Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-05-20
CHAPTER discontinued.

3
She, he saw, was listening. like him.
self, for the sound of Sherrilrs ar.
rival at the house; and when 1t came
she recognized 1t first, rose, and ex-
cused herself. He heard her voice In
the hall. then her fathers deeper voice
which answered; and ten minutes
later. he looked up to see the man
these things had told him must be
Sheriff. standing In the door and look
Ing at him.
Alan had arisen at sight Of him !;
Sheriff., as he came In, motioned him
back to his seat; he did not sit down
himself, but crossed to the mantel and
leaned against 1t.
y am Lawrence Sheriff." he said.
AS the TALL graceful, thoughtful
man stood looking down at him, Alan
could tell nothing of the attitude of
this friend of Benjamin Corvet to-
ward himself His manner had the
same reserve toward Alan, the same
questioning consideration Of him, that
Constance Sheriff. had had after Alan
had told her about himself.
my daughter has repeated to me
what you told her, Mr.. Conrad"
Sheriff. observed. SIS there anything
you want to add to me regarding
that?"
There's nothing can add" Alan
NJ al knr al hat
about myself"
'And about Mr.. Corvetp
Il know nothing at all about Mr..
Corvet."
II am going to tell you some things
about Mr.. Coret." Sheriff. said. Il
had reason--I do not want to explain
just yet what that reason was-for
thinking you could tell us certain
things about Mr.. Corvet, which would,
perhaps, make palmer what has hap
pened to him. When | tell you about
him now, 1t Is In the hope that In
that way. may awake some forgotten
memory of him in you; IL not that,
you may discover some coincidence of
dates or events In Cervet's life with
dates or events In your own. VIII you
tell me frankly, II you do discover any
thing like that?"
Yes; certainly"
For several moments, Sheriff. paced
up and down before the fire; then he
returned to his place before the
mantel.
Il first met Benjamin Corvet," he
commenced, NEARLY thirty years ago
had come West for the first time
the year before; l was about your own
age and had been graduated from
college only short time, and busl-
ness opening had offered Itself here
Times were booming on the Great
Lakes Chicago, which had more than
recovered from the fire, was doubling
Its population every decade; Cleve-
land. Duluth, and Milwaukee were
leaplng up as ports. Men were grow
ing millions of bushels of grain which |
they couldn't ship except by lake ;
hundreds of thousands of tons of ore |
Ind to go by water; and there were |
tens Of millions of feet of pine and |
hardwood from the Michigan forests |
Sailing vessels, Il Is true, had seen |
their day and were disappearing from
the lakes; we're being sold many Of |
them, as the saying is, to the lnsur-
ance companies by deliberate wreck
Ing. Steamers were taking their place.
Towing had come in, l felt, young
man though was, that this trans
nortation matter was all one thing.
aud that In the end the railroads
would own the ships. | have never
engaged very actively In the operation
Of the ships; my daughter would like
me to be more active In II than have
been; hut ever since, have had
money In lake vessels It was the
wear that I began that sort of invest
ment chat first met Corvet"
Alan looked up quickly. Mr., Cor
vel WASP" he asked.
"Corvet was--is lakeman," Sher.
riIl said.
Alan sat motionless, as he recol-
lecied the strange exaltatlon that had
come TO him when he saw the lake
FOR the first time Should he tell
sheriff. of that? He decided 1t was
roo vague, too indefinite to be men.
.ioncd no doubt any other man used
only to 1sv prairie might have felt the
yame.
"He was shpowner, then,' he
said.
"Yes; he was shipowner-not,
however on large scale at that time
BE had oeen master, sailing ships
which belonged to others; then he
had sailed one VI his own He was
operating then, believe. two vessels
ut witt the boom times 80 the lakes,