The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-06-29

WI '1is Nilo
1T Is possible that Alan Conrad
has mentioned me-or at least told
you Of my father-in connection with
his stay in Chicago. After Alan left
Chicago, my father wrote twice to his
Blue Rapids address, but evidently he
to forward his mail and mad not made
any change in those instructions, for
the letters were returned to Alan's adj
dress aha In hat way came back to
US. We did not like to press inquiries
further than that, as of course he
could have communicated with us If
he had not felt that there was some
reason for not doing so. Now, how
ever. something of such supreme i'm
%portance to him has come to us that
1t Is necessary for us to get word TO
him at once. If you can tell me any
by telegraph ar mail-or where a mes
senger can find hint will oblige Us
very much and will be to his interest"
She hesitated. about TO sign Il then,
impulsively, she added:
II trust you know that we have
Alan's interest at heart and that you
can safely tell us anything you may
know as to where he Is or what he
may be doing. We all liked him here
so very much. :"
She signed her name. There were
still two other letters to write. Only
the handwriting Of the address upon
the package, the Manitowoc postmark
and the shoe box furnished clues to
the sender of the ring and the watch
and the other things. Constance her
Henry or her father could. She wrote
to both Of them, therefore, describing
the articles which had come and re-
latlng what she had done.
The next noon she received q
wire from Henry that he was coming
up" 1t did not surprise her. as she
had expected him the end of the week.
Late that evening, she sat with her
mother on the wide, screened veranda.
The lights Of some boat turning in
between the points and moving swift
ly caught her attention. AS it entered
the path Of the moonlight, its look was
so like that of Henry's power yacht
that she arose. Ii was his way. as
sOOn as he had decided to leave bust
ness again and 20 to her, to arrive
as soon as possible that had been his
way recently, particularly. So the
sight of the yacht stirred her warmly
and she watched while ii ran in close,
stopped and instantly dropped a
dingey from the davits. She saw
Henry in the stern of the little boat
it disappeared In the shadow of a
pier she heard, presently, the
gravel of the walk crunch under his
quick steps, and then she saw him in
the moonlight among the trees. She
went down on the path to meet him.
How quickly you camel"
You let yourself think you needed
me, Connie"
81 did. . ="
He had caught her hand i'm his and
he held it while he brought her to the
porch and exchanged greetings with
her mother. Then he led her on past
and into the house.
When she saw his face in the light,
there were signs Of strain in 1t.
you're tired, Henry"
He shook his head. IT'S been rot
ten hot in Chicago; then / guess |
was mentally stocking all the way up
here, Connie. But first, where are
the things you wanted me to see?"
She ran upstairs and brought them
down to him. Her hands were shak-
ing now' as she gave them to him she
could not exactly understand why but
her tremor increased as she saw his
big hands fumbling as he u%nwrapped
the muffler and shook out the things
it inclosed. He took them up one by
one and looked at them, as she had
done. His fingers were steady now,
but only by mastering Of control, the
effort for which amazed her.
He had the watch in his hands.
The Inscription is inside the front"
she said.
She pried the cover open again and
read. with him. the words engraved
within.
"'As master Of - What ship was
he master of then. Henry, and how
did he rescue the Winnebago's peo-
pleg"
"He never talked to me about things
like that, Constance. This Is all?"
"Yes."
Henry put the things back In the
box. "Of course, this is the end of
BENJAMIN Corvet."
"Of course" Constance said. She
was shaking again and. without will
ing 1t, she withdrew a little from Hen
ry. He caught her hand again and
drew her back toward him. His hand
was quite steady.
you know why ! came to you as
quick as | could? Yon know why l.
why my mind was behind every thrust
of the enginesY'
"No.-
"You don't? On. you know; you
must know now !"
"Yes. Henry" she said.
I've been patient. Connie. TIL
.ot your letter telling me this abou.
Ben. I'd waited for your sake-for u
sakes-though II seemed at times II
was impossible. You haven't known