lan first had
looked at, "are in the box at the vault with the executed forms of
their transfer to me. If Mr. Corvet does not return, and I do not
receive any other instructions, I shall take over his estate as he has
instructed for your advantage."

"And, Mr. Sherrill, he didn't tell you why? This is all you know?"

"Yes; you have everything now. The fact that he did not give his
reasons for this, either to you or me, made me think at first that he
might have made his plan known to some one else, and that he had been
opposed--to the extent even of violence done upon him--to prevent his
carrying it out. But the more I have considered this, the less likely
it has seemed to me. Whatever had happened to Corvet that had so much
disturbed and excited him lately, seems rather to have precipitated his
plan than deterred him in it. He may have determined after he had
written this that his actions and the plain indication of his
relationship to you, gave all the explanation he wanted to make. 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 inquiries, 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.

"I went over all this with Mr. Spearman this morning," he said. "He is
as much at a loss to explain it as I am."

He was silent for a few moments.

"The transfer of Mr. Corvet's properties to me for you," he said
suddenly, "includes, as you have seen, Corvet's interest in the firm of
'Corvet, Sherrill and Spearman.' I went very carefully through the
deeds and transfers in the deposit box, and it was plain that, while he
had taken great care with the forms of transfer for all the properties,
he had taken particular pains with whatever related to his holdings in
this company and to his shipping interests. If I make over the
properties to you, Alan, I shall begin with those; for it seems to me
that your father was particularly anxious that you should take a
personal as well as a financial place among the men who control the
traffic of the lakes. I have told Spearman that this is my intention.
He has not been able to see it my way as yet; but he may change his
views, I think, after meeting you."

Sherrill got up. Alan arose a little