The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-04

N8%AssS@~eSS@l $1,000
b9en showin it much, because Mr..
Ralph 10 a pretty wild younsstsT. II
looks like she's afraid 10 trust herself
to i'm. Mr. Ralph IL always In debt an
has given master lot of trouble in one
way or other. You sac, nir. Miss Alice
an her was in college together, an Miss
Alice told her oil about MI. Ralph be-
fore she met i'm, an Miss Hastings was
prepared to meet . pretty rapid fellow.
She's gone ON i'm, though. as I've told
Mr. Ralph more'n once. She can't hide
it. She pretends to be interested in
what the others are sayin or doin of
evenin's. but If Mr.. Ralph misses his
train an can't get home on time she
gets so restless she can't sit still"
Hendricks deliberately changed the
subject
"Has Miss Alice had entire charge Of
the household affairsp'.. he asked.
"Only since her aunt went away,
sir, returned Jarnagin.
"Her aunt? Who's she?" asked Hen
bricks.
Miss Martha Benton, masters old
maid sister," explained the coachman.
"They sent her off two weeks ago to a
mind doctor in Philadelphia She's
there now takin his medicine.
"What allied herr" asked the detect
i've,
"She had q mighty morbid disposi-
ton, sir She's always sayin she didn't
want to live an the like Mary told me
they had hard time not long ago to
keep her from KILN herself. She
boughta bottle Of poison an had it ready
to take when Miss Alice caught on to
it. all her an Mr.. Ralph talked the old
lady out Of it. Them two think the
world an all of her. With all her cranky
notions she has been mother to EN-
since mistress died."
Hendricks parted his beard and slow
ly scratched his chin.
do you think, Jarnagin," he said,
that your masters irritahility could
have been due to any physical disease,
any mental troubls?"
II believe he had softenin Of the
brain, SIR" said Jarnagin, looking
guiltily toward the door, az if from the
consciousness that he was betraying the
hiding place Of family skeleton. "A
New York doctor was to see i'm once,
an one Of the maids overheard i'm say
that il master didn't stop losin sleep
on worryin it would kill i'm. That was
three years ago. Master give up work
an went to Europe. He come back look
in better, but it wasn't month before
he WAS pacin up an down the north
walk again at all hours Of the night an
eternally tinkerin away in his labora-
tory"
''He has not had medical advice since
he came back from abroad?" asked the
detective.
81 think not, sir. Miss Alice has been
tryin to persuade i'm to do it, but he's
been 80 irritable an full Of fancies'-
"Fsnciesp" interrupted Hendricks.
eyes, SIR" said the coachman. "He
thought all of us, even his own chill
dren, was piottin to ruin an kill 'im."
''Have yeu ever heard him say any
thing Oh that liner" asked Hendricks
caralessly knocking the ashes from his
cigar and locking to see if it were
burning.
II heard i'm aocuse Mr.. Ralph an
Miss Alice the other day Of wansin to
get i'm ous Of the way 10 they eoald
handle his money an the income on his
inventions
"What did they say to that?" asked
the detective, scratching a match and
holding it to his extinguished cigar.
"It made 'em awfully mad. Mr..
Ralph swore at lin, an Miss Alice went
to her room cryin."
Hendricks stood up and yawned lazi-
IT, Lilo put his band into his pocket and
took out a 90 bill and gave it to Jarna-
gin.
Here's something for you, my good
man, but mind you don't say anything
about this conversation. 1t would offend
the family. you know"
Jarnag;n eyes sparkled. II know
nay place, sir. You needn't be afraid.
Bssidas they'd discharge me if they
knew l told you anything"
Hendricks went to the door and look
ed out
II see my friend DR.. Lampkin COM
ing across the lawn. Send him to me
here"