Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-10-23
CHAPTER I.

aCA>o.--.
CHAPTER L
Miss Hastings walked with = start.
She found herself trembling She had
IN idea that some unusual sound had
reused her. She sat up In bed to listen.
Then she heard . voice. Il was old Mr..
Benton in his room adjoining hera HI
was speaking in loud. angry tone.
Miss Hastings rose, thrust her feet
into slippers and put ON . wrapper.
She was vaguely frightened and ye'
hardly knew why she should be 90 She
turned up the gas which had beer
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 IN.
grily upbraiding some one. Miss Has
tings opened the door leading into the
corridor. and the voice Of the old man
| became moro distinct
"You are no child Of mine from this
day forthr' abe heard him cry. II ahall
disown you tomorrow Get out Of my
sighti To think that you
The door Of Mr.. Benton's room waa
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 as her table.
took up q book and tried 70 read, bat
found herself turning page sitter page
without recalling word she had read
She could hear the heavy tread Of the
old man M he walked to and fro In his
room. What bad 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 trifies
ever since Miss Hastings arrived, week
before IL had made her feel very uncom-
Portable, and she would have gone home
but for her sympathy for Alice and the
fact that Ralph bad asked her 70 remain
longer
Old Benton's walk had ended Miss
Hastings hoped he had gone to bed. but
lust ~ she was about TO undress herself
she heard his step and the rattling OF
his doorkpoh he was leaving his
room. Miss Hastings again peercd eau
tiously into the corridor. She saw the
old man, dressed m he had been all
day. 20 into the laboratory which nd.
Joined his room on the other side. Look.
ing on, on the lawn below. she saw q
bright hight streaming from tho win
dow OF the laboratory and knew that
he had 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 a. be moved
about whs, could he be doing there at
such a late hours She looked at her
watch. IL had run down and stopped at
IL. but she thought il 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 70
the garden.
Miss Hastings decided 70 60 20 bed.
She was angry with herself for boing
20 unreasonably nervous She had nm.
buttoned her wrapper when
Crack
Itw loud. clear report like that
Of . revolver.
Miss 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.
ute, two. three. ten minutes passed
No one came TO answer her ring. and
there was nothing 70 indicate that the
report had reused any one else In the
house
Miss Hastings did not want 20 run
the risk Of making herself appear ridicu-
lous in the eyes Of the rest Of the house
party, 90 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
oratoryg She sat down and tried 20
calm herself by using her will power.
Half an hour passed Ii expanded
slowly into an hour, and yet Mr. Ben.
ton had not returned TO his room Miss
Hastings fears were now increased ten
fold. She was sure she had done wrong
in not rousing the house at first She
drew the silken bslloord to the floor
several timea Then, getting no re-
sponse, she decided 10 wake some one
Mr.. Stanwood. . guest Of the house.
roomed scross the corridor She went
10 bis door and raped.
She knew he was sleeping soundly.
for IL was several minutes before she
heard him rise He opened the door
slightly.
"who il it?" be asked
Its !, Mr.. Stanwood-Miss Has,
tings." abe explained apoloeetically.
IL heard loud report In the garden
about an hour ago. Il sounded like .
revolver, and as Mr.. Benton-Nr Jacob
Benton-went ont about that time and
has not returned was afraid something
might have happened TO him. some
burglar or
"Oh, / presume notf' said the young
man lightly "It may have been some
one shooting at cats. They have been
very noisy in the neighborhood lately. I"
IL don't think it was that said
the young lady, land really / am 20
nervous that I should be very grateful
IL you would get mp and see about it. ]
nave rung several times. but the serv-
ants seem not to have heard"
"Oh, certainly" exclaimed Stan
wood. "I'll be ready in minute F"
She was waiting for him. her head
enveloped in Q shawl. when be emerged.
~ believe I'll 60 down stairs with
you, !" she said. ''Ths others must Be
up, for think ] heard voices outside.
don't like 70 be left alone up here"
"Yop are pervous," replied STAN
wood. Come on. then; we'll soon clear
! It mp"
She followed him down thecarpeted
| stairs into the large. dark hall below
he turned on the electric light No sue
uas in the library or the adjoining
drawing room, but low voices were
beard outside Passing Through the sit-