The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-12-24
CHAPTER XVI.

miss Hastings must have been mis-
taken, he said. my father made no
such remark to me, and'-
The young man hesitated and stared
into the face of the detective.
"Miss Hastings has duly sworn to
that fact, said Hendricks "Mr. Ben
ton had but two ohildren-you and
your sister. If you are not guilty, sus-
picion may fall on her..
The color ran into Ralph's face. He
clasped his hands together, and his
handouts ratified.
"Rotp' he exclaimed. Neither of us
Is guilty. Hendricks, you are on the
point of making an ass of yourself-a
loud, braying, conspicuous ass. You
have not made many mistakes during
your career, but you have made one in
me, and when have told you all you
will admit it. would have come to
this at once, but to be frank did not.
think it would be necessary or that
what l was trying to keep concealed
was anybody's business except my
own.''
Ralph paused for breath, for he had
been speaking rapidly. He glanced sus-
piciously at Lampkin and Kola.
"These gentlemen are your confiden-
tial friends?' he added.
"They are," responded Hendricks
"You need not fear them. They can be
trusted''
Ralph's face had become serious. The
bantering quality had left his tone.
lit is a humiliating thing to have to
knuckle to you, Hendricks, but there
seems no other way. You can become
unpleasant if I don't show my hand.
You are going to have big surprise.
You are going to find that you are
away of the track. l did not want to
tell al 1 know about my fathers death.
Twas afraid if I did it would be impos-
sible to keep certain fact connected
with it secret. 1 have sweC theart,
Hendricks, and I don't fancy having
, her name brought into the papers as my
fiancee while am under suspicion, nor
do particularly relish being arrested
for the murder of my own father. So
here goes:
"On the night he met his death I
was coming home from the city at
about ten minutes past o'clock. was
just turning the corner of the fourth
street from our house, ON the way from
the station, when heard a report of a
revolver and saw a red flash in the di-
rection of the north walk in our gar
den. You know there are few houses in
that vicinity, and 1 had a clear view
across the vacant lots.
Clearing that something had gone
II onto or
the side gate because it was the shorter
way to the north walk. 1 crossed the
grass and came upon my father lying
exactly as you saw him OH the morning
Of the inquest. The revolver you found
in the shrubbery was by his side.
81 had no sooner seen him than !
knew he had committed suicide. 1 had
heard him threaten to do it often and
knew that he had at last given way to
what seems family failing. My ia
theirs father took his own life, and sc
did one of my fathers brothers"
Ralph Benton studied the faces
around him.
"You are all surprised, he went on.
1T knew you would be. In bending
over my father to see if life were ex.
tinct 1 noticed an envelope pinned tc
the underside of the lapel of his coat
tore it off, struck match and hastily
read the contents of the envelope. il
was short statement to the effect thai
nothing had lately gone to suit him
that he had quarreled with Mr.. Allen
that his own children did not love hin
and wanted him out of the way to ge
his money. He said he was obeying al
uncomfortable impulse to end his lift
by his own hand, that he believed th'
inclination was hereditary and that III
had not been free from it one momen
since his brother had killed himself il
Harlem five years ago. He ended by ,
few words to his sister, my Aun
Martha. He told her that he knew sh'
had been contemplating suicide for TIN
same reasons that had actuated hin
and begged her to hold ON as long a
she could, but that she need not coun
on ever defeating the will OF Provi
dence, which had deoreed that ever.
one bearing the name of Benton shoul'
die by his own hand. My father wa
really not in his right mind"
A white, desperate expression ha'
captured Ralph's face. He drew dee
breath and then continued:
81 don't know what the law is Of
this point, Hendricks, but deliberate
ly took it into my own hands. 1t oc
Cured to me that no one else ha,
heard the report of the revolver an
that was the only one who knew Q
the accident Like a fash it came owe
me that could do good deed in Gov
ering up the fact that my father ha
killed himself. My sister and 1 hav
read several books by certain philosc
pher who claims that hereditary DC
liefs, such as my father possessed, ca
be overcome with reason and constal
habit of banishing all morbid thoughts
believe you teach something OF tha
kind, DIR. Lampkin, in your practice,
said Ralph, directing his words to tn
doctor. II think have seen somethin
of it in the papers.