Connecticut western news., 1922-09-28

A voice anSwered-"1es.'
 Alan said, evenly: 'I think you and I had better have a talk before we meet with MT. Sherrin this afternoon. am here in Mir. Corvet's office now and will be here for half an hour. then I'm going out"
 Spearman made no reply, but hung up the receiver. Alan sat waiting, his watch upon the desk before him. tense, expectant with flushes of hot and cold passing over him. Ten min utes passed; then twenty. The tele- phone under Corvet's desk buzzed.
 "Mr. Spearman says he will give you five minutes now," the switchboard girl said.
 Alan breathed deep with relief; Spearman had wanted to refuse to see him-but he had not refused; he had sent for him within the timc Alan had appointed and after waiting until just before 1t expired. ea .ah .. .
 Alan put his watch back into his pocket and, crossing to the other office, found Spearman alone. There was no pretense of courtesy now in Spear mans manner; he sat motionless at his desk, his bold eyes fixed on Alan intently. Alan closed the door behind him and advanced toward the desk.
 "I thought we'd better have some explanation" he said, about our meeting last night"
 ''Our meetingf" Spearman repeated; his eyes had narrowed watchfully.
 "You told MT. Sherrill that you were in Duluth and that you arrived home in Chicago only this morning. Of course you don't mean to stick to that story with meT'
 What are you talking aboutY" Spearman demanded.
 "Of course, I know exactly where you were part of last evening; and you know that know. only want to know what explanation you have to offer."
 Spearman leaned forward. ~Talk sense and talk 1t quick, if you have anything to say to mew
 'I haven't told Mir. Sherrin that found you at Corvet's house last night; but don't want you to doubt for a minute that know you-and about your d-g of Benjamin Corvet and your cry about saving the MiwnkaI" A flash of blood came to Spearman's face; Alan, in his excitement, was sure of 1t but there was just that flash, no more. He turned, while Spearman sat chewing his cigar and staring at him, and went out and partly closed the door. Then, suddenly, he reopened it. looked in, reclosed it sharply, and went on his way, shaking little. For, as he looked back this second time at the dominant. determined, able man seated at his desk, what he had seen in Spearman's face was fear; fear of himself, of Alan Conrad of Blue Rap ids-yet it was not fear of that sort l which weakens or dismays; 1t was of l that sort which, merely warning of i danger close at hand, determines one l to use every means within his power to save himself. .........- i Alan, still trembling excitedly, crossed to Corvet's office to@await {. Sherrill. It was not, he felt sure now, . Alan Conrad that Spearman was op- ! posing; it was not even the apparent successor to the controlling stock of | SOANClf 0hNAAAAA anu 5p1hAmnhs 1h1e Alan resembled some lonesome enc whose ghost had seemed to come to Spearman and might, perhaps, have come to Oorvet-was only incidental to what was going on now; for in Alans presence Spearman found . threat-an active, present threat against himself. Alan could not im- aRine what the nature of that threat could be. Was 1t because there was something still concealed in Oorvet's house which Spearman feared Alan would fnd7 Or was it connected enly with that some one whom Alan resez@- bled?
 Constance Sherrill's most active thought that day was about Henry Spearman, for she had a luncheon en- gagement with him at one o'clock. The tea room of a department store offers to young people opportunities for dining together without furnishing reason for even innocently connecting their names too intimately, if girl is not seen there with the same man too often. There is something essentially casual and unpremeditated about it. as though the man and the girl, both shopping and both hungry, had tusk happened to meet and go to lunch to- gether. AS Constance recently had drawn closer to Henry Spearman In her thought, and particularly since she had been seriously considering marrying him. she had clung deliber- ately to this unplanned appearance about their meetings. ...
 She glanced across at him, when she had settled herself, and the first little trivialities of their being together were over.
 'I took a visitor down to your office this morning" she said.
 "Yes," he answered.
 Constance was aware that it was only formally that she had taken Alan Conrad down to confer with her fa-