Williams news., 1922-06-30

In the late afternoon, as dusk was drawing into dark, she stood at the window, with one of those delusive hopes which come during anxiety that, because 1t was the time of day at which she had seen Uncle Benny walk ing by the lake the day before, she might see him there again, when she saw her fathers motor approaching. It was coming from the north, not from the south as it would have been if he was coming from his office or his club, and it had turned into the Drive from the west She knew, therefore, that he was coming from Uncle Ben ny's house, and, as the car swerved and wheeled in, she ran out into the hall to meet him.
 He came in without taking off hat or coat; she could see that he was perturbed. greatly agitated.
 What is it, father?" she demanded. ''What has happenedT
 ''1 do not know, my dear"
 'It is something-somethi that has happened to Uncle Benny?"
 ''I am afraid so, dear-yes. But do not know what it is that has hap pened, or I would tell you.'
 He put his arm about her and drew her into a room opening off the hall
 
 to him the conversation she had had with Uncle Benny and tell him how he had acted but she saw that what she told him did not help him.
 Then he drew her toward him.
 ''Tell me, little daughter. You have been a great deal with Uncle Benny and have talked with him I want you to think carefully. Did you ever hear him speak of any one called Alan Conrad?''
 She thought. "No, father.''
 "No reference either to any one living in Kansas, or a town there called Blue Rapids?"
 "No, father. Who is Alan Conrad?"
 ''I do not know, dear. I never heard the name until to-day, and Harry Spearman had never heard it. But it appears to be intimately connected in some way with what was troubling Uncle Benny yesterday. He wrote a letter yesterday to Alan Conrad in Blue Rapids and mailed it himself and afterward he tried to get it back, but it already had been taken up and was on its way. I have not been able to learn anything more about the letter than that. To-day that name, Alan Conrad, came to me in quite another way, in a way which makes it certain that it is closely connected with what ever has happened to Uncle Benny You are quite sure you never heard him mention it, dear?'
 Quite sure, father.''
 He released her and, still in his hat and coat, went swiftly up the stairs. She ran after him and found him standing before highboy in his dress ing room. He unlocked a drawer in the highboy, and from within the drawer he took key. Then, still dis regarding her, he hurried back down stairs.
 As she followed him, she caught up a wrap and pulled it around her. He had told the. chauffeur, she realized now, to wait; but as he reached the | door, he turned and stopped her.
 '1 would rather you did not come | with me. little daughter. I do not | know at all what it is that has hap | pened-I will let you know as soon as [ find out.'-
 The finality in his tone stopped her from argument. As the house door and | then the door of the limousine closed | after him, she went back toward the slowly taking off the wrap. For the moment she found it difficult | to think. Something had happened to Uncle Benny, something terrible, dreadful for those who loved him; hat was plain, though only the fact and not its nature was known to her pr to her father; and that something was connected-intimatel connected, Ter father had said-with a name which no one who knew Uncle Benny ever heard before, with the name of Alan Conrad of Blue Rapids, Kansas. Who was this Alan Conrad, and what + could his connection be with Uncle Benny so to precipitate disaster upon Jim?