Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-04-14
CHAPTER u


Who 10 Alan Conradf
The recipient OF the letter which
Benjamin Corvet had written and
later SO excitedly attempted to re-
cover, was asking himself question
which was almost the same as the
question which Constance Sheriff. had
asked. He was, the second morning
later, waiting for the first OF the two
daily eastbound trains which stopped
st the little Kansas town Of Blue
Rapids which he called home As
long as he could look back into his life
the question, who Is this person they
call Alan Conrad. and what am to
the man who writes from Chicago. had
been the paramount enigma OF exist
ence for him. Since he was now
twsnty-three. as nearly as he had been
able to approximate II, and as distinct
recollection Of isolated, extraordinary
events went back to the time when he
was Ave, II was quite eighteen years
since he had first noticed the question
put to the people who had him In
charge: $50 this is little Alan Con-
rad. Who Is her,
Following the arrival of certain
letters, which were distinguished from
most others arriving at the house by
having 10 ink writing on the envelope
but just sort Of purple or black
printing like newspapers, Alan In
variably received dollar to spend
just as he liked. To be sure. unless
papa" took him to town, there was
nothing for him to spend II upon; so
likely enough, II went into the square
iron bank, OF which the key was lost
but quite often he did spend It ac-
cording to plans agreed upon among
all his friends and. In memory OF these
occasions and In anticipation OF the
next, "Alan's dollar" became a com
munity institution among the children
who gives II to you. Alan7' was q
question more often asked. as time
went on. The only answer Alan could
give was, at comes from C...cago'
The post-mark on the envelope. Alan
noticed. was always Chicago; that
was all he ever could End out about
his dollar. He was about ten years
cid when, for q reason as inexplicabls
as the dollars coming. the letters with
the typewriter addresses and the en-
closed money ceased.
Except for the loss of the dollar al
the end Of every second month"; loss
nuch discussed BY all the children
and not accepted a. permanent till
moro than tive years had passed
Alan felt no immediate results from
the cessation Of the letters from
Chicago. Papa and mama felt them
when the farm had to be given up, and
the family moved to the town, and
papa went to work In the wooden mill
beside the river.
Papa and mama. at frst surprised
and dismayed By the stopping Of tho
letters. still chung to the hope OF the
familiar, typewriter-addressed en-
velspe appearing again; but when
after two years. no more money came
resentment which had been steadily
growing against the person who had
sent the money began TO turn against
Alan; and his parents" told him al
they knew aDout MIN.
In 1896 they had noticed an adver
tisement for persons to care for 9
child; they had answered II TO the
once Of the newspaper which printed
II. In response TO the letter man
called upon them and. after seeing
them and going around 10 see theiI
friends, had made arrangements with
them TO take boy of three, who was
in good health and came Of good
people. He paid In advance board fol
year and agreed to send a certain
amount every two months after thai
time The man brought the boy
whom he called Alan Conrad, and lefi
him. For seven years the none,
agreed upon came; now II had ceased
and papa had no way OF finding the
mantle name given by him appeared
TO be fictitious, and he had left M
address except general delivery, Chi
eago"-Papa knew nothing more thar
that. He had advertised In the Chi
cago papers after the money stopped
1 coming, and he had communicated
every one named Conrad In OF
wnear Chicago. but he had learned moth
ing. Thus, at the age OF thirteen
Alan definitely knew that what HI
already had guessed-the fact that HI
belonged somewhere else than In TIL
little brown house--was all that an!
one there could tell him; nid th'
knowledge gave persistence 10 n y!
Internal auestionings. Where did q,