Connecticut western news., 1922-11-23
she had last heard of him?

. S0G ndQ IdSI 06dTu or nlIu Word had reached her father through shipping circles in May and . again in July which told of inquiries regarding Uncle Benny which made her and her father. believe that Alan was searching for his father upon the lakes. Now these articles which had 1 arrived made plain to her that he would never find Uncle Benny; he l would learn, through others or through themselves, that Uncle Benny was deaCE Would he believe then that i there was no longer any chance of learning what his father had done? 1 Would he remain away because of that, not letting her see or hear from him again? ..,
 She went back and picked up the wedding ring. The thought which had come to her that this was Alan's moth CTS wedding ring, had fastened itself upon her with sense of certainty. It 1 defended that unknown mother; 1t freed her, at least, from the stigma which Constance's own mother had been so ready to cast. Constance could not yet begin to place Uncle Benny in relation to that ring; but she was beginning to be able to think of Alan and his mother. She held the little l band of gold very tenderly In her hand; she was glad that, as the ac- 1 cusation against his mother had come 1 through her people, she could tell him soon of this. She could not send the ring to him. not knowing where he was; that was too much risk. But she could ask him to come to her; this l gave that right.
 She sat thoughtful for several min utes, the ring clasped warmly in her | hand; then she went to her desk and wrote: "Mr. John Welton,
 Blue Rapids, Kansas.
 Dear MT. Welton:
 Tt is possible that Alan Conrad 1 has mentioned me-or at least told | you of my father-in connection with 1 his stay in Chicago. After Alan left ] Chicago my father wrote twice to his | Blue Rapids address, but evidently he had instructed the postmaster there to forward his mail and had not made |
 the letters were returned to Alan's ad- dress ana in that way came back to us. We did not like to press inquiries further than that, as of course he could have communicated with us if he had not felt that there was some reason for not doing so. Now, how ever, something of such supreme i'm 1 portance to him has come to us that 1t is necessary for us to get word to him at once If you can tell me any address at which he can be reached by telegraph or mail-or where mes senger can find him-it will oblige us very much and will be to his interest"
 She hesitated, about to sign 1t then. impulsively, she added: , 'T trust you know that we have Alan's interest at heart and that you can safely tell us anything you may know as to where he is or what he may be doing. We all liked him here so very much. . :"
 She signed her name. There were still two other letters to write. Only the handwriting of the address upon the package, the Manitowoc postmark and the shoe box furnished clues to the sender of the ring and the watch and the other things. Constance her self could pot trace those clues, but Henry or her father could. She wrote to both of them, therefore, describing the articles which had come and re- | lating what she had done.
 The next noon she received a wire from Henry that he was coming up" It did not surprise her, as she had expected him the end of the week. Late that evening, she sat with her l. mother on the wide, screened veranda.
 The lights of some boat turning in between the points and moving swift ly caught her attention. AS it entered ] the path of the moonlight, its look was so like that of Henry's power yacht | that she arose. It was his way, as 1 soon as he had decided to leave busi- l ness again and go to her, to arrive
 as soon as possible; that had been his way recently, particularly. So the } sight of the yacht stirred her warmly and she watched while it ran in close,
 stopped and instantly dropped a | dingey from the davits. She saw 11SuIy HI LIlS SL6Tu LII tue llILle DOaL l 1t disappeared in the shadow of | pier ]. she heard, presently, the | gravel of the walk crunch under his | quick steps, and then she saw him in the moonlight among the trees She
 went down on the path to meet him.
 ''How quickly you camel" --.. (
 You let yourself think you needed me, ConnieI" 'sE~ s.t1
 "I did. :"
 He had caught her hand in his and he held 1t while he brought her to the porch and exchanged greetings with
 her mother. Then he led her on past
 and into the house.
 When she saw his face in the light,
 there were signs of strain in it. l You're tired, Henryr'
 He shook his head. 'Tt's been rot
 ten hot in Chicago; then I guess I
 was mentally stoking all the way up