Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-05-05
Copyright by Edwin Balmsr
SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER I.-Wealthy and highly
Benjamin Corvet is something OF q re-
cluse and a mystery to his associates.
After stormy interview with his part
ner. Henry Spearman, Corvet seeks Con-
stance Sheriff.. daughter Of his other
business partner. Lawrence Sheriff.. and
secures from her promise not TO marry
Spearman. He then disappears Sherrili
learns Corvet has written to certain
Alan Conrad, in Blue Rapids. Kansas,
and exhibited strange agitation over the
matter.
CHAPTER II.-Corvet's letter summons
Conrad. a youth of unknown parentage.
to Chicago.
CHAPTER III.-From statement OF
Sheriff. 1t seems probable Conrad iS Cor
vets iegitmaate m son C0fset 70 nag alan Iesoea
What Sheriff. had told Alan of his
father had been iterating itself again
and again in Alan's thoughts now he
recalled that Sheriff. had said that his
daughter believed that COrvets dis.
appearance had had something to do
with her. Alan had wondered at the
moment how that could be; and as he
watched her across the table and now
and then exchanged comment with
her, 1t puzzled him still more He
had opportunity to ask her when she
waited with him in the library, after
dinner was finished and her mother
had gone upstairs; but he did not see
then how to go about it.
I'm sorry" she said to him, "that
we can't be home tonight; but perhaps
you would rather be aloneY
He did not answer that.
"Have you a picture here, Miss Sher-
rill, of-my father?' he asked.
"Uncle Benny had had very few pic
lures taken but there Is one here"
She went into the study and came
back with book open at half-tone
picture of Benjamin COrvet. Alan took
it from her and carried 1t quickly
closer to the light. The face that
looked up to him from the heavily
glazed page was regular of feature,
handsome In way, and forceful.
There were Imagination and vigOr of
thought in the broad, smooth fore
head; the eyes were strangely moody
and brooding; the mouth was gentle,
rather kindly; it was queerly i'm
pelling, haunting facet This was his
father! But, as Alan held the picture,
gazing down upon it, the only emotion
which came to him was realization that
he felt none. He had no emotion OF
any sort; he could not attach to this
man, because he bore the name which
some one had told him was his IA
theirs, the passions which. when
dreaming Of his father, he had felt.
Alan stood still a moment longer,
then, remembering the book which he
held, he drew a chair up to the light,
and read the short, dry biography OF
his father printed on the page oppo-
site the portrait. 1t summarized In
few hundred words his fathers life.
Alan shut the book and sat thought
full. The tall clock In the hall struck
nine. He got up and went out into
the hall and asked for his hat and
coat. When they had been brought
him, he put them on and went out.
He went down the steps and to the
corner and turned west to AstOr street.
When he reached the house Of his ia
ther he stopped under street lamp,
docking up at the big, stern old man.
sion questionfngly.
He could not call up any sense that
the house was his, any more than he
had been able to when Sheriff. had
told him of it. He own house on
that street, Yet was that In itself
any more remarkable than that he
should be the guest, the friend Of such
people as the Sherrills2 No one as
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