The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-04-20

ened. Henry never had talked to her,
except In the merest commonplaces,
about his relations with Uncle Benny;
1t was a matter In which, she had rec
ognized, they had been opposed; and
since the quarrels between the old
friend whom she had loved from child
hood and he, who wished to become
now more than mere friend to her,
had grown more violent, she had pur-
posely avoided mentioning Uncle Ben
ny to Henry, and he, quite as con-
sciously, had avoided mentioning Mr.,
Corvet to her.
"I've known for good many years."
Spearman went on, reluctantly, that
Ben CorvetS brain was seriously at
fected. He recognized that himself
even earlier, and admitted 1t to him.
self when he took me off my ship to
take charge Of the company. l might
have gone with other people then. or
1t wouldn't have been very long before
/ could have started In as ship own
er myself; but, In view Of his condi-
tion, Ben made me promises that Of
fered me most. Afterward his malady
progressed so that he couldn't know
himself to be untrustworthy his-judg-
ment was impaired, and he planned
and would have tried to carry out
many things that would have been
disastrous for the company. 1 had to
fight him-for the companys sake and
for my own sake and that of the 9TH
ers, whose interests were at stake.
Your father came to see that what l
was doing was for the company's go0
and has learned to trust me. But yd
you couldn't see that quite so direc
iy, of course, and you thought didn
like Ben, and there was some lack
me which made me fail to appreciat
him"
mo; not that" Constance denied
quickly. "NOt that, Henry"
"Whnt was 1t then, Connie2 You
thought me ungrateful to him2 I
realize that l owed great debt to
him; but the only way could pay that
debt was to do exactly what / did
oppose him and seem to push into his
place and he an migrate; for, because
I did that, Ben's been respected and
hCnored man in this town all these
last years, which he couldn't have re-
mancG If I'd let him have his way. or
if told others why had to do what
| did. l didn't care what others
thought about me; but did care what
you thought; yet If you couldn't see
what was UP against because Of your
affection for him, why-that was all
right too"
oil rt.,1,t ~
nlmost tiercely, the flush flooding her
checks; Il thrObbing was in her throat
which, for an instant, stopped ler.
"You should have told me, Henry: or
Il should have been able to sce.'
81 couldn't tell yOu-dcar." he said
the last word very distinctly, but so
low that she could scarcely hear. 81
couldn't tell you now--if Zen hadn't
gone away as he has and this other
fellow cone. couldn't tell you when
you wanted to keep caring so much
for your Uncle Benny, and he was try
ing to hurt me with YOU"
She bent toward him, her lips part
ed; but now she did not speak. She
never had really known Henry until
liliS I1Niilti', SiiS l'stl SHC
Of him always as strong, almost bru-
tai, fighting down fercely, mercilessly,
his opponents and welcoming contest
for the joy Of overwhelming others by
his own decisive strength and power
And size nad been almost ready to
MARI, ...at man for his strength and
dominance from those qualities; and
now she knew that he was merciful
too--indeed, more than merciful. In
the very contest where she had
thought Of him rs most selfish and re-
gardless Of another, she had most
completely misapprehended.
Il ought to have scent" she rebuked
herself to him. Surely, I should have
seen that was It'll"
How could you seef he defended
her. "ie never showed to you the side
ne showed to me and-in these last
years, anyway-neN er to me the side
he showed to you. But after what has
happened this week, can you under.
stand now; and you can see why I
have to distrust the young Fellow
who's come to claim Ben Covert's
place"
Claim! !" Constance repeated. "Why,
Henry. did not know he claimed any.
thing; he didn't even know when he
came here"
He seems, like Ben Corvet," Henry
said slowly. "to have the characters.
tic Of showing one side to you, another
to me. Connie. With you, Of course,
he claimed nothing; but at the office
Your father showed him this morning
The instruments of transfer that Ben
seems to have left conveying to him
all Zen had-his other properties and
his interest in Corvet, Sheriff. and
Spcarman. II very naturally objected
TO the execution of those transfers.
without considerable examination, in
view OF COrvets mental condition and
OF the fact that they put the control
ling stock of Corvet, Sheriff. and
Spearman in the hands of "A youth no
one ever had heard of--and one who.
by his own story. never had seen a
snip until yesterday. And when I