The daily Alaskan., 1922-08-05

 went to St. Ignace as soon as he recov- cred from hIs exposure. He sent word to me that he wished to see me at my convenience; l told him that we would go Go him as soon as you were able"
 "He sent no other word than that2"
 "Only that he had a very grave con- municatiOn to make to US"
 Alan did not ask more; at mention of Father Perron he had seemed to feel himself once more among the crashing, charging freight cars on the ferry and to see Benjamin Corvct, pinned amid the wreckage and speaking into the ear of the priest
 
 II was not merely a confessional which Father Perron had taken from the lips of the dying man on Number %: it was an accusation of crime against another man aS well: and the confession and accusation both had been made not only to gain forgive ness from God, but to right terrible wrongs. If the confession left some things unexplained, it did not lack con rrmutIun; the priest had learned enough to be certain that 1t was no haIlurlnatiun of madness. Iip had been charged definitely tO repeat what had been told him tu the persons he was now going Co meet: SD he watched eE pectuntIy upon the railway station platform at St. Ignace A tull hand some man whom Father Perron thought must be the Mir SherriII with whom he had communicated appeared upon the car platform; the young man from Number 2j followed him. and the two helped down young and bcauti- IuI girl.
 They recognized the priest by his dress and came toward him al once.
 'Air. Sherrill?" Father rerron in- qulred
 Sherril assruted taxing the priests hand and introducing his daughter
 "I am glad to see yoI safe. Nr. Stof- ford" The priest had turned to Alan. "we ha,e thanks to offer up for that. you and |"
 "I am n's son. then I thought that must be so.'
 Alan trembIed at the priests sign of confirmation There was un shock of surprise In this; he had suspected ever since August when Captain StaHord's watch and the wedding ring had SD strangely come to Constance that he might be Stufrnrds son. He looked at Constance. as they followed the priest to the motor which was waiting to take them tu the house of old Father Benltol whose guest Father Perron was; she was very quiet WLut wou'd that grave statement which Father Perron was tu muEe to them mean to him-lo Alan? Would further knOwl edge about that father whrm he had not known but whose hIoud wus hts and whose name he now must bear. bring pride or shame to him?
 A bell was toIIlug somewhere, as they followed the priest Into Father Bpnltors small. bare room which had been prepared for their Interview. Fu. tner Perro1 went to a desk and took therefrUm some notes which he had made.
 What l have" he said speaking more particularly tu Sherrjll lis the terrible, not fully coherent statement of a dying man. It has given me names also It has given me facts But is- plated. It does not give what came before or what came after; therefore, 1t does not make plaiu hope that, as Benjamin Coryet'S partner, you can furnish what lack"
 "Whar Is 1t You want to knowT Sherrin asked,
 "What were the relations between Benjamin Coryet and Captain Staff fordT
 Sherrill thought a moment,
 "Coryet," he replied, "Nyus a very able man; he had insight and mental graSp-aud he had the fault which sometimes goes with those, hesIJancy of action. Stafford was an able man, too considerably younger than Corvet Twenty years ago. when the conflict of competing interests was ut its height, Coryet was the head of one llne Stafford was head of another, and the two lines had very much the same connections and competed for the same Cargoes."
 q begin to seew Father Pcrron .ex- claimed. "PleaSe go on"
 Tn the early nIretIes both lines still were young; Stafford had. ] believe two ships; Corvet had three"
 "So few? Yes; It grows pIainerw
 "In 1894, Stafford managed a stroke which If fate had not lntervpned, must have assured the ultimate extinction Of COryets line or it's absorption into Stafturd's. Stafford gained as his part. ner Franklin Ramsdel a wealthy man whom he had convinced thut the lake traffic offered chances of great profit; and this connection supplied him with the capital whose lack had been ham. pering him. as 1t was still hampering COrvet. The new tirm-Sl4IOFd and ca al-lllll