The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-05-04


Alan put l,i. h. nei al, ..t.e.
In his pocket 1--WE cone 10 see Mr..
Corvet," he said-'air Benjamin
Corvet."
"What is your name?'
Alan gave his name; the man re-
peated 1t after him. in the manner of
trained servant, quite without in
Election. Alan. not familiar with such
tones, waited uncertainty. So far as
he could tell, the name was entirely
strange to the servant, awakening
neither welcome nor opposition, but
indifference The man stepped back.
but not in such a manner as to invite
Alan in; on the contrary. he half
closed the door as he stepped back.
leaving it open only an inch or two;
but 1t was enough so that Alan heard
him say to some one within:
'He says he's him.
ASK him in; ] will speak to him"
1t was girls voice-this second one,
a voice such as Alan never had heard
before 1t was low and soft but quite
clear and distinct, with youthful, i'm
pulsive modulations and the manner
of accent which Alan knew must go
with the sort of people who lived in
houses like those on this street.
The servant. obeying the voice, re-
turned and opened wide the door.
"Will you come in. sir?'
Alan put down his suitcase on the
stone porch; the man made no move
to pick it up and bring it in. Then
Alan stepped into the hall face to face
with the girl who had come from the
big room on the right.
She was quite a young girl-not
over twenty-one or twenty-five. Alan
judged; like girls brought up In
wealthy families, she seemed to Alan
to have gained young womanhood in
far greater degree in some respects
than the girls he knew, while. at the
same time, in other ways, she retained
more than they some characteristics
of child. Her slender figure had a
woman's assurance and grace; her
soft brown hair was dressed like a
woman's; her gray eyes had the open
directness of the girl. Her face
smoothly oval, with straight brows
and skin so delicate that at the
temples the veins showed dimly blue
was at once womanly and youthful :
and there was something altogether
likable and simple about her, as she
studied Alan now. She was slightly
pale, he noticed. and there were lines
Of strain and trouble about her eyes.
II am Constance Sheriff." she an
nounced. Her tone implied quite evil
IDENTIFY that she expected him to have
some knowledge of her, and she seemed
surprised to see that her name did not
mean more to him.
"Mr. Corvet is not here this morn.
Ing" she said.
He hesitated, but persisted: II was
to see him here today, Miss Sheriff.
He wrote me, and telegraphed him
would be here to-day"
II know" she answered. "We hat
your telegram. Mr.. COrvet was moi
here when 1t came, SO my father
opened it." Her voice broke oddly
and he studied her In indecision, won
dering who that father might be that
opened Mr.. Corvet's kilograms.
"Mr. Corvet went away very sud-
denly" she explained. She seemed, he
thought, to be trying to make some
thing plain to him which might be a
shock to him; yet herself to be un-
certain what the nature Of that shock
might be. Her look was scrutinizing,
questioning, anxious, but not un-
friendly. AFTER he had written you
and rorathipU Qlao had hanDQnpd-
I think-to alarm my father about
him, father came here to his house to
look after him. He thought some
thing might have 4. happened to Mr..
Corvet here in his house. But Mr..
Corvet was not here"
"You mean he has-disappeared?"
Eyes; he has disappeared"
Alan gazed at her dizzily. Benja-
min Corvet-whoever he might be-