St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-08-09

They looked In the closet whore my
green silk dress hung, and pushed it
aside, to be sure nobody was cOarealed
behind it, but they did not notice any
thing wrong about II. 1t was dark in the
closet, and besides. they did not look for
anything like that until later
All these peoplc-the deputy sheriff.
md afterwards the high sheriff and other
Out-of-town officers for whom they had
telcgrnphell, and the neighbors-all hunt
ed their own suspicion, and that was
Rufus Bennett All believed that he had
come back and killed my father. They
fitted all the facts TO that belief They
made him do the deed with II long, slen-
der screwdriver which he had recently
borrowed from one Of the neighbors and
had not returned. They made his finger
marks, which were still on my fathers
throat fit the red prints on the sitting
room door. They made sure that he had
returned and stolen into the house by the
east shed door, while father and sat on
the doOrsteps the evening before that
he had hidden himself away, perhaps in
that very closet where my dress hung,
and afterwards stolen out and killed my
father and then escaped.
They were not shaken when told them
that every door was bolted and barred
'hat morning. They themselves found all
The windows fastened down. except few
which were open on account of the heat,
and even these last were raised only the
width of sash, and fastened with
sticks, 50 that they could be raised no
higher. Father was very cautious about
fastening the house, for he some
times had considerable sums Of money
by him. The officers saw all these diff
Rulties in the way, but they fitted them
somehow to their theory, and two deputy
sherilfs were at once sent to apprehend
Rufus.
They had not begun to suspect me
then and not the slightest watch was
kept on my movements The neighbors
were very kind, and did everything to
help me, relieving me altogether of all
those last oilices-ln this case much sad
der than usual.
An inquest was held, and | told freely
oil knew, except about the blood stains
on my dress hardly knew why kept
that back. had no feeling then that
might have done the deed myself, and |
gould not bear to convict myself, if | was
Innocent.
Two of the neighbors, Mrs Holmes and
Mrs. Adams, remained with me all that
day. Toward evening when there were
very few in the house they went into the
parlor to put it in order for the funeral,
and | sat down alone in the kitchen. AS
j sat there by the window | thought Of
my green silk dress, and wondered if the
stains were out. | went TO the closet and
brought the dress out to the light The
spots and streaks had almost dsappca red.
| took the dress out in the shed and
scraped off the flour paste, which was
quite dry; | swept up the paste, burned
1t in the stove took the dress upstairs
to my own closet, and hung it in its old
place Neighbors remained with me all
night.
AT o'clock in the afternoon of the next
! day, which was Thursday, | went over to
Phoebe Dole's to see about a black dress
to wear to the funeral. The neighbors
had urged me to have my black silk dress
altered little and trimmed with Grape.
When she saw me she gave a little scream
and began to cry, She looked as if she
had already been weeping for hours. Hel
blue eyes were bloodshot.
"phoebe's gone @%er to-Mrs. Whit
ney's tory on her dress" she sobbed.
Il want to get my black silk dress
fixed little said |.
Shell be home-pretty soon" sale
Maria.
laid my dress on the sofa and sa
down. Nobody ever consults Maria abou
dress. She sews well, but Phoebe doe
all the planning
Maria Woods continued to sob like {
child, holding her little soaked handker
chief over her face Her shoulders heay
ed. As for me felt like a stone; coulC
not weep.
"Oh," she gasped out finally, 81 knew
| knew! | told Phoebe-l knew just how
it would be, l-knewv'
reused myself at that. What d.
you mean?'' said |.
when Phoebe came home Tuesda.
night and said she heard your father anC
Rufus Bennett having words, | knew
how it would be-" she choked out. :"
knew he had dreadful temper"
Did Phoebe Dole know Tuesday nigh
that father and Rufus Bennett hat
words?" said |,
"Yes," said Maria Woods.
"How did she know"
"She was going through your yard, tn
short cut to Mrs. Ormsby's, to carry he
brown alpaca dress home. She cam
right home and told me; and she over
heard them"
"Have you spoken of 1t to anybody bu
me?" said |.
Maria said she didn't know; she nigh
have done So Then she remembere
hearing Phoebe herself speak of it to Hal
riet Sargent when she came in to IT,
Oh her dress. 1t was easy to see hoy
people knew about it.
| did not say any more, but | though
it was strange that Phoebe Dole ha
asked me if father had had words wit
anybody when she knew it all the time.
Phoebe came in before long. tried o.
my dress, and she made her plan abou
the alterations and the trimming,
made no suggestions. | did not car
how it was done, but if | had cared
would have made no difference. Phoeb
always does things her own way. A
the women in this village are in mar
ner under Phoebe Dole's thumb. Thei
garments are visible proofs of her fore
of will.
While she was taking up my black sill
on the shoulder seams, Phoebe Dole sale
"Let me see-you had green silk dres
made at Digby three summers ago, didn