The Delta independent., 1898-04-15
|1H> - - - 81
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WALK k~~~iiARBEN
LNSTERN~~~
AUrf3o& OF
'Trf IAsS of Ide Ss:$SsSon1Hso- So":
"A SS4s oSfs SSoE: ETC. y
coPys'.-r 1877. ., S',I ~ HAsssA

COS, s,S.r .sS7, 3, Si,I y szssss.
"On tho night he met his death I
wss 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 u report Of .
revolver and saw II red fash in the di-
section Of the north walk in our gar
den. You know there are few houses in
that vicinity. and l had q clear view
aeron the vacant lots
"Fearing that something had gone
wrong. hnsteued home. ! entered at
ths side gate because it was the shorter
way 70 the north walk. crossed the
ersss and came upon my father lying
exactly rs you saw him OIL the morning
Of the inquest. The revolver you found
In the shrubbery was BY his side.
II had no sooner seen him than l
knew he bad committed suicide. had
beard him threaten to do it often and
knew that lie had at last given why to
what seems = fumily failing. My fa-
sher's father took his own life. and SO
did one Of my fathers brotheraL
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 IL life were e1-
Sipcs noticed IN envelope pinned to
the undefside Of the lapel Of his coat
tore is Oh. struck = match and hastily
read the contents Of the envelope. II
wss . short statement 10 the effect that
noshipg had lately gone TO suit hin:
shst he had quarreled with Mr.. Allen;
that his own children did not love him
and wanted him out Of the way to set
his mopey. He snid he was obeying an
upcousrollable impulse to end his life
By his own hand. that he believed the
ipclination was hereditary uud that hs
hsd not been free from IL one moment
since his brother had killed himself in
Harlem i've years ago He ended BY
few words to his sister, my Aunt
Martha He told her that he knew she
had been contemplating suicide for the
same reasons that had actuated him
and begged hef to hold on - long -
shs could. bot that she need not count
on ever defeating the will Of Provi-
aspce, which had decreed that every
one bearing the name Of Benton should
Ais By his own hand. My father wss
really not In his right mind.
4 white. desperate expression had
sapssrsd Ralph's face He drew . deep
bssash aud then continued:
II don's know what the law 10 on
thie point, Hsudricks. bot dslibssats-
y took is into my own banda IL 90
e0sseA 70 NE thas NO one else bad
haasd The report of the ssvolvsr aud
6has ! was the only one who knew Of
ths accident Like Fash is came ovss
ne that could do good deed In GOV.
sftng up the fact that my father bsd
killed himself. Ny sister and ! have
ssad several books by certain phiioso-
phss who claims thas hereditary ~
lisfa. such - my father possessed. can
b overcome with reason aud . constant
habit Of banishing all morbid thoughta
] belisve you teach something OF that
kind. Dr. Lampkin. in your practices.
ssid Ralph. directing his words to the
doctor. II think have seen something
of Il In the papera
LAmpkin nodded.
"You and your sister were certainly
doing the correct thing" he answered
''ls secsns to me-
"Go ahead with your story" inter
supsed Hendricks, a little look Of dis
pleasure in his eyes.
"You can guess the rest, said the
young man. Il remembered my aunt's
peculiar tendency and was sure she
would take her life. in spite Of all We
could do, IL she discovered the manner
Il my fathers death sud his insane
Dsssaee to her. noticed that my feet
wess making impressions in tho sand
and 3uss then saw the swing. did. OF
course, . thoughtlesa thing when l toss
cd into the grass the revolver my ia
ther had used, but it really did not oc-
cur to me at the moment Il was fright
fully agitated) that it would throw sus-
picion on any one in our house. did
not think Of that till l was safe in my
room, having reached it In the exact
Dsnpes you described. That's my story.
did not want to tell II, bus IL seems to
- that had to do IL or so TO prison.
Hepdricks' face held an expression Of
vast ipcFedulity. For . moment he sss
silently looking ss the floor
II thought yoa were going to confess
someshipe really incriminatinp, in .
lssssr degree than murder. however.
be sid. II presume is did not occur to
yoa that In covering up what you
claim wss suicide you were fraudu-
lsnsly making certain life insurance
co0panies liable to you aud your sister
fos over 600. 700. which. owing to GER
tain clauses in the policies, would not
b collocsible except In case ot death In
IN ordinary manner.
II never dreamed Of such Q thipgw
gaspsd Ralph. II knew nothing of ths
policies o. the clausea."
.sl nnlx u,enfioued il of couxae .