The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-14
The North Walk Mystery
By WILL n. HARDEN.
copyright. 1897. by viii N. Harben.l
.hey are. /" respo,jnded Hendr,cKa,

seems no other way. You can become
unpleasant II r-don't show my hand.
You are going tohave big surprise.
You are going to find that you are
away off, the track. l did not want to
tell all know nbout my fathers death.
l was afraid If did it would be impos-
| sible to keep certain fact connected
with ii secret. have a sweetheart,
Hendricks, and I don't fancy having
her name brought into the papers as my
fianoee while am under suspicion, nor
do particularly relish being arrested
for the murder Of my own father. So
here goss:
"On the night he met his death
was coming home from the city at
about ten minutes past o'clock. l was
i just turning the corner Of the fourth
street from our house, on the way from
the station, when heard report Of q
revolver and saw red flash in the d.
rection Of the north walk in our gar
den. You know there are few houses in
that vicinity, and l had clear view
| across the vacant lots.
Fearing that something had gone
! wrong, hastened home. entered at
the side gate because it was the shorter
way to the north walk. I crossed the
grass and came upon my father lying
exactly as you saw him on the morning
Of the inquest. The revolver YIN found
IN the shrubbery was by his side.
II had no sooner seen Him than I
knew be had committed suicide. l had
heard him threaten to do ii often and
knew that he had at last given way to
what seems family failing. My ia
Tiers father took his own life, and SO
did one Of my fathers brothers.
Ralph Benton studied the faces
around him.
"You are all surprised" he went on.
II knew you would be. In bending
over my father to see If life were ex-
tinct noticed an envelope pinned to
the undefsde Of the lapel of his coat. l
tore it off, struck q match and hastily
read the contents OF the envelope. 1t
was a short statement to the effect that
nothing had lately gone to suit him;
that he had quarreled with Mr.. Allen;
that his own children did net love him
and wanted him ont Of the way 10 get
his money lie said he was obeying an
uncomfortable impulse to end his life
ty his own hard. that he believed the
inclination was hereditary and that he
Ind net teen free from it oIo moment
Since his brother had killed himself in
Harlem five years ago. He ended by
few words to his sister, my Aunt
Martha He told her that no I;new she
lad teen contemplating suicide ter tho
saIne reasons that lad actuatcd him
ard begged her to hold Oh as long as
she could. but that she need not count
cn ever defeating the will OF Ployi-
deuce. which had decreed that every
Gle Eea,ing the name OF Benton should
die ly his own hand. My father was
really not in his right mind"
A white, desperate expression had
captured Ralph face He drew deep
breath and then continued:
II don't know what the law IL on
this point, Hendricks, int ! deliberate
ly took 1t into my own hands, 1t oo-
cured to NE that no enc else had
heard the report of the revolver and
TINT was the only one who knew Of
the accident. Like flash it came over
me that could do coed deed in COW
eriDg up the fact that NY father hud
killed himself My sister and have
read seyrra. books by certain philoso-
rher who claims that hereditary be-
licfs, such az my father possessed, Can
be ove:come with reason ard constant
habit Of banishing ail morbid thoughts
believe you teach some thing If that
kind, Dr. Lampkin, in your practice.
said Ralph, directing his words to tho
doctor. II think have seen something
Of it in the papers.
Laulrkin nodded. .
You and your sister were certainly
doing the correct thing" be answered.
ut seems TO me-
go aht I'D with your stCry," inter-
rrItcd hendricks, iltlle look Of DIS
pleasure in his eyes
lyon can guess the rest, said the
young man Il remembered my aunt's
peculiar tendency ard was sure she
would take her life. i'll spite Of all we
could do, if she discovered the manner
of my fathers death and his insane
message to her. noticed that my feet
were making Impressions in the sand
and just then saw the swing. did, Of
course, a thoughtless thing when l toss
ed into the grass the revolver my IA
tLer had used, but 1t really did not &C.
cur 10 me at the moment Il was fright
fully agitated) that it would throw sus-
picion cn any one in our house. I did
not think Of that till was safe in my
room, having reached it in the exact
manner you described. That's my story
! did not want to tell it, but it seems to
me that had to do it or go to prison."
Hendricks face held al expression Of
vast incredulity. For moment lie sat
silently locking at the floor.
II thought you were going to confess
something really discriminating in
lesser degree than murder, however,"
he said II presume it did not occur to
you that in covering up what you
SIa!Ai Naa auiSiut Jou WeIo iaouu-
lently making certain life Insurance
companies liable to you and your sister
for over $lO0,O which, owing to GER
tain clauses in the policies, would not
be collectihle except in case Of death in
an ordinary manner -
Il never dreamed Of such thingi"
gasped Ralph. II knew nothing Of the
policies or the clauses"
II only mentioned it, of course"
said Hendricks. but it would have
been better for your case if you had put
it that way, You see, jury would re-
gard it as more plausible thau-welI,
than the reasons you have stated Such
a motive, Jast that surt Of considera-
ton fer your aunt, ia too fine, too
psychic. for the mind Of the ordinary
juryman.
Ralph's startled eyes were fixed On
the face Of the detective.
"Do you mean to say, Hendricks,
that you dc not now believe that my IA
ther killed himself?'
II do not" said Hendricks.