Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-05-26


pulled and his eyes watery and bright
his brown hair. which was shot nj
through with gray. was dirty and mat
ted; he had three or four days growth
of beard. When he sa. up and looked
about IL was plain that whisky wa:
only one of the forces working upor
him--the other was fever which
burned up and sustained him intermlt
tently.
'Lo" he greeted Alan. where.
shat d-n Injin, hey? knew Ber
Corvet was shere-knew he was sher,
all time. Course he's shere; he got
to be shere. That's shrlght. You &c
get i'm !"
"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--lukes shere. Ben
Corvetll know Lu--luke all right al
waysh, alwaysh knows me. :"
whats 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 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 wayT'
Alan demanded. "Where did you come
from?" He put his hand on the wrist
1t was very hot and dry; the pulse
was racing, irregular; at seconds II
seemed to stop for other seconds IL
was continuous. The fellow coughed
pneumonlaT Alan tried to stralghten
him up.
CT me drink! Go get Ben
Corvet, | tell you'll Get Ben
Corvet quick Say-yous shear? You
get me Ben Corvet: you better get
Ben Corvet; you tell him Lu--uke's
here; won't wait any more; goin'
thave my money now sright
away. your shear? Kick me out sloon I;
| guess not no more. Ben Corvet give
me all money | want or | talk ~
"Talk -
"Syou know It I 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 rafting 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 Corvets absence; Luke, who
had been drinking heavily few
nights before. had been thrown out
when the saloon was closed that was
Ben Corvet's fault; If Ben Corvet 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
again. 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. fannels
and felt the heaving chest. He went
10 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 Aston street.
81 want a doctor right away" he
said, ANY good doctor: the one that
you can get quickest" The druggist
promised that a physician would be
there within a 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 wills
Ky. Alan stood watching. strange.
sinking tremOr shaking him. This
man had come there To make claim
"A claim which many times before,
apparently, Benjamin COrvet had adj
mltted. Luke came to Ben COrvet
for money which he always g0t-all
he wanted-the alternative TO giving
which was that Luke would talk"
Blackmall, that meant, of course;
blackmail which not only Luke had
told of but which Wassaquam too had
MS Alan now realized. Money
for blackmail-that was the reason
for that thousand dollars In cash
which Benjamin Corvet always Kept
at the house.
Alan turned with a sudden SILVER
of revulslOn toward his fathers chair
in place before the hearth; there for
hours each day his father had sat
with book or staring into the fire
always with what this man knew
hanging over him, always arming
against II with the thousand dollars
ready for this man. whenever he came.
Meeting blackmaiI. paying backmall
for as long as Wassaquam had been
In the house, for as long as II took TO
make the once muscular powerful fig
Of no