The Delta independent., 1898-02-11
CHAPTER I.

Miss Hastings walked with a start.
She found herself trembling. She had
an idea that some unusual sound had
reused her. She sat up in bed to listen.
Then she heard voice. 1t was old Mr..
Benton in his room adjoining hers. He
was speaking in loud, angry tone.
Miss Hastings rose, thrust her feet
into slippers and put on wrapper.
She was vaguely frightened and yet
hardly knew why she should he so. She
turned up the gas, which had been
burning low. and approached the parti-
tion between her room ard the old
mans. Now she could hear more dis
tiDctly. Mr., Benton seemed to be an
grily upbraIdIug some one. Miss Has
tings opened the door leading into the
corridor, and the voice of the old man
became more distinct
"You are no child of mine from this
day forthr' she heard him cry. II shall
disown you tomorrow Get out Of my
sightl To think that YOU
The door of Mr. Benton's room was
suddenly slammed, and Miss Hastings
shrank from the crack through which
she had been peering. Then she heard
footsteps pass her door and descend the
front stairs.
Miss Hastings sat down at Ter table,
took up book and tried to read, but
found herself turning page after page
without recalling o word she had read.
She could hear the heavy tread of the
old man as he walked to and fro in his
room. What had happened? What was
about TO happen? What had been going
on all that week between her friend
Alice Benton and her father? The old
man had treated Arthur Montcastle. q
guest like herself. very rudely and had
since been taking his meals in his own
room to avoid meeting him. Besides
this he had quarreled constantly with
Alice and his son Ralph about trif1es
ever since Miss Hastings arrived, week
before 1t had made her feel very uncom-
Portable, and she would have gone home
but for her sympathy for Alice and the
fact that Ralph had asked her to remain
longer.
Old Benton's walk had ended. Miss
Hastings hoped he had gone to bed. but
Just a. she was about to undress herself
ahe heard his step and the rattling Of
his doorknoh He was leaving his
room. Miss Hastings again peered cau-
ttously into the corridoe. She saw the
old man, dressed - be had been all
day. 60 into the laboratory which ad-
Joined his room on the other side. Look
ing out on the lawn below. she saw .
bright light streaming from the win
dow Of the laboratory and knew that
he had lighted the powerful electric
lamp which hung in the center Of tho
room. Now and then she saw his gigan-
tic shadow on the lawn a. be moved
about What could he be doing there at
such late hour7 She looked at her
watch. It had run down and stopped at
IL. but she thought it was at least two
hours later than that. Suddenly the
light left the lawn. Then she heard Mr..
Benton close the door Of the laboratory
and descend the back stairs leading to
the garden.
Nin Hastings decided to go to bed.
She was angry with herself for being
20 unfeasonably nervous. She had un-
buttoned her wrapper when
''Cracki''
Il was . loud. clear report like that
of . revolver.
Niss Hastings blood ran cold. She
conquered an impulse to scream, delib-
Grated q moment as she stood Quivering
in the center Of the room, then jerked
The old fashioned bell pull One min
ote. two. three. ten minutes passed
No one came 70 answer her ring, and
there was nothing to indicate that the
report had reused any one else in the
house
Miss Hastings did not want to run
a. - - l., - :.
lous in the eyes Of the rest of the house
party, 20 she began to try to persuade
herself that the report was made by
some explosive with which old Benton
was experimenting. What could be
more natural. since he was given to
such things and had just left his lab
oratoryr She sat down and tried to
calm herself by using her will power.
Half an hour passed 1t expanded
slowly into an hour, and yet Mr.. Ben
ton had not returned to his room. Miss
Haaeings' fears were now increased ten
fold. She was sure she had done wrong
in not rousing the house at first. She
drew the silken bellcord to the floor
several simea Then. getting no re-
spuose, she decided to wake some one.
Mr.. Seanwood, q guest Of the houss,
roomed scsoss the corridor. She went
TO his door and raped.
She knew he was sleeping soundly,
for IL was several minutes before she
beard him rise He opened the door
slightly.
"Wbo In it?'' he asked
ITS /, Mr.. Stanwood-Miss Has-
sinss," she explained apologetically.
III heard . loud report in the garden
shout an hour ago 1t sounded like .
ssvoIver, and ~ Mr.. Renton-Mr Jacob
Benso0-went out about that time and
Aas not returned I was afraid something
might have happened 70 him. some
baRglae o.