Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, March 6, 1922, Page 2

e Ji- INDIA N DRUM nWilliam MacHurq and Edwin Balmer Gopyright by Edwin B SYNOPSIS CHAPTER T.—Wealthy and highly luced in the Chicago business world, enjamin. Corvet i -something of u rel Gluse and a mystery to his associates. After a stormy interview with his part- ner, Henry Bpearman, Corvet seeks Con- stance Sherrill,, daughter of his other business_partner, Lawrence 8herrill, and secures from her a premise not to_marry Spewrman. He then disappears. Shecrill learns Corvet has written to a_certaln Alun- Conrad, in Blue Rapids, Kansus, and exhibited strange agltation over the matter, CHAPTER IL—Corvet's letter summons Conrad, ‘a youth of unknown parentage, to_Chicago. i i (Continued from last issue) CHAPTER Il Discussion of a Shadow Alun, as he looked confusedly and blaukly at her, made no attempt to answer the question she had asked, or- to-explain, His. silence and 1- fusion, he knew, must seem to Con- stance Sherrill unwillingness to an- wer her; for she did not suspect that he was unuble to answer her. “You would ratber explain to futher than 10 we,” she deelded. He hesitated. What he wanted now fime to think, to learn who she md who her father was, and to strange reversal said. She eaught up her fur collar and muff from a chair and spoke a word to the servant. As she went out on to the poreh, be followed her and stooped to pick up his case, “Simmons will bring that,” she said, “unless you'd rather have it with you. It is ondy: a short walk. They turned in at the entrance of a house in the middle of the block and went up the low, wide stone steps; the door opened to them without ring or knoek ; n servant in the hall within took Alan’s hat and cont, d he fol- towed Constauce puist <ome great room upon his right to a smaller one farther down the hall. “Will you wait here, please?” she asked. He sat down, and she Jeft him: when her footsteps had died away, and Tie could hear no other sounds except the occasional ‘soft tread of some sérvant, he twisted himself about in his chair and Jooked around. Who were these Suerrills? Who was Cor- vet, and whaut was his relation to the Sherrills? What, beyond all, was thelr und Corvet’s relution to Alun Conrad-— to himself? The shock and confuslon Jhe had felt ¢t the nature of his recep- tion in Corvet’s hoi ness of his transition from his little JKansas town to a place and people such as this, had prevented him from inquiring direetly from Constunce Nherrill as to that; and, on her part, \she had assumed, plainly, that he already knew and need not be told. He straightened and looked about, then got up, as Constunce Sherrill came back into the room. > “Father Is not here just now,” she sald. “We weren’t sure from your telegram exactly at what hour you would arrive, and that was why I waited at Mr. Corvet's to be sure we wouldn't w u. 1 have telephoned father, and he's coming home at once,” She hesitated an instant in the door- way, then turned to go out again, “Aliss Sherrill—" he said. e halted, e told me you had beei waiting for me to ‘come and explain my con- neetlon with - Mr. Corvet. Wéll—I can’t do that; that is what I came here hoping to find out.” She came: back towa “What do you mean?’ she asked. He fought down and controlled resolutely the excitement in his volce, as he told her rapidly the little he knew about himself, 1le could not tell definitely how she was affected by what he said. She dtushed slightly. following her first ‘sturt of surprise after he had begun ito.speak; when he had - finished, he Jsuw that she was a little pale: 4 “Then you don't knoy anything ‘ahout Mr. Corvet nt all;* she said. 0: until T got his latter ‘sending for me here, I'd never seen or heard ‘his name.” She was thoughtful for ‘a‘ moment. “Thank you for telling me,” she said. U tell my father when'he comes, “Your father is—?" he ventured. '+ She understood now that the name of Sherrill had meant nothing to him, “Father is Mr. Corvet's closest friend, and his business partner as well,” she explained, He thought she was going to tell him something more about them; but she seemed to decide (o leave that for her father to do. big. chair beside the grate and seated herself. As she sat looking at him, hands clasped beneath her chin, and her elbows resting on the arm of the chalr, there was. speculation and in- ‘terest in her guze; but she did not ask_lim anything more about_ himself. 