The Holly chieftain., 1922-06-15

very flushed; then she was quite pale
as she asked him, "YOu wanted me7"
He was white as she, and could not
speak at once. "YOu told me last night,
Miss Sheriff." he said, shat the last
thing that Mr.. Corvet dld-the last
that you know of-was to warn you
against one Of your friends. Who was
that?"
She flushed uneasily. "You mustn't
attach any Importance to that; didn't
mean you to. There was no reason for
what Mr.. Corvet said. except In Mfr.
Corvet's own mind. He had a quite
unreasonable animOsity-"
Against Mr.. Spearman, you mean"
She did not answer.
His anImosity was against Mr..
Spearman, Miss Sheriff., wasn't it7
That is the only animosity of Mr.. Cor
vets that anyone has told me about"
"Yes."
ut was against Mr.. Spearman that
he warned you. then7"
"Yes."
'"Thank you" He turned and, not
waiting for the man. let himself out.
He should have known 1t when he had
seen that Spearman, after announcing
himself as unable to get back to the
office, was with Constance.
He went swiftly around the block to
his own house and let himself in ut the
front door with his key. The house
was warm; shaded lamp on the table
in the larger library was lighted. a fire
was burning In the open crate, and the
rooms had been swept and busted. The
Indian came into the hall to take his
coat and hat.
Dinner is at seven," Wassaquam
announced. "You want some change
about that?"
"No; seven Is all right"
Alan went upstairs to the room next
to Corvets which he had appropriated
for his own use the night before, and
found 1t now prepared for his occu-
pancy. When lie came down again to
the first floor. Wassaquam was no
where about, but he heard sounds in
the service rooms on the basement
floor. He went part way down the
service stairs and saw the Indian In
the kitchen, preparing dinner. Wassa-
guam had not heard his approach, and
Alan stood an instant watching the
Indians tall, thin figure and the quick
movements Of his disproportlonately
small, well-shaped hands, almost like
a woman's; then he scuffed his foot
upon the stair, and Wassaquam turned
swiftly about.
Anybody been here today, Judah2"
Alan asked.
"No, Alan. I called tradesmen; they
came. There were young men from the
newspapers"
"What did you tell them?"
Nothing"
"Why not?"
Henry telephoned was to tell
them nothing"
"You mean Henry Spearman7"
"Yes."
'Do you take orders from him, Ju-
dah?"
II took that order, Alan"
Alan hesitated. you've been here
In the house all day?"
"Yes. Alan"
Alan went back to the first floor and
into the smaller library. The room
was dark with the early winter dusk,
and he switched on the light; then he
knelt and pulled out one of the draw
ers he had seen Spearman searching
through the night before. and carefully
examined the papers In 1t one by one.
but found them only ordinary papers.
He pulled the drawer completely out
and sounded the wall behind 1t and the
partitions on both sides but they ap-
peared solid. He put the drawer back
In and went on to examine the next
one, and, after that, the others. The
clocks In the house had been wound.
for presently the clock in the library
struck six, and another In the hall
chimed slowly. An nour later. when
the clocks chimed again. Alan looked
up and saw Wassaquam's small black
eyes, deep set In their large eye SOCK
cts. fixed on him intently through the
door. How long the Indian had been
there, Alan could not guess; he had
not heard his step.
"What are you looking for. Alan"
the Indian asked.
Alan reflected a moment. "Mr. Sher-
rill thought that Mr.. C0rvet might
have left record of some sort here
for me, Judah. Do you know Of any,
thing like that2'
'No. That Is what you are looking
for?"
ayes. Do you know of any place
where Mr.. COrvet would have been
likely to PVT away anything like that?"
''Ben put papers in all these draw
ers; he put them upstairs, too-where
you have seen."
"Nowhere else, Judah7"
"If he put things anywhere else,
Alan, have not seen. Dinner is
served, Alan"
Alan went to the lavatory on the
first floor and washed the dust from
his hands and face; then he went into