The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-16
Continued from last issue)
CHAPTER TX.

! 'The name seems like Sheriff." the
inferno agreed. "He said it before
when we had him on the table up
stairs; and he has said it now twice
distinctly-Sherrill." w. -
Ills name, do you Think"
II. shouldn't say so he seems trying
to speak to some one named Sheriff..
There are only four Sherrills in the
telephone book, two OF them in Evans
ton and one way out in Alinoota." =.
'The other?" e.
They're only about six blocks from
where he was picked up but they're
on the Driye-the Lawrence Sherrills."
The inferno whistled softly and
looked more interestedly at his pa
TENTS features. Hell be conscious
some time during the day, there's only
a slight fracture, and-perhaps you'd
better call the Sheriff. house. any
way. If he's not known there, no harm
done; and If he's one of their friends
and he should =. =. -.
The nurse nodded and moved off.
Thus it was that at a quarter to
five Constance Sheriff. was awakened
by the knocking Of one Of the serv-
ants at her fathers door. Her father
went down stairs to the telephone in
strument where he might reply with
out disturbing Mrs. Sheriff.. Constance,
kimona over her shoulders, stood at
the top Of the stairs and waited. 1t
became plain to her at once that what
ever had happened had been to Alan
Conrad. = ~
Eyes. B.. Yes. You are
giving him every possible care? >.
At once" -. ~.
She ran part way down the stairs
and met her father as he came up.
He told her Of the situation briefly.
He was attacked ON the street late
last night; he was unconscious when
they found him and took him to the
hospital, and has been unconscious
ever since. No one can say yet how
seriously he Is injured" ~ e..
She waited in the hall while her
father dressed, after calling the ga
rage, on the house telephone for him
and ordering the motor. When he had
gone. she returned anXiously to her
rooms; he had promised to call her
after reaching the hospital and as soon
MS he had learned the particulars Of
Alan's condition. It was ridiculous,
Of course, to attach any responsibility
to her father or herself for what had
happened to Alan-a street attack such
as might have happened to any one
yet she felt that they were in part
responsible. They had let him 60 to
live alone in the house In Astor street
with no better adviser than Wassa-
guam. Now, and perhaps because
they had not warned him, he had met
injury and, it might be, more than
mere injury; he might be dying.
Something which had disturbed and
excited Alan had happened to him on
the first night he had passed in that
house; and now, it appeared, he had
been prevented from passing second
night there. What had prevented him
had been an attempted robbery upon
the street. her father had said. But
suppose it had been something else
than robbery. I'll .s.
She could not formulate more def
initely this thought, but 1t persisted:
she could not deny 1t entirely and
shake it of. st.. r. ,'E "
10 Alan Conrad, In the late after
noon Of that day, this same thought
was coming far more definitely and far
more persistently. He had been awake
and sane since shortly after MONDAY.
The pain OF head which ached throb-
ebingly and Of a body bruised and sore
was beginning to give place to a feel
Ing merely Of lassltude---n lnnguor
Which revisited incoherence upon him
when he tried to think. The man who
had assaulted him had meant to Kill;
he had not been any ordinary robber.
That purpose, blindly recognized and
fought against by Alan in their strug-
gle, had been unmistakable. Only the
chance presence of passersby, who had
heard Alan's shouts and responded 70
them, had prevented the execution of
his purpose, and had driven the saman
to swift flight for hts own safety
A little before sixSC onsta nces Sher-1
rill and Spearnan called to inquire
after him and were admitted for few
moments to his room. She came to
him. bent over him., while she spoke
the few words Of sympathy the nurse
:, allowed to her; she stood back then
. while Spearman spoke to him. In the
succeeding days he saw her nearly
: every day, accompanied always by her
father or Spearman; 1t was the full
two weeks the doctors had insisted Oh
his remaining in the hospital before he
saw her alone. ,.. F',,...t : 81
I They had brought him home. the
.Ilay before-she and her father, in the
motor-to the house on Astor street.
He had insisted on returning there.
refusing the room in their house which
L they had offered; but the doctor had
enjoined outdoors and moderate exer-
Use for him, and she had made him
promise to, come, and walk with her.
He went to the Sheriff. house about