1 him slowly. alm?r\.y @ B . She crossed to the | S1 self, “for the sound of Sherrillls ar- rival at the house; and when it came she recognized it first, rose, and ex- cused herself. » He heard her volce in the ball, then her-father's deeper voice which answered; and ten . minutes later, he looked . up.to" see the man these things had told him must be Sherrill standing In the door and look- ing at bim._ . Alan had “arisen at sight of him; Sherrill, as he came in, motioned him back to his seat; he did not sit down bimself, but ¢rossed to the mantel and lenned agalnst it “I am Lawrence:Sherrill,” he said. As the tall, ‘graceful, thoughtful man stood looking down at him, Alan could tell nothing of the attitude of this friend of Benjamin Corvet to- ward himself. Ilis manner had the sume reserve toward. Alap, the same questioning consideration of him, that Constance Sherrill had had after Alan had told her about himself, . “My daughter has' repeated to me what you told her, Mr, Conrad,” Sherrill observed. “Is there anything u want to add to me regarding Phere’s nothing T can add,” Alan answered. I told her all that I know. about myself.” . “And about Mr. Corvet?” “I know uothing at all about Mr, Corvet.” “L um going to tell you some things out Mr. Corvet,” Sherrill said. “T id reason—I do'not want to explain yet what that reason was—for king you could tell us certain things about Mr. Corvet, which would, perhaps, e plainer what has hap- pened to him. When I tell you abput him now, it is in the hope that, in that w 1 may awake some forgotten memor him in you; if not: that, you may discover some colncidence of da‘es or events in Cery life . with dates or events i your own, Will you tell me {rankly, if you do discover,any- thing like that?” Y certainly.” ! For several moments, Sherrill paced iup and down before ti fire: then he returpedl to his place before the mantel. “f first met Benjumin Corvet,” he commenced, “nearly thirty years ago. 1 had come West for the first time the year before; I was about your own age and had® been - graduated from | eollege only a short time, and a busl- | ness opening had oftered itself here. | | Times were booming on the Great kes. Chieago, which had more than | recovered: from the fire, was doubling Its population cvery decade; Cleve- Iand, Duluth, and Milwaukee were Jeaping up ns ports. Men were grow- Ing millions of bushels of grain which they couldn’t ship except by lake; hundreds of thousands of tons of ore had to go by water; and there were tens of millions of feet of pine and hardwood from the Michigan forests. Suiling vessels, It is true, had seen their day and were disappearing from the lnkes; were beinyg ‘sold,’ many of them, as the saying is, ‘to the insur- ance companies’ by deliberate wreck- Ing. Steamers were taking thelr place, Towing had come in, 1 felt, young man though T was, that this.trans- portation matter was all one . thing, and that in the end the railroads would own ‘the ships. T have enguged very actively in the op of the ships; my daughter would like me to be more active in it than I have been; but ever since, 1 have had money in lake vessels. It was the year that I began that sort of invest- | ment that L first met Corvet.” | Alan looked up quickly. “Mr, Cor- | vet was—?" he asked. 1 “Corvet was—Is a lakeman,” Sher- { rill sald. Alan sat motionless, as he recol- lected the strange exaltation that had { come to him when he saw the lake | for the first time. Shouid he tell | Sherrill of that? He dectded it was | tov viigue, too indefinite to be men- ;llunt‘d; no doubt any other mun used only to the prairie night have felt the' | same. 108t. The ‘Coryet' record was broken; ! “He was a’ shipowner, then,” he{ a Corvet ship had appealed for help: | said. . n Corvet vessel had=hot reached?port. ! “Yes; he was a shipownem-not, | . . . And later in the fall, when two { However, il a large scale at that'tline. He had ‘been a master, salling: ships which belonged to others; then! he ! had safled one of his own. He wus | operafing then, I belleve, two vessela; i but with the buom times on thé lakes, | his interests were beginning:'to X | pand. T met im frequently fn the ‘| next few years, and we became close | friends.” Sherrill broke off and stared an lo- stant down at the rug. Alan bent | forward ; he made no interruption but ! only watched Sherrilt attentively. “Retween 1886, when 1 first et him. | and 1893, Corvet laid the foundation of great success; his hoats seemed lucky, {men liked to work for him, and he ixnl the best skippers and crews. There I was a saying that in-storm a Corvet lsm;i never asked help; it gave 1t; Iy in_twenty years ne Corvet SR Tiid * suffered serfous disaster. Sorvet was not yet rich, hut unless accident or undne competltion inter- vened, he was certain to- become so. Then soipething happened.” Sherrill looked away at evident loss how to describe It. “To the ships?” Alan asked him. “No; to him. In 1896, for no ap- parent reason, a great change cane over him.” £ “In 1896!" “That was the year.” % Alan bent forward, his heart throb- bing In his throat, “That’ was also the year when I was brought tnd left with the Weltons in Kansas,” he sald. Sherrill did not speak for a moment. have been abruit that time; but you dia not tell my daughter the exact) date.” “What kind of change came over him that year?’ Alan asked. Sherrlll gazed down at the rug, then at Alan, then past him. “A change In his way of living,” he replied. “The Corvet line of boats went on, ex- panded; interests were acquired in other lines; #nd Corvet und those allied with him swiftly grew rich. But in all this great development, for which Corvet's genlus and ability had laid the foundation, Corvet himself ceased to take active part. He took into partnership, ahout a year later, Henry Spearman, a young man who had been merely a mate on one of his ships. This proved subsequently to have heen a good husiness move, for Speurman had tremendous energy, daring, and enterprise; and no doubt Corvet had recognized these qualities in him before others did. Nince then he has been ostensibly and publicly the ‘head of the concern, but he has left tne management almost entirely to Spearman. The personal change to Corvet at that time 1s harder for me to dgescribe fo you." { Sherrill halted, his eyes dark with thought, his lips pressed closely to- gether; Alan waited. “When I saw Corvet aguin, in the summer of '96—1 had been South dur- ing the latter part of the winter and Bast through the spring—I was im- pressed by the vague but, to me, “That Was 1897.” alarming change in him. 1 was re- minded, I recall, of a friend T had had in college who had thought he was in ‘perfect health and had gone to an examiner, for life insurance and had been refused, and was trying to deny to himself and others that anything could be the matter. But with Corvet 1 knew the trouble was not physical. The next year his wife left him.” “The year of—?" Alan asked, “That was 1807.. There was mo question of their -understanding and affectton up to the very time she so strangely left him. She died in France in e spring of 1910, and Corvet's first fnformation of her death come to him thrdugh a paragraph in a newepaper.,” Alan had started; Sherrill looked at him questioningly. “The spring of -1910,” Alan ex- plained,” “was when I received the bank draft for fifteen hundred dollars.” P Sherrill nodded; -he_ did not . seem surprised to hear this; rather it ap- peared to be confirmation of some- thing In his own thought. “Following his wife's leaving him.” Sherrill went on, “Corvet saw very little of any one. He spent most of his time in his own house; occasion- ally he lunched at Mhis club, at rare Intervals, and always unexpectedly, he appeared at his office. 1 remember that sumwer . he ~was terribly = dis- turbed because one of -his ships was deckliands were washed from arjother of his vessels and drowned, hd was again greatly wrought up, though his ships:still had.a:most fayprablogrecord. 2902 T proposed to him that 1 buy full dwnprshifp in’ the vesgels 1 partly controlled @hd ally thém: with those he and Spearmian operated. Since then, the firm name has been Corvet, Sherrill, and Spearman. . “Our friendship had . strengthened and ripened during those years, The intense activity of Corvet's - mind, which ag a younger man he had di- rected aholly to the* shipping, was directed, after he had isolaled himself in this way, to other things. He took y an Immense num- ! —strange studies most of them {or a man whose youth lm(l' been almost. violently active and who liad once been n_lake captaln. I .can- not ten” N were— geology, ethnology, nearly # score of { subijects; he corresponded with. varis ous scientific societies; he has given aJmost. the whole of his"attention to such- things for ahout twenty years. But' he has'made very few acquaint- ances: in ‘that'time, and has kept almost nmone of his ol friendships. He has lived alone-in the house on Astor street with only: one seryant— :the same' one all. these years. . “The only. house he has visited with any -frequency ha ‘always liked ‘ni e a great afféctiomfor my daughter, who, when she’ Wi '#& ¢hildy rin in and out ‘6f his home !as'ishe pleased. My “1 thought,” he said finally, “it ‘must!