The St. Charles herald., 1922-06-10
y William SNacl7arg and edmn Balner

| very few friends, and the few times he
has been away from home of recent
wears have been when he visited an
| acquaintance Of his-the head porter
| in a South Side hotel. went to the
| telephone in the house next door and
called the hotel and found Wassaquam
there. told him over the telephone
only that something was wrong, and
hurried to my own home to get the
KEY, which I had, to the Corvet house;
but when I came back and let myself
into the house, found it empty and
with no sign Of anything having hap
pened.
'The next morning, Alan, went to
the safe deposit vaults as soon as they
were open. / presented the numbered
key and was told that it belonged to
box rented by Corvet, and that Corvet
had arranged about three days before
for me to have access to the box If I
presented the key. I had only to sign
my name In their book and open the
box. In it, Alan, found the pictures
Of you which / showed you yesterday
and the very strange communications
that I am going to show you now"
Sheriff. opened the long envelope,
from which several thin, folded papers
fell. He picked up the largest of these,
which consisted of several sheets
fastened together with clip, and
handed it to Alan without comment.
| A1o- ho Ioo1yo3 OF ond f11rpod tho
pages, saw that 1t contained two col
umns of typewriting carried from page
to page after the manner of an ac-
count.
The column to the left was an inven-
tory Of property and profits and in
come by months and years, and the
one to the right was a list of losses
and expenditures. Beginning at an in.
definite day or month in the year 1895
there was set down in lump sum
what was indicated as the total Of Ben.
jamin Corvet's holdings at that time
To this, in sometimes undated items
the increase had been added. In the
opposite column, beginning apparently
from the same date in 1895, were the
missing mans expenditures.
Alan having ascertained that the pa
pers contained only this account
looked up Questioningly to Sheriff.
but Sheriff., without speaking, merely
handed him the second Of the papers
Alan unfolded it and saw that it wa:
a letter written in the same hant
l nh hAH fhn cv1r, hf
had received in Blue Rapids and hat
made the entries in the little memo
: randum book Of the remittances tina
had been sent to John Welton.
1t began simply:
! Lawrence
. '"This will come to you In the even
! that am not able to carry out tn
: plan upon which am now, at last, de
termined. You will find with this I
q list Of my possessions. Deeds for al
: real estate executed and complete ex
J, cept for recording Of the transfer a
the county Office; bonds, certificates
\ and other documents representing m
ownership Of properties, together wit
9 signed forms for their legal transfe
d to you, are In this box. These proper
+ ties, in their entirety, I give to you L
t trust to hold for the young man nov
t known as Alan Conrad Of Blue Raj
1 ids, Kan, to deliver any part or al
:. over to him or to continue to hold
i all in trust for him as you shall COZ
d slider to be to his greatest advantage.
n 1, ,}ex fn, fHn xrhf I
e have told to you or him-I canne
e know which one Of you now, nor do
s know how shall tell 1t. But whe
r you learn, Lawrence, think as well {
me as you can and help him to b
:, charitable to me.
IS "With the greatest affection.
n "BENJAMIN CORVET."
e Alan, as he finished reading, locke
:. up to Sheriff.. bewildered and dazed
"What does 1t mean, Mr.. Sheriff. +
Does 1t mean that he has gone ava
and left everything he had-everythin
to mey'
= III Mr.. Corvet does not return, an
!, do not receive any other instruction
. shall take over his estate, as he hi
= instructed, for your advantage"
!. "And, Mr.. Sheriff., he didn't tell 70
: why2 This Is all you known
eyes; you have everything now. A
we can do, Alan, Is to search for hi
:. in every way we can. There will
I, others searching for him too now; 4
!. information Of his disappearance hi
. got out. There have been reporters ,
the Office this morning making i
J. quiries, and his disappearance will
: In the afternoon papers"
3 Sheriff. put the papers back in the
= envelope, and the envelope back in
4. the drawer, which he relocked.
= II went over all this with Mr.. Spea
! man this morning" he said. HE is |
10 much at loss to explain 1t as am
- He was silent for few moments.
I'll saThe transfer Of Mr.. Corvet's pro
: critics to me for y0u," he said sudde
a ", includes, as you have seen, Co
vets interest in the Arm Of 'Corvt
n Sheriff. & Spearman.' / went We
ie carefully through the deeds and tran
"a fers In the deposit box, and It vi
= rlain that while he had taken GRO