irmed
the officer's surmise.

"I was going to send a message to ask you to step round, sir," he
remarked.

"Here I am, but don't be long. I don't want to miss the Premier's
speech."

"Mr. Medland speaking to-day?"

"Of course. It's a great day with us at the House."

"I think it looks like being a great day all round. Well, Mr. Kilshaw,
you told me you knew the deceased."

"Yes, I knew Benham."

"Benyon," corrected the Superintendent.

"Yes, that was his real name," assented Kilshaw.

"At his lodgings there was found a packet. That's the wrapper," and he
handed a piece of brown paper to Kilshaw.

"In case," Kilshaw read, "of my death or disappearance, please deliver
this parcel to Mr. Kilshaw, Legislative Assembly, Kirton."

"I'm sorry to say, sir," said the Superintendent, "that the detective
sergeant conducting the search took upon him to open this packet in the
presence of one or two persons. It ought to have been opened by no one
but----"

"Myself."

"Pardon me, but myself," said the Superintendent, with a slight smile.
"Owing to the inexcusable blunder, I'm afraid something about what it
contains may leak out prematurely. Those pests, the reporters, are
everywhere; you can't keep 'em out."

"Well, what does it contain?" asked Kilshaw. He was annoyed at this
unsought publicity, but he saw at once that he must show no sign of
vexation.

"That, for one thing," and the Superintendent handed Kilshaw a
photograph of two persons, a young woman and a young man. "Look at the
back," he added.

Kilshaw looked, and read--"My wife and M."

"That's the deceased's handwriting?"

"Yes."

"And you know the persons?"

"I've no doubt about them. It's the Premier--and--and Mrs. Medland."

"Exactly. Now read this," and he gave him the copy of a certificate of
marriage between George Benyon and Margaret Aspland.

"Quite so," nodded Kilshaw.

"And this."

Kilshaw took the slip of newspaper, old and yellow. It contained a few
lines, briefly recording that Mrs. Benyon had left her home secretly by
night, in her husband's absence, and could not be found.

Kilshaw nodded again.

"It doesn't surprise me," he said. "I knew all this. I was in Mr.
Benyon's confidence."

"Perhaps you can tell us how he lived?" hazarded the Superintendent,
with a shrewd look.

Mr. Kilshaw looked doubtful.

"The inquest is fixed for to-morrow. The more we know now, the less it
will be necessary to protract it."

"I have