| dnughter believes now that his present disappearancel<whatever “has = hap- pened to' him—is’ connected 'in some way with herself. "I do not think that is so—" Sherrill* broke off and stood in thought for a moment; ne seemed to constder, and to decide that it was| not necessary. to ‘'say anything more on that subjeet. _ “Is there anything in what T have told-you which makes it possible for you to-recollect or to explain?” Alan “shook ‘his head,” fushed, and then grew a lHftle pale. “What Sherrill told him_had excited him by the coin- cldences 1t offer¢d between events In Benjamin: Corvet’s life and his own; it had ‘not’ ‘made him " “recollect” Corvet, but'it had given definiteness and_direction’.to his ‘speculations "as to Corvet's relation to himself. Sherrill drew one of the Iarge chairs nearer to Alan and sat down facing him. He felt jn an inner pocket and brought out un envelope; from the en- velope he took three pictures, and handed the smallest of them to Alan. As”Alun took it. he saw that it was u tintype of himself as a round-faced boy of seven. i “PThat is you?” Sherrill asked. +“Yes; it was taken by the photog- rapher in Blue Rapids.” “And this?” The second picture, Alan saw, was one that had been taken in front of the barn at the farm, It showed Alan at twelve, in overalls and barefooted, holding a stick over his head at which a shepherd dog was jumping. . “Yes, that is Shep and I, Mr. Sher- rill. It was taken by a man who stopped at the house for dinner one day; he liked Shep and wanted a| picture of him; so he got me to make Shep jump, and he took it.” “Doesn’t it oceur to you that {t was your picture’he wanted, and that he had been- sgnt . to ‘get it?. T wanted your verification that these earlier pictures were of you, but this last one is easily recognizable.” Sherrfll unfolded the third picture; it was larger than the-others und had been folded across the middle to get it:into the €hvelope. Alan leaned for- ward te look at it. t \ “Phat ‘is- the University of .Kansas’ football team,” he sald. am the second one in_the front row ; 1 played end 'my junior year and tag¢kle when 1 was n senior. Mr. Corvet—1" “Yes; Mr, Corvet had these pictures. They came into my possession day be-! fore . yesterday, the. day. after. Corvet; disappeared ; T do not want to tell just yet how they did that” 4 ; Alan’s face, which had been flushed at first with excitement, had gone quite pale, and his hands, as he' clenched and unclenched:- them nerv- ously, were. cold, and his lips were very dry. He could think of no pos- sible relationship between Renjamin Corvet and bimself, except one, which could account for Corvet's obtaiping and keeping. these -pictures of him through the years. “I think you know,who I am,” Alan safd. “You have guessed, if T am not mis- taken, that you are Corvet's. son.” The color flumed to Alan’s face for an lnstant, then left it paler than be- fore, “I thought it must be that way,” he answered ; “but you said lie had no children.” b “Benjamin Corvet and his wife Nad no’ children.” “I thought that was what you meant.” A twinge twisted Alan's fave; he tried to comtrol It but for a moment could not. “Do not misapprehend your fathery’ Sherrill said quietly. “L camnot pre- vent. what other ‘people may think when they learn this; but I do not share such thoughts with them. There is much in this T cannot understand; but T know that it is not merely the result of what others may ‘think it— of ‘4 wife in more ports than one,’ as you will hear the lakemen put it. What lies under this is some great misadventure which had changed and frustrated all your father’s life. Sherrill crossed the room and rang | for a servant. “I am golng to ask you to be my guest for a short time, Alim,” he un- nouticed. “I have had your bag carried to your room; the man will show you whiclu one it is.” Alan hesitatetl; he felt that Sherrill bad not told him all he knew—that there were some things Sherrill pur- posely was“withholding from him; but he could not force Sherrill to tell more than he wished; so after an {nstant’s irresolution, I accepted the dismissal. Sherrill whalked with him to the door, and gave his directions to the servant; he stood watching, as Alan :and the man went up the stairs. ‘Then he went back and seated himseif in | the chair Alan bad occupied, and sat with hands grasping the arms of the chair while he stared into_the fire. (Continued in Next lssue) Austin, Minn,, March 6.