The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-17
The North Walk Mystery.
By WILL N. HARDEN.
copyright, 1897, by Will N. Harben,l
CHAPTER !.


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 be so. She
turned up the gas, which had been
burning low, and approached the parti-
ton between her room and the old
mans. Now she could hear more dis
tinctly. Mr.. Benton seemed to be an
grily upbraiding 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 FORTH" she heard him cry. II shall
disown you tomorrow! Get out OF my
sight! 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 her table,
took up book and tried 10 read, but
found herself turning page after page
without recalling 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,
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 trifies
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 = walk had ended. Miss
Hastings hoped he had gone to bed, but
just as she was about to undress herself
she heard his step and the rattling of
his doorknob. He was leaving his
room. Miss Hastings again peered eau
tiously into the corridor. She saw the
old man, dressed as he had been all
day, go into the laboratory which nd
Joined his room on the other side. Look
ing out ON the lawn below, she saw
-. Ia. ,.k h.
dow Of the laboratory and knew that
he bad lighted the powerful electric
lamp which hung in the center of the
room. Now and then she saw his gigan-
tic shadow on the lawn as he moved
about What could he be doing there at
such late hour? She looked at her
watch. 1t had run down and stopped at
4, 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.
Miss Hastings decided to 60 to bed.
She was angry with herself for being
so unreasonably nervous. She had un-
buttoned her wrapper when
Crack -
1t was loud, clear report like that
of revolver
Miss Hastings blood ran cold She
conquered an impulse TO scream, DELHI
Grated moment as she stood quivering
IN the center of the room, then jerked
the old fashioned bell pull. One min.
ute, two, three, ten minutes passed.
No one came To 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
the risk of making herself appear ridicu-
lous III the eyes of the rest of the house
party, SO 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.
oratory? She sat down and tried te
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. Mis-
Hastings fears were now increased ten
fold. She was sure she had done wron,
in not rousing the house at first. Sh
drew the siken bellcord to the foo
several times. Then, getting no re
Spouse, she decided to wake some one
Mr.. Stanwood, guest of the house
roomed across the corridor. She wen
to his door and raped.
She knew be was sleeping soundly
for it wns several minutes before sh
heard him rise. He opened the doc
slightly.
"Who is it?" he asked.
cts j, Mr. Stanwood-Miss Hal
tings," she explained apologetically
IL heard loud report in the garde
about an hour ago. 1t sounded like
revolver, and as Mr.. Benton-Mr. Jaco
Benton-went out about that time an
has not returned was afraid somethir
might have happened to him, son
burglar orr
"Oh. presume notl" said the your