The St. Charles herald., 1922-07-01

~WNIySXO -
-x
He was, or had been, a very powerful
man, broad and thick through with
oyerdeveloped - almost dist0rting-
muscles in his shoulders; but his body
had become fat and soft, his face was
pufted and his eyes watery and bright;
his brown hair, which was shot all
through with gray. was dirty and mat
ted: he had three or four days growth
Of beard. When he sat up and looked
about 1t was plain that whisky was
only one of the forces working upon
him-the other was fever which
burned up and sustained him intermit-
tently.
"Low he greeted Alan. "Where's
shat d-n Injin, hey? l knew Ben
Corvet was shere-knew he was shere
all time. Course he's shere; he got
to be shere. That's shright. You 60
get imp
"Who are your Alan asked.
"Say,, who'r your What t'hells syou
doin' here? Never see you before
go-go get Ben Corvet. JUS
say Ben Corvet, Lu-luke's shere. Ben
Coryetll know Lu-luke all right; al
waysh, alwaysh knows me.
'What's the matter with. your
Alan had drawn back but now went to
the man again. The first idea that this
might have been merely some old sail
or who had served Benjamin Corvet
or. perhaps, had been a comrade In
the earlier days, had been banished
by the confident arrogance OF the
mans tone-an arrogance not to be
explained, entirely, BY whisky or by
the fever.
.How long have you been this wayF"
Alan demanded. 'Where did you come
from?" He put his hand on the wrist !;
It was very hot and cry; the pulse
was racing, irregular; at seconds 1t
seemed to stop; for other seconds It
was continuous. The fellow coughed
and bent forward. "What II tt
pneumoniar Alan tried to straig:lten
him up.
"Gr me drink! Go get Ben
Corvet. l ten youl Get Ben
Corvet quickl Say-yous shear? You
get me Ben Corvet; you better get
Ben Corvet; yeu tell him Lu-uke's
here; won't wait any more; coin
t'have my money now sright
away, your shearf Kick me out s'loon
I guess not no more. Ben Corvet give
me all money I want or I talkT"
talk I"
sSyou know It! amt goin' =. :"
He choked up and tottered back
Alan, supporting him. laid him down
and stayed beside him until his cough
| ing and choking ceased. and there was
only the rattling rasp Of his breathing.
When Alan spoke to him again, Luke's
eyes opened, and he narrated recent
experiences bitterly; all were blamed
to Ben Corvet's absence; Luke. who
had been drinking heavily q few
nights before, had been thrown out
when the saloon was closed; that was
|. Ben Corvet's fault; II Ben Coryet had
been around, Luke would have had
money, all the money any one wanted ;
no one would have thrown out Luke
then. Luke slept in the snow. all wet.
When he arose, the saloon was open
agnin, and he got more whisky. but not
enough to get him warm. He hadn't
been warm since. That was Ben Cor
vets fault. Ben Corvet better be
round now; Luke wouldn't stand any
more.
Alan felt Of the pulse again: he
opened the coat and under-fiannels
ana felt the feaving chest. He went
to the hall and looked In the telephone
directory. He remembered the name
Of the druggist on the corner OF Clark
street and he telephoned him, giving
the number on Astor street.
II want . doctor right away" he
said. sAny good doctor; the one that
you can get quickest" The druggist
promised that q physician would be
| there within quarter Of an hour.
Alan went back to Luke, who was
silent now except for the gasp Of his
| breath; he did not answer when Alan
spoke to him, except to ask for whis.
". Alan stood watching. strange
sinking tremor shaking him. This
| man had come there to make claim
IA claim which many times before
apparently, BENJAMIN Corvet had ad.
nitted. Luke came to Ben Corvet
| for money which he always got-all
The wanted-the alternative to giving
which was that Luke would "talk. :
Blackmail, that meant. Of course
| blackmail which not only Luke had
told Of but which Wassaquam too had
admitted, as Alan now realized. Money
for hlackmail- that was the reason
/ Tor that thousand dollars in casf
which benjamin Corvet always KEPT
at the house.
]; Alan turned with I sudden shivel
Of revulsion toward his fathers chail
In place before the hearth; there fOl
hours each day his father had sal
/ With 1 book Or staring into the flrt
always with what this man knew
hanging over him. always armin1
against Il with the thousand dollars
ready FOR this man, whenever he came