eyes, deep set in their large eye sock
cts, fixed on him intently through the
door. How long the Indian had beer
there, Alan could not guess he hat
not heard his step.
What are you looking for, AlanT
the Indian asked.
Alan reflected a moment. "Mr. Sher
rill thought that Mr.. Corvet NIGH
have left record of some sort here
for me, Judah. Do you know of any
thing like that?"
mo. That is what you are lookin.
for?"
"Yes. Do you know of any plac,
where Mr.. Corvet would have beer
likely to pvt away anything like that 2
"Ben put papers in all these draw
ers; he put them upstairs, too-wher,
you have seen"
Nowhere else, JudahY'
. "If he put things anywhere else
Alan, l have not seen. Dinner il
served, Alan"
Alan went to the lavatory on tn,