The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-03-20


marks of Identification. A side pocket
produced an old briar; there was moth
ing else. Then Alan walked restless
ly about, awaiting Spearman. Spear
man, he believed, knew this man;
Spearman had not even ventured upon
modified denial until he was certain
that the man was dead; and then he
had answered SO as not to commit
himself, pending learning from Con-
stance what Luke had told.
But Luke had said nothing about
Spearman. It had been Corvet, and
Corvet alone, Of whom Luke had
spoken; it was Corvet whom he had
accused it was Corvet who had given
him money. Was it conceivable, then.
that there had been two such events in
Corvet's life? That one OF these
events concerned the MiWaia and
Spearman and some One-sone one
with a bullet hole above the eye
who had got Corvet; and that the
other event had concerned Luke and
something else?;. 1t was not COnceiva-
BILE, Alan was sure; it was, all one
thing. If Corvet had to do with the
Miwaka, then Luke had had to do with
it too. And Spearman?, But if Spear
man had been involved in that guilty
thing, had not Luke known it? Then
why had not Luke mentioned Spear
man? Or had Spearman not been real
ly involved? Had 1t been, perhaps,
only evidence Of knowledge of what
Corvet had done that Spearman had
tried to discover and destroy?
Alan went to the door and opened
it., as he heard Spearman upon the
steps again. Spearman waited only
until the door. had been reclosed be-
hind him. ,
"Well, Conrad, what was the idea Of
bringing Miss Sheriff. into this2"
II didn't bring her in; I tried the
best I could to keep her out"
"Out Of what-exactly?"
"You know better than do. You
know exactly what it is. You know
that man, Spearman you know what
he came here for. don't mean money;
1 mean you know why be came here
for money, and why he got it. tried.
as well as l could, to make him tell
me; but he wouldn't do it. There's
disgrace of some sort here. Of course
disgrace that involves mr. father and,
1 think, you too. If you re not guilty
with my father, you'll help me now; If
You are guilty, then, at least, your re-
fusal to help will let lne!know that"
II don't know what you're talking
about. 1 told you this man may have
been u wheelsman on the Corvet;
don't know more about hir :.aar that
don't even know that Ger tai4;y. OF
course. knew Ben Corvet Us paying
blackmail; I've known for :=srs that
he was giving up money to some one.
1 don't know who lie paid it to; or for
what"
The strain Of the last few hours was
telling upon Alan his skin flushed hot
and cold by turns. He paced up and
down while he controlled himself.
That's not enough, Spearman." he
said finally. "I--I've felt you, some
how, underneath all these things. The
first time saw you, you were In this
house doing something you ought not
to have been doing; you fought me
then you would have killed me rather !
than not get away. Two weeks ago.
some one attacked me ON the street.
for robbery, they said; but I know it
wasn't robbery -"
you're not so crazy as to be trying |
to involve me In that"
There came sound to them from
the hall, a sound unmistakably denOt-
ing some presence. Spearman jerked
suddenly up; Alan, going to the door
and looking into the hall, saw Wassa-
guam. The Indian evidently had re-
turned to the house some time before;
he had been bringing to Alan now the
accounts which he had settled. He
seemed to have been standing in the
hall for some time, listening; but he
came in now. looking inquiringly from
one to the other Of them.
"Not Efriends?" he inquired. ''You
and Henry?' =, II 50 a - :.
Alan's passion broke out suddenly.
"We're anything, but that, Iodah.' Il
found him, the first night L got here
and while you were way, going
through my fathers things. fought
with llims3 and he ran away. He was
the one That broke into my fathers
desks: maybe you'il believe that even
IL II" one else .wlll.' -, =, -. ,,r . ,7,.,,
"Yes?' the Indian Questioned.
"Yes:' 1t was plain that he not only
believed hut, that believing gave him
immense satisfaction. He took Alan's
arm and led him into the smaller IL
brary. He knelt before one of the draw
ers under the bookshelves-the drawer.
Alan recalled, which he himself had
been examining when he had found
watching him. He drew
out the, drawer and dumped its con-
tents out upon the floor; he turned
the drawer about then. and pulled the
bottom out Of il. Beneath the bottom
which he had removed appeared now
another bottom and a few sheets Of
paper Scrawletl in an uneven hand and
:Gt.. .n.A ,1xk