Evening journal., 1908-11-17

that Mrs. Benham had sentit. tosse.
II In the safe.
The next morning the couple had dis |
appeared How they got out without
0eing seen / could not understand,
but they did. Their departure was not
noticed till 10 O'Clock. when cham
bermaid knocked TO be permitted to FIX
up the room and. receiving no answer,
let herself IN with pass key. The
bed had not been occupied. but all the
water in the room had been used. The
towels had disappeared.
There was no great loss TO the hotel.
md we were NOT especially irrltated
over the beat" though confess
vas somewhat puzzled to account for
t all Strangely enough. l forgot all
,bout the package the woman had sent
or safekeeping till one day l found it
n the safe. Opening it. saw that #
obtained some $1,000. Then began
wonder.
Several weeks passed. during which
one claimed the money. Not caring
, keep # in the safe. l deposited it ii
10 bank Then one evening aboul
weeks after It had been left witt
e man came into the house an,
ood turning over the leaves OF th,
pgister. He paused at the names
r. and Mrs Benham and asked u
acre they were from. as no residenc,
"a been given. / told him about th
lse and asked him il he knew them
Q said that he did not His ressoi
r asking about them was becaus
didn't know that we permitted sucl
;rles l explained that it was q
ersish,. The man asked me som
esiions about any attempts l migh
sc made TO find the owner Of I'll.
red property. then leisurely turne,
4 left the house
Two or three days later who shoul
ne into the hotel but Mr.. Benhar
looked as II be had been keehau
/ 2. explaining his appearance by say
z that he had had n ft OF sickness
ie was certainly very nervous ana
eemed afraid Of his shadow He pre-
ented an order for the money that
had been left with me by his wife
I asked him why they had left as they
ha3 ~ be said that his wife wa,
subject TO certain attacks. durinJ
which she must have the attention OF
her own doctor She had felt one OF
these attacks coming on after mid
night and had begged him to hurry
her away
While the man was making his ex
PLANTATION there was ring. turnet
to the annunciator and saw that ther,
was call from 4 room in the old par
of the house. No. CO. There had no
been a guest in that part since th'
Benhams were there. and ! would no
think Of putting any one in 30. fol
it was of by itself. and there was n,
furniture in it. That's strange"
remarked and. throwing back the shut
ter. turned to Mr.. Benham. He wai
holding on TO the counter. white a
ashes. a look OF terror in his face an,
his eyes starting out Of their sockets
Il must get air. he gasped and. turn
ing. staggered out to the street.
was about 10 follow him whei
there was another ring. and. turning,
saw the same number, 90 exposed.
was so astonished that a sort Of paral
ysls or indecision came over me for
few minutes; then. jumping over th
counter. ran after the man. He wa
not to be distinguished from other
I who were passing.
3 Re-entering the hotel told "front
10 go TO 90 and see what the rim
: meant. He came back. reporting tn;
the room was empty. Resolved to tin
out how the bell could have been rum
I went to the room myself. Opening
closet a dreadful stencil warned n
that something was wrong ! closed IL
door and sent for the police. and the
found the body of Mrs. Benham. 81
had been murdered. The body ha
been shut up in this vacant room.
They never solved the mystery. II
man Benham was never seen agai
and the 81 GOO is still lying in ban
without an owner Benham had dOuh
less sent the man who had cOnverS,
with me about them to find out If q
money could be claimed without {,
much risk. then had come himself wi
a forged order He must have su
posed when he killed the woman tn
the money was on her person.
But the mystery of the ring Of 4
bell - that has never been solv
either. am free to admit that l nev
would take tile story of it's ringil
from another
SrFNcER TROwBRIDGE