The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-09-05


the department, Who took down a des-
cription of Mabel and obligingly promis-
ed that inquiries should be instituted
that night in all the hospitals and
police stations, so that the afflicted hus-
band might at least have tidings of some
sort on the morrow.
But neither on the morrow nor on the
day following that could any lntelli-
gence be obtained of Mable Bennion.
Her servants were greatly agitated, but
in answering the crOss-questiOns ofth1 II
master and of detectives, they all agreed
that nothing was noticeable in their
mistress appearance the last time they
saw her. Henry Bennion had now put
aside all professional work. and spent
all his time in driving about to police
stations and hospitals. When at home
he employed himself in examining all
Mable's drawers, her dresses, desks, and
papers to see If happily some clue to
the woful mystery might lie discovered.
But he found nothing at all-not sim
gle line of q compromising character
nothing to shake the melancholy belief
at which he had arrived that his Wife's
disappearance could only be accounted
for by her death.
AS last resource, Just a week after his
loss, Henry Bennion caused this adver-
tisement 20 - inserted in the papers:
NTYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED-From
inst, a married lady, aged ii. Slight in fig-
ure, waVy chestnut hair. Llue eyes, small
mouth. with very pretty teeth. Was dressed
ing dress, q seal akin jacket, and q hat with =
red feather. AinOa marked II. B. A reward
81 3ns % SS1 .o BE E Rsd for in
cry Of her rsnsins II she be dead Apply to
Scotland Yar1.
By this time Mrs. BenniOn's disap-
pearance had been reported editorially in
all the papers, and had become the talk
of the kingdom. 1t had been converted
into a sensation affair, insomuch that
some of the daily journals printed two
or three columns full of letters every
morning from correspondents who had
explanations to suggest-mOst of them
opining that the missing lady must have
been decoyed into some thieves den, and
there murdered. Henry Bennion him
self received heaps of communications
from persons who had seen ladies an
swering to the description of his wife,
and he was summoned a dozen times to
identify dead bodies that had been found
in the river. At the end of a month he
put on mourning, feeling convinced that
he was a widower. Among all his ac-
quaintances there was but one person
who did not believe Mabel to be dead,
and that was her sister, Julia Kurthew.
Lying on the sofa, in her languid way,
with novels in her lap, this girl, who
would have been pretty but for hard
look and trick of sneering, took no part
in the discussions that were held IN her
presence as to Mabel's probable fate, but
she occasionally shook her head and
smiled as if incredulOus. When Hen
ry Bennion had seen her do this several
times, he one day lost patience and
turned on her abruptly:
"JulIa, you don't seem to agree with
us about your sisters DEATH" he SAID,
looking hard at her. "Can you say any
thing to enlighten mss"
mo; | don't believe she is dead" an
swered Julia, colOring.
Then do you imagine she has left me
purposely? What could make her wish
to bring this sorrow on usr'
II don't believe Mabel was happy with
you," replied Julia, coldly.
II.
Time assuages grief, for men must
work, and no tribulatlOn falling upon
man who is not of weak nature will
PROSTATE him for long. Henry Bennion
left his home in Russell Square because
its memories were too bitter; but he |
went to live in his chambers and rallied
to his work at the bar. His practice lay |
in the criminal courts, and the habit he |
acquired of working very hard to drive
sorrow away began to earn him eXcep-
tional renown in his profession. He
had always been a successful pleader: |
but his trouble seemed to have a refining
effect upon him, so that instead of being
a jocular, often clustering, advocate, who |
made no scruple to rant or to bully wit |
neSSeS, he became remarkable for his |
gravity and quiet responsiveness. He |
was one OF those lawyers who are said |
to 'have the ear'' of juries and Judges,
and 1t was predicted that he would him.
self be in due time elevated to the bench. |
So it came to pass that about four |
years after his bereavement Henry Ben
MON, going on the home circuit, was re-
tanned to defend man accused of acct
dental manslaughter. There was moth
ing peculiar In the case at its outset, but
in the course of the trial the prosecution
procured information tending to show
that the prisoner was desperate Grim
inal who had been convicted of uttering
forged notes two years previously, but
had escaped from prison, and these facts
had q direct bearing on the charge of
for If proved they would
that the prisoner had long
known the man whom he had killed,
and that, far from Staying him by acct
dent, he had executed deeply-planned
murder. Henry Benn;on, whose client
had been out on bail before the trial, had
reckOned on an easy acquittal, and of
course he did his utmost to rebut the
theory which the prosecution had sud-