Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-01-20

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(Which ,ras his roomf" asked Hendricks.
quarrelin with everybody-Mr. Ralph
an Miss Alice an Mr.. Montcastle. He
couldn't bear that man in his sight,
SIR"
"Was it because his daughter seemed
TO prefer Montcastle?" asked the detect
i've.
II suppose so. Sir. Anyway she likes
him, an he Is after her if ever man
was after a woman. They met each
other at Newport last summer an have
been correspondent ever since Mr..
Ralph invited i'm to the house party.
His sister got i'm to do it. Master
raised awful row when he heard what
the young folks was up to, but it was
too late to stop it. Miss Hastings had
already started, an Mr. Montcastle was
some place where Miss Alice couldn't
reach i'm"
"How long have you been in the
family, Jarnagin?"
"More'n 20 years, sir.
Hendricks doubled his beard over his
fingers and put the end between his
teeth. Lampkin had seen him do it
when he was in deep thought Sudden
ly he pulled himself together,
II presume Mr. Ralph and this Bos-
ton girl like each other?" he said.
1T looks very much like it, SIR"
said the coachman, though she hasn't
been shown it much, because Mr..
Ralph is a pretty wild youngster. 1t
looks like she's afraid to trust herself
to i'm. Mr. Ralph is always in debt all
has given master lot of trouble in one
way or other You see, sir, Miss Alice
an her was in college together, an Miss
Alice told her all about Mr. 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 II once. She can't hide
it She pretends to be interested in
what the others are sayin or doin CT
evenin s, but if Mr. Ralph misses his
train an cant 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 affairs?' 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 her?" asked the detect
i've.
she had mighty morbid DISPOSE
tion, 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
bought bottle of poison an had it ready
to take when Miss Alice caught on to
1t, all her an Mr. Ralph talked the old
world an all of her. With all her cranky
notions she has been mother to 'em
since mistress died"
Hendricks parted his beard and slow
ly scratched his chin.
"Do you think, Jarnagin, he said,
that your masters irritability could
have been due to any physical disease,
any mental trouble?"
II believe he had softenin of the
brain, SIR" said Jarnagin, looking
guiltily toward the door, as II from the
consciousness that he was betraying the
hiding place Of a family skeleton. IA
New York doctor was to see i'm once,
an one of the maids overheard i'm say
that If master didn't stop losin sleep
an 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.
II think not. sir. Miss Alice has been
tryin to persuade i'm to do it, but he's
been so irritable an full Of fancies"-
"Fancies?' interrupted Hendricks.
Eyes, sir" said the coachman. "He
thought all Of us, even his own chill
dren, was plottin to ruin an kill i'm"
Have You ever heard him say any
thing on that line?" asked Hendricks,
carelessly knocking the ashes from his
cigar and looking to see if it Were
burning.
II heard i'm accuse Mr. Ralph an
Miss Alice the other day Of wantin to
get i'm out of the way SO they could
handle his money an the income on his
inventions.
What did they say to that@' asked
the detective. scratching a match and