Licking Valley courier., 1922-06-08

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and her father, therefore, that 1t must
have been some intimate and private
event
Uncle Benny had withdrawn him
self from men, he had ceased to be
active in his business and delegated 1t
20 others. This change had been
strangely advantageous to Henry.
Henry had been hardly more than a
common seaman then. He had been
mate-the mate on one Of Uncle Ben
ny's ships. Quite suddenly he had
become Uncle Benny's partner. Henry
had explained this to her by saying
that Uncle Benny had not trusted
Henry; he had been suspicious of
him; he had quarreled with him. How
strange, then, that Uncle Benny should
have advanced and given way to
man whom he could not trust
Uncle Benny had come to her and
warned her not to marry Henry; then
he had sent for Alan. There had been
purpose In these acts Of Uncle Ben
ny's; had they meant that Uncle Ben
ny had been on the verge Of making
explanatlon-that explanation which
Henry feared-and that he had been
prevented? Her father had thought
this; at least, he had thought that
Uncle Benny must have left some ex-
PLANTATION In his house. He had told
Alan that, and had given Alan the
key to the house so that he could
find 1t. Alan had gone to the house
In the house Alan had found some
one who had mistaken him for
ghost, a man who had cried out at
sight Of him something about ship
about the Mlwaka, the ship Of whose
loss no one had known anything ex-
cept by the soundlngs Of the Drum,
What had the man been doing In the
house? Had he too been looking for
the explanation-the explanation that
Henry feared2 Alan had described
the man to her; that description had
not had meaning for her before; but
now remembering that description she
could think Of Henry as the only one
who could have been In that house
Henry had fought with Alan there
Afterwards, when Alan had been at
tackled upon the street, had Henry
anything to do with thatf
Henry had lied % her about being
In Duluth the night he had fought
with Alan; he had not told her the
true cause Of his quarrels with Uncle
Benny; he had wished her to. believe
that Uncle Benny was dead when the
wedding ring and watch came to her
the watch which had been Captain
S.afford's Of the Miwaka Henry had
urged her to marry him at once. Was
that because he wished the security
that her father-and she-must give
: her husband when they learned the
revelation which Alan or Uncle Ben
ny might bringf
At Petoskey she went from the train
directly to the telegraph Office. II
Henry was In Petoskey, hey would
know at that office where he could be
found; he would be keeping in touch
with them.
, Mr.. Spearman, the operator said, had
been at the Office early In the day (;
there had been no message for him; 1;
he had left instructions that any
which came were to be forwarded 20
him through the men who. under his
direction, were patrolling the shore
for twenty miles north Of Little Trav-
erse. watching for boats.
Constance crossed the frozen edges
OF the bay by sledge to Harbor
Point. Her distrust now had deep
ened to terrible dread. She had not
been able before this to form any def.
mite idea OF how Henry could threat.
en- Alan and Uncle Benny; she had
Imagined only vague interference and
obstruction Of the search for them
she had not foreseen that he could SO
readily assume charge Of the search
and direct, or misdirect, T.
At the Point she discharged the
sledge and went on foot to the house
Of the caretaker who had charge OF
the Sheriff. cottage during the winter
Getting the keys from him, she lie,
herself into the house. Going to hei
room. she unpacked q heavy sweater
and woolen cap and short fur coat
winter things which were left thers
against use when they opened tn,
house sometimes out Of season-anS
put them on. Then she went doYr
and found her snowshoes. Stopping
ut the telephone, she called long dis
tance and asked them to locate Mr.
Sheriff., II possible, and Instruct hin
to. move south along the shore Will
whdmever he had with him. She wen
out then, and fastened on her snow
shoes. y
Constance hurried westward an,
then north. following the bend Of tn
snore. The ngurS Of a maii-one o
the shore patrols-pacing the ice hum
mocks Of the beach and staring ou
) upon the lake, appeared vaguely 4
the dusk when she Ind gone nbou
two miles. She came. three quarter
OF mile farther on, TO second man
about an equal distance beyond sh
found third, but passed him an
J went on.
Her legs ached now with the una'
customed travel upon snowshoes; th
cold, which had been only plercln
chill at first, was stopping feeling, Il
most stopping thought. She was ho
. rined to find that she was CROWN
: weak and that her senses were becon
Ing confused She had come, In al
= perhaps eight miles; and she W.
D "playlng out" She descended to III
beach agnln and went on; her gaz
7 continued to search the luke, but nov
r wherever there was break In III
/ bluffs, she looked toward the shore
well. At the third OF these break
| the yellow glow of window appeare'
/; marking house in hollow, betwee