Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-06
(CONCLUDED)
VUopyrIgnU, Ioy0, by irving BacnellerJ
CHAPTER V.-THE EVIDENCE


POINTS TO ONE.
Monday night.-The detective came as
l expected. L was up as soon as it was
light, and he came across the dewy fields
with his cyclopaedia under his arm. lie
had stolen out of Phoebe Dole's back
door.
He had me bring my fathers pistol;
then he babe me come with him out into
the backyard. "Now, fire it," he said,
thrustng the pistol into my hands. AS
have said before, the charge was still
in the barrel.
81 shall arouse the neighborhood," l
said
Fire it," he ordered.
l tried; pulled the trigger as hard as
could.
Il can't do it," l said.
"And you are reasonably strong
woman, too, aren't you"
l said l had been considered so. Oh,
much have heard about the strength of
my poor wOman's arms, and their ability
to strike that murderous weapon home!
Mr.. Dix took the pistol himself and
drew little at the trigger. 81 could do
it," he said "but | won't. 1t would
arouse the neighborhood."
"This is more evidence against me-"
said despairingly. "The murderer had
tried to fire the pistol and failed
ut is more evidence against the muir
derer," said Mr.. Dix.
We went into the house, where he eX-
amined my box of clues long and care
fully. Looking at the ring, he asked
whether there was jeweler in this vii
lage, and | said there was not. | told
him that my father oftener went on bust
ness to Acton, ten miles away, than else
where.
He examined very carefully the button
which had found in the closet, and then
asked to see my fathers wardrobe. That
was soon done. Beside the suit in which
father was laid away, there was one
other complete one in the closet in his
room. Beside that, there were in this
closet two overcOats, an old black frock
coat, pair of pepper-Ind-salt trousers,
and two black vests. Mr.. Dix examined
all the buttons; not one was missing.
There was still another old suit in the
closet off the kitchen. This was exam,
ined, and no button found wanting.
What did your father do for work the
day before he diedE' he asked then.
reflected and said that he had unpaclled
some stores which had come down from
Vermont and done some work out in the
garden.
'What did he wearT'
81 think he wore the pepper-and-sa
trousers and the black vest. He wore nc
coat while at work"
Mr. Dix went quickly back to father.
room and his closet | following. He tool
out the gray trousers and the black vest
and examined them closely.
"What did he wear to protect theseW
he asked.
once. AS / spoke | remembered seeing
father go around the path to the yard
with those blue overalls drawn up high
under his arms.
"Where are they?"
weren't they in the kitchen closetY'
NO"
We looked again, however, in the kitch,
en- closet; we searched the shed thorough
ly. The cat came in through her little
door, as we stood there, and brushed
around our feet. Mr.. Dix stopped ant
stroked her. Then he went quickly to the
door, beside which her little entrance was
arranged, unlocked it, and stepped out
was following him, but he motioned me
back.
"None of my boarding mistress win
dows command u.s." he said. but SHE
might come to her back door"
l watched him. He passed slowly along
the little winding footpath which skirtet
the rear of our house and extended faint
ly through the grassy field to the rear OF
Phoebe Dole's. He stopped, searched 8
clump of sweetbriar, went on to an old
well, and stopped there. The well has
been dry many year, and was choked
up with stones and rubbish. Some boards
are laid over it, and big stone or two
to keep them in place.
Mr.. Dix, glancing across at Phoebe
Dole's back door, went down on hi4
knees, rolled the stones away, then re
moved the boards, and peered down the
well. He stretched far over the brink
and reached down. He made many eff.
forts; then he rot up and same to me,
and asked me to get for him an umbrel-
In with crooked handle or something
that he could hook into clothing.
l brought my own umbrella, the silver
handle of which formed an exact hook
He went back to the well, knelt again,
thrust in the umbrella and drew up, cas-
lily enough, what he had been fishing for.
Then he came bringing it to me.
Don't faint" he said, and took hold
Of my arm. gasped when | saw what