Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-06-15

IL pore down upon Alan, holding MN
motiOnless and, on the other side, it
crushed upon Corvet's legs.
He turned over, as far as he could,
and spoke to Alan. you have been
saving me, so now | tried to save you"
he said simply. What reason did you
have for doing that? Why have you
been keeping by me?"
Pm Alan Conrad of Blue Rapids.
Kansas" Alan cried to him. And
you're Benjamin Corvet! You know
me; you sent for mel Why did you
do that?"
Corvet made no reply to this. Alan,
peering at him underneath the truck,
could see that his hands were pressed
against his face and that his body
shook. Whether this was from some
new physical pain from the movement
of the wreckage, Alan did not know
till he lowered his hands after mo-
ment; and now he did not heed Alan
or seem even to be aware of him.
Dear little Connie" he said aloud.
Dear little Connie! She mustn't
marry him-not him! That must be
seen to. What shall l do, what shall
l do?"
Alan worked nearer him. "Why
, mustn't she marry hm?" he cried 70
Corvet. "Why? Ben Corvet, tell me !!
Tell me why!"
"Who are you?" Corvet seemed only
with an effort to become conscious Of
Alan's presence.
I'm Alan Conrad, whom you used
to take care of. I'm from Blue Rap
ids You know about me; are you my
father, Ben COrvet? Are you my ia
Their or what-what are you to me?"
Your fatherY' Corvet repeated.
Did ne tell you that? He killed your
father"
KILLED him? Killed him. how"
"Of course. He killed them all-all.
But your father-he shot him he shot
him through the head"
Alan twinged. Sight of Spearman
came before him as he had first seen
Spearman, covering in COrvet's H.
brary in terror at an apparitiOn. "And
the bullet hole above the eyer So
that was the hole made by the shot
Spearman fired which had killed
Alan's father-which shot him through
the head. Alan peered at Corvet and
called to him.
Father Benitot! !" Corvet called in
response, not directly in reply to
Alans question, rather in response to
what those questions stirred. Father
Benitot!'
Some one, drawn by the cry, was
moving wreckage near them. A hand
and arm with torn sleeve showed
Alan could not see the rest of the fig.
ure, but by the sleeve he recognized
that 1t was the mate.
who's caught here?" he called
down.
benjamin Corvet of Corvet, Sher,
rill and Spearman, ship owners of Chi
cagO," Corvet's voice replied deeply
fully; there was authority in it and
wonder toO-the wonder of a man find
ing himself in situation which his
recollection cannot explain.
"Ben Corvet !" the mate shouted IT
surprise he cried it to the others
those who had followed Corvet ant
obeyed him during the hour before anC
had not known why. The mate tried t.
pull the wreckage aside and make hi'
way to Corvet but the old man stopped
him. "The priest, Father BenitOt
Send him to me. | shall never leav
here; send Father Benitot"
The word was passed without tn,
mate moving away. The mate, after {
minute, made no further attempt t,
free COrvet; that indeed was useless
and COrvet demanded his right of sac
rament from the priest who came ant
crouched under the wreckage beside
him.
Father BenitOtw
81 am not Father Benitot. am Fa
Their Perron of L'Anse."
at was to Father Benitot of st. Ig
mace l should have gone, Father . .
The priest got little closer as Cor
vet spoke, and Alan heard only voice
now and then through the sounds o
changing metal and the drum Of &c,
against the hull. The mate and hi
helpers were working to get him free
They had abandoned all effort to saw
the ship; it was settling. And will
the settling, the movement of thu
wreckage imprsoning Alan was in
creasing. This movement made useless
the efforts of the mate; 1t would Ere,
Alan of itself in moment, If it die
not kill him. it would free or finisl
Corvet too But he, as Alan saw him
was wholly oblviOus of that now. Hi
lips moved quietly, firmly; and his eye
were fixed steadily on the eyes of tn,
priest.
CTo BE CONTINUED0