The daily Alaskan., 1922-06-29


 was continuous. The fellow coughed and bent forward. What is It. pneumOniaY Alan tried to straIghten him up.
 "Gr me drink! Go get Ben COrvet. I tell you! Get Ben Corvet quick! SHy-yous shear? You get me Ben COrvet; you better get Ben Corvet; you tell him Lu-uke's here; won't wait any more; goin' t'have my money now sright away, your shear? Kick me out sloon; I guess moi no more. Ben Corvet give me all money I want or I talk!"
 Talk"
 "Svou know 1t I nln't Goin' ." He chokcd up and tottered hack; Alan supporting him. laid him down and stayed beside him until his cough Ing and choking ceased, and rhere was only the rattling rasp of hls breathing. When Alan spoke to him again, Luke's eyes opened. and he narrated recent experiences bitterly; all were blamed to Ben COrvets absence; Luke who had hepn drinking heavily a few nights before. had been thrown out when the saloon was closed; thnt was Ben CorvetS fault; if Ben Corvet had been around Luke would have had money. all the money any one wanted; no one would have thrown out Luke then Luke slept m the snow, all wet. Whcr he arose. the saloon was open ngnfn. and he got more whisky, hut not crorgh to get him arm Ne hadn't hren warm since. That was Ben Cor vets fault. Ben Corvet better be round now; Luke wouldn't stand any more.
 Alan felt of the pulse again; he opened the coat and under tlannels and felt the heavIng chest. He went 10 the huIl and looked In the telephone directory. He remembered the nnme of the druggist on the corner of Clark street and he teIephOncd him, giving the number on Astor street.
 "I want doctor right away" he said. Any good doctor; the one that you can get quickest" The druggist promised that a physician would be there within a quarter of an hour. Alan went back to Luke, who was silent now except for the gasp of his breath: he did not answer when Alan spoke to him. except to ask for whis- ky. Alan stood watching, q strange, sinking trcmor shaking him. This man had come there 10 make a claim "a claim which many times before, apparently, Benjamin Coryet had ad- mltted. Luke came to Ben Corvet for money which he always got-all he wantcd-the alternative to giving which was that Luke would talk" Blackmuil, that meant, of course; blncimalI which not only Luke had told of but which Wassaquam too had admitted. as Alan now realized. Money for bInckmail-that was the reason for that thousand dollars in cash which Benjamin Corvet always kept at the house.
 Alan turned with a sudden shlver of revulsion toward his fathers chair In place before the hearth; there for hours each day his father had sat |. with a book or staring Into the fire always with what this man knew hanging over him, always arming against 1t with the thousand dollars ready for this man, whenever he came. Meeting blackmail, paying blackmail for as long as WaSsaquam had been in the house, for as long as it took to make the once muscular powerful fig ure of the sailor who threatened to talk" into the swollen whiskysoaked hulk of the man dying now on the lounge.
 For his state that day the man blamed Benjamin COrvet. Alan, fore Ing himself to touch the swollen face, shuddered at thought of the truth un- derlying that accusation. Benjumin COrvet's act-whatever it might be that this man knew-undOubtedly had destroyed not only him who paid the blackmail but him who received it. he effect of that act was still going on. destroying, hlightIng. Its threat of shame was not only against Benjamin COrvet; It threatened also all whose names must be connected with Cor vets. This shame threatened Alan; 1t threatened also the Sherrills. What Sherrin had told Alan and even Cor vets gifts to him had not been able to make Alan feel that without ques- ton Corvet was his father, but now shame and horror were making him feel 1t; in horror at Corvets act whatever it might be-and in shame at COvert's cOwardiCe, Alan was think Ing of Benjamin COryet as his father. This shame, this horror were his in- herltance.
 He left Luke and went to the win dow to see If the doctor was coming. He had called the doctor because in his first sight of Luke he had not recog- nized that Luke was beyond the aid of doctors and because to summon doctor under such circumstances was the right thing to do; but he had thought of the doctor also as wit ness to anything Luke might say. But r9w-dld he want a witness? He had ,n +b,,,ryh+ ,F c0Dcao1iuV onVthinp for