Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-24
HE WAS INSURED.

Two of my most devoted helpers were
Mr.. and Mrs. Roster The husband APP
peared to be in delicate health and had
insured his life.
About O'Clock one morning my servant
awoke me-
"Please, sir, DR.. Woodrey is below, and
he says can he SEQ you very particular9'
Woodrcy was very grave, and l saw at
glance something was wrong. "What
is it?' 1 asked
II want you to como and see Mrs. Kos
ter She is a widow, Adamson."
"Imposslble!" exclaimed.
81 have just left tho house." he said
81 was summoned about an hour ago. AS
we went along the girl told me her story.
Masters took like death itself, sir
heard missus scream, aDd 1 jumped up,
thinking burglars had broken in. Then
missus screamed again, ooh, RUDOLPH
and l ran down stairs and saw missus
standing over master, who looked like
death, and then l came running for yOr,
sir
81 should say he had been dead quite 60
minutes when got there. AS / could do
nothing, l came for you"
"What is tho cause OF death?"
Heart disease, though did not think
tho other day thas it was likely to prove
fatal. We must spare Mrs. Roster the
worry Of an inquest"
went ut once to sec Mrs Roster and
found her lying numb and helpless, pic
ture of desolation and despair and moth
ing could say seemed to comfort her.
She had no relatives in England Her
to, L.,
husband had always expressed wish TO
be buried in Stuttgart, his native town,
and she meant to carry out his wishes.
At her request wrote to the insurance
office for her, giving them all necessary
particulars, and tho following day an Off
cial named Welland came down. The next
day he telegraphed to me privately that
the check would be sent from the office
that night.
A few days later she wrote from Stuff
CART to tell mo she had arrived safely and
thanking me for my kindness. Two let
tiers passed between us after that, and then
l heard no moro of her, and three years
later l left Weymouth for living in one
of the poorer quarters of Manchester.
One November day was passing down
. Oldham street, when had great shock.
There was q thick yellow fog, and could
only sec yard or so around me. Sudden
ly man passed. and in the gloom had
but moments glimpse of him.
stopped dead, completely unnerved, for
the long face, tho blue eyes and STOPPING
shoulders were those of my dead parish
Toner, Mr.. Roster.
After some cogitation l resolved to visit
my clerical brethren in the city, taking
with me photos of Mr.. and Mrs. Kcster,
to inquire if they had such u couple among
their parishioners. For four days all in
quiries were fruitless, but on the fifth my
efforts were rewarded. 1 called on the
vicar of st. Mary's parish, the Rev. James
Lasher, whom had met several times.
II have called to see," 1 said, ''if you
recognize this as the photo of one of your
parishioners, handing him Roster photo.
Certainly do. Why, it is Mr.. Mel
lory What
"There is dcc9 mystery, " said. "WTli
you tell me what you know of thcm"
~ cannot tell you much. McllOry came
to the town last autumn with his wife and
settled in the parish. They are Of independ-
ent means, and Mellory is rather deli
cate"
"And has Mr.. Mellory insured his life?"
eyes" said Mr.. Lasher, rather surprised
at my question. "He insured only fort
night ago. He was avorse to the step, but
Mrs. Mellory got mo to use my influence
with him, and after some demur he yield
ed But how do you know all thisP Has
he been to you about it?'
~ will not answer for a moment"
said, "but l will prophecy In a few
weeks time when you are visiting them
Mrs. Mellory will tell you that her hus-
band is unwell, and she is worried because
he refuses to see doctor, and she will ask
you to reason with him. After the doctor
has attended him for week or two you
will be sent for. Mr.. Mcllory has died
suddenly in the night, and the widow is
Frustrated AS Mr. Mellory's friends live
in Germany the widow will take the corpse
there, and you will part from her with re-
greet"
1t was two months after my first visit to
Lasher that heard that Mellory was i'll.
The same procedure had been gone through
with as with me. Lasher had used his per-
suasive powers on the patient and had rec
commended DIR. Symons.
III. IOyluOlS uJIGnuCu Hllll JnTtt McChS,
and then Mellory died again. Lashcr sent
a motto begging me to call upon him at
once
Hes dead this morning" he said when
I had joined him. "Dead Not simulated
death, for saw him."
That evening we went to the doctor and
together told him what we knew.
81 think, gentlemen, you are under
delusion. 1 saw the corpse this morning,
and there is no doubt whatever"
"Pray hear me-" said. II made the
same mistake. A brother practitioner OF
yours granted death certificate, and here
is the man dead again. If may suggest,
doctor, should say go to the widow and
tell her that you must make post mortem
and wait for developments.
In au hour they returned with grave
and troubled faces. "There has been a
violent scene" said Lasher, land she alb
solutely refuses to allow anything Of the
kind What are we to do?"
"You can withhold your certificate"
said to the doctor, land then an inquest
will be necessary"
They asked me to accompany them to
the house to see if my presence would pre-
cipitate matters.
~ consent on one condition., said
(which is that we take police inspector
with u.s."
Yes, it was Mrs. Roster; saw that at
a glance. was in the background, and
she did NOT see me Mt first