Licking Valley courier., 1922-03-30

corner and shut the sight Of the lake
from him, Alan sat back breathless.
The car swerved to the east curb
about the middle Of the block and
came to stop. The house before
which 1t had halted was a large stone
house Of quiet, good design; II was
some generation older, apparently,
than the houses on each side Of II,
which were brick and terra Gotta Of
recent fashionable architecture Alan
only glanced at them long enough to
get that impression before he opened
the cab door and got OUT but as the
cab drove away, he stood beside his
suitcase looking up at the old house
which bore the number given In Ben
jamin Corvet's letter, then around at
the other houses and back to that
again.
Fhe neighborhood obviously pre-
cluded the probability Of Corvet's be-
ing merely q lawyer-a go-between.
He must be some relative; the ques-
tion ever present In Alan's thought
since the receipt Of the letter, but held
In allegiance, as to the possibility and
nearness of COrvet's relation to him.
took sharper and more exact form
now than he had dared to let 1t take
before. Was his relationship to
Corvet, perhaps, the closest Of all re-
lationshlps? Was Corvet his
father2 He checked the question
within himself, for the time had
passed for mere speculation upon II
now. Alan was trembling sxcitedly;
for-whoever Corvet might be-the
enigma Of Alan's existence was going
to be answered when he had entered
that house. He was going to know
who he was. All the possibilities, the
responsibilities, the attachments, the
opportunities, perhaps, Of that person
whom he was-but whom. as yet, he
did not know-were before him. He
went up the steps and, with fingers
excltedly unsteady, he pushed the bell
beside the door.
The door opened almost instantly
so quickly after the ring, indeed, that
Alan, with leaping throb Of his heart,
knew that some one must have been
awaiting him. But the door opened
only half way; and the man who stood
within, gazing out at Alan question
lngly, was obviously servant.
"What is itr he asked, as Alan
stood looking at him and past him to
the narrow section Of darkened hall
which was In sight.
Alan put his hand over the letter
In his pocket. "I've come to see Mr..
Corvet," he said-"Mr. Benjamin
| COrvet."
"What Is your nameT
Alan gave his name; the man re-
peated 1t after him. In the manner Of
trained seryanl, quito without In
Election. Alan, not familiar with such
tones, waited uncertainty. So far as
he could tell, the name was entirely
strange to the servant, awakening
neither welcome nor opposition, but
Indifference. The man stepped back,
but not In such manner as to invite
Alan in; on the contrary, he half
closed the door as he stepped back,
leaving 1t open only an inch or two
but It was enough so that Alan heard
him say to some one within:
"He says he's him."
"Ask him In; l will speak to him."
II was a girls volce-this sesOnd one
voice such as Alan never had heard
before. It was low and soft but quite
clear and distinct with youthful, i'm
pulsive modulations and the manner
of accent which Alan knew must &c
with the sort OF people who lived In
houses like those on this street.
The servant, obeylng the voice, re
turned and opened wide the door.
"Will you come In, sirr
Alan put down his suitcase on the
stone porch; the man made no move
to pick 1t up and bring It In. Ther
Alan stepped into the hall face to face
with the girl who had come from thu
big room on the right.
She was quite young girl-no
over twenty-One or twenty-five, AlaI
judged; like girls brought up Il
wealthy families, she seemed to Alal
to have gained young womanhood II
far greater degree In some respect
than the girls he knew. while, at IN
same time, In other ways, she retaine
more than they some characteristic
Of a child. Her slender figure had
woman's assurance and grace; he
soft brown hair was dressed like
woman's; her gray eyes had the ope
directness Of the girl. Her face
smoothly oval, with straight brow
and q skin so delicate that at II
temples the veins showed dlmly blue
was at once womanly and youthful
and there was something altogeth'
likable and simple about her, as 81
studied Alan now. She was slight
pale, he noticed. and there were lin'
Of strain and trouble about her eye
3 II am Constance Sheriff." she a
D nounced. Her tone implied quite eN
y IDENTIFY that she expected him to ha'
}. some knowledge OF her, and she scent
n surprised TO see that her name did n
s mean more to him.
y "Mr. COrvet Is not here this NOR
i Ing" she said.
g He hesltated, but persisted: II W
& to see him here today, Miss Sherrl
@ He wrote me, and ! telegraphed him
|. would he here today"
@ ~ know" she answered. ave HI
{. your telegram. Mr.. Corvet was
here when It came, so my faith
n opened It." Her voice broke odd
n and he studied her In indecision, VIC
A. derlng who that father might be tn
IS opened Mr.. Corvet's kilograms.
N "Mr. Corvet went away very 81
u denly" she explained. She seemed
,e thought, to be trying to make son