Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-03-21
CHAPTER XVII.

Suddenly he pulled himself together.
''Miss Hastings must have been mis-
taken," he said. Ny 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 children-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.
"Rotr' 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 IL
me, and when I have told you all you
will admit it. I would have come to
this at once. but to be frank I did not
think it would be necessary or that
what 1 was trying to keep concealed
was anybody's business except my
own.
Ralph paused fer breath, for he had
been speaking rapidly. He glanced sus-
piciously at Lalnpkin and Kola.
"These gentlemen are your confden-
tial friends" be added.
''They are,'' responded Hendricks.
f'You need not fear them. They can be
trusted
Ralph's face had become serious. The
bantering quality had left his tone.
t'It is 4 humiliating thing to have to
knuckle to you, Hendricks, but there
seems no other way. You can become
unpleasant # I don't show my hand
You are going 70 have big surprise.
You are going TO find that you are
away off the track. [ did not want to
tell all know about my fathers death.
l was afraid if did it would be impos-
sible to keep a certain fact connected
with it a secret. I have a sweetheart,
Hendricks, and 7 don't fancy having
her name brought into the papers as my
fancee while I am under suspicion, nor
do I particularly relish being arrested
for the murder of my own father. So
here goes:
son the night ne met his death I
was coming home from the city at
about ten minutes past l O'Clock. I was
just turning the corner of the fourth
street from our house, Oh the way from
the station, when I heard report of
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 I had a clear view
across the vacant lots.
Fearing that something had gone
wrong, fastened home. I entered at
hn y hcnonco i no oh
way to the north walk. 7 crossed the
grass and came upon my father lying
exactly as you saw him on the morning
of the inquest. The revolver you found
in the shrubbery was by his side.
q had no sooner seen him than /
knew he had committed suicide. I 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 SO
did one of my fathers brothers.
Ralph Benton studied the faces
around him.
'You are all surprised he went on
ST knew you would be. In bending
over my father to see if life were ex-
tinct I noticed an envelope pinned to
the underside of the lapel Of his coat. I
tore it off, struck a match and hastily
read the contents of the envelope. It
was a short statement to the effect that
nothing had lately gone to suit him;
that he had quarreled with Mr.. Allen;
that his own children did not love him
and wanted him out of the way to get
his money. He said he was oEeying an
uncomfortable impulse to end his life
by his own hand, that he believed the
inclination was hereditary and that he
had not been free from it che moment
since his brother had killed himself in
Harlem five years ago. He ended by
few words to his sister, my Aunt
Martha He told her that he knew she
had been conternp plating suicide for the
same reasons that had actuated him
ard begged her to hold Oh as long as
she could, bet that she need not count
on ever defeating the will of Frovi-
dence, which had decreed that every
one bearing the name of Benton should
die by his own hand. My father was
really not in his right mind. F."
A white, desperate expression had
captured Ralph's face. He drew deep
breath and then continued:
81 don't know what the law is on
this point, Hendricks, but l deliberate
Iy took it into my own. hands. 1t &C.
Cured to me that no one else had
heard the report Of the revolver and
that I was the only one who knew of
the accident. Like fash it came over
me that 1 could do good deed in COW
ering up tie fact that my father had
killed himself. My sister and l have
read several books by certain philoso-
pher who claims that hereditary be-
liefs, such as my father possessed, can
be overcome with reason and constant
Il, oil RI fh0r- ,fC