—An aulo- mobile show that is expected to .at- tract 12,000 people to Austin this week, began today. It will continae throughout the ‘week. Local dealers hope to. boom husiness. beenmine. He has | wgp, he had—he has{ | =L MOTHER TO AMERICAN LEGION Madame Schumann-Heink. Centinues Work of “The Greatest Organ- ization in the World.” “To’ bring joy to the boys who so gloricusly offered their lives" is the cadse te which Madame Schu mann-Heink, now sixty old, has dedicated the remajnder of her days,: Back from & tour : in the Orient, has convineed, sae says, that it is “the ~greatést organization in the world.” The role of mother has been Madame Schumann-Heink’s greatest success. And now, with a son of her own and a million adopted sons, she finds as great an outlet for her lovable nature and her talent as in the war days, when she spent much of her thue in camps, singing, working with her needle, and spreading cheer, “I have never been:happier,” said the great star, who; in spite of her years, still has the grace and the col-| or of youth, The Woman’s Study club.will serve a 6 _o’clock dinner at the home ot of Mrs. Latterell, March 10, at which time the men are to ‘be:entertainca. Members of the club look forward t» this occasion expecting to make the evening a very pieasant one. Rev. MacCloud, field worker of the Presbyterian church, preached Sun- day night. He was accompanied to Kelliler by his son, who is an evan- gelist and singer, and who will hoid a ten-day revival service in Kelliher. There was a good congregation Sui- day night, which it is thought will be much increased during the weei. The Lutheran Aid served supper in the school house Thursday evening, and next week the Presbyterian Ala will also use the school house for the usual Thursday night supper. The train is again = arriving on schedule time to the great' joy' of all. R. N. Holt went to Minneapous ‘Wednesday, to attend to matters ot business. He will visit the depart- ment of education to confer on school matters while in St. Paul. The - Kinney family are expected back to Kelliher this week from tie state of Washington which has been their home for the past year. Mr. Kinney ' will once more take. charge of the Crookston land sales which Mr. West “has handled \during his' ab- sence. . Charles-West has gone to Phoenix, Ariz., to take charge of a drug stoie. Mr. West is a ré,istered druggist and has lived in Phoenix several years, having. charge. of the same store to which he is now returning. The Kelliher and Blackduck boys {played a game of basketball Mon- day night. This was not a high school game, as the Kelliher high school team was disbanded for this year, after the Bemidji game was called off, because of the team break- ing the rules. ; g The senior class met Friday night at the school house and began prac- tice in earnest on the class play. The title of the play is “The Hoodoo” and will be about the best and funniest thing ever offered in Kelliher. The time set for the play is April 17, the Monday immediately atter Easter. ‘At last the freshman class is going to have a frolic. They expect to au- plicate the delightful time the senior class gave them and the high school at the senior frolic. A The Literdry society meets Friday Wien you get the 25th clay bird—after 24 birds straight .. . —any shooter will say that is a lucky strike. STRIKE, The discovery of toasted tobacco was a lucky strike for us. If you will buy; a package ‘of Lucky Strike cigarettes yourself you will see why millions now prefer the toasted flavor.® it’s Toasted #Do this today and notice the delicious toasted Burley when you try Lucky Strike. — e — e MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 6, 1922 at 2:30 p. m. a good program ha Next Tuesday report cards are due. The statements of the teachers indi- cate a number; of failures in the high school this six-weeks period. Misg Pauline Pfund entertained a number of her senior chums at her home, last Sunday, at a five o’clock dinner. The names of the guests were’as fdllows; - Misses Marie Leach, Clara Thorpe, Teddy Henjum, Hanna Henjum, ' Ethel 'Liljegren, Hazel Wagner, The evening was spent in been ' prepared- and ~ parents friends are invited .to attend the meeting. . ’ playing cards, and at 8 o'clock: Mrs and | Pfund served a deli table was decorated'in Mount:Vernon style with little hatchets ‘as cious Junch. The place cards in honor of Wnsbington’u birth- day. BELTRAMI NURSERY' Bemidji, Minn. Largest Nursery Farthest North o . Write For, Price List! F.0.B. DETROIT Our BEMIDJI, TGO Slogan 393 S0 FORDSON F.0.8, DETROIT A FORDSON ON EVERY FARM C. W. Jewett Co. '™ MINNESOTA ST —i—nm————n’ i SO OR RO ~——SECON espect. found here. and wiil be appreciated. D STREET- W. H. 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