The spectator., 1922-05-09


 1 very few friends, and the few times he has been away from home of recent years have been when he visited an acquaintance of his-the head porter | in a South Side hotel. I went to the telephone in the house next door and called the hotel and found WassaQuam there. l told him over the telephone only that something was wrong. and hurried to my own home to get the key, which 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, I went to the safe deposit vaults as soon as they were open. l presented the numbered box rented by Corvet, and that Corvet had arranged about three days before for me to have access to the box if presented the key. 1 had only to sign my name ill their book and open the box. In it, Alan, I found the pictures of you which I showed you yesterday and the very strange communications that l am going to show you now"
 Sherrill 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 1t to Alan without comment Alan, as he looked at it and turned the pages, saw that it contained two col umns of typewriting carried from page to page after the manner of an ac- count.
 l The column to the left was an inven- tory of property and profits and in- come by months and yearSe and the one to the right was 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 Corvets 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 | uiSSluS IuuI expenditures.
 Alan having ascertained that the pa pers contained only this account, looked up questioningly to Sherrll l; but Sherrill, without speaking, merely handed him the second of the papers. Alan unfolded it and saw that it was a letter written in the same hand which had written the summons he had received in Blue Rapids and had made the entries in the little memo randum book of the remittances that had been sent to John Welton.
 It began simply:
 Lawrence
 This will come to you in the event that l am not able to carry out the plan upon which l am now, at last, de- termined. You will find with this q list of my possessions. Deeds for all real estate executed and complete eX- cept for recording of the transfer at the county office; bonds, certificates, and other documents representing my ownership of properties, together with signed forms for their legal transfer to you, are in this box. These proper. ties, in their entirety, I give to you in trust to hold for the young man now known as Alan Conrad of Blue Rap ids, Kan, to deliver any part or all over to him or to continue to hold 1t all in trust for him as you shall con. slider to be to his greatest advantage.
 This for the reasons which I shall have told to you or him--I cannot know which one of you now. nor do know how I shall tell 1t. But when you learn. Lawrence. think as we'll of me as you can and help him to be charitable to me.
 With the greatest affection,
 "BENJAMIN CORvET."
 Alan, us he finished reading, looked up to Sherrill. bewildered and dazed.
 What does 1t mean. Mir. Sherrill ?- Does 1t mean that he has gone away and left everything he ehad-everythtng 10 me?"
 If Mir. Corvet does not return. and I do not receive any other instructions, l shall take over his estate. as he has instructed, for your advantage" | And, MT. Sherrill, he didn't tell you why? This is all you knowY
 Yes; you have everything now. All we can do. Alan, is to search for him In every way we can. There will be others searching for him too now for information of his disappearance has got out. There have been reporters at the office this morning making in Quiries, and his disappearance will be in the afternoon papers,"
 Sherrill put the papers back in their envelope. and the envelope back into the drawer, which he relocked.
 "l went over all this with Mir. Spear man this morning." he said. He is us much at a loss to explain 1t as 1 am"
 He was silent for a few moments.