The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-01

1900 --7-I Z Z % -
my procession before the meal could
be served They never knew at home
when to expect him in, or at what moment.
he might leave the family circle. He was
so restless, he rarely sat an evening out
| in any one place. Without any apparent
reason, he would often leave In the mid
die Of concert, sermon, or lecture, and
has been known more than once to dash
away from a theatrical performance as If
his life depended upon his reaching the
open air. And he never expected to be
criticized or questioned. II he were he
found some apology to suit the occasion;
but the aDoolgy was forced, and the per-
son who called it forth rarely repeated
the offence.
Only small paragrap was devoted to
Alfred. In 1t his temporary 8 engage
ment to Miss Saxon of Baltimore was
mentioned, and somewhat cruel account
given of the way he Tilted this young lady
| on his return to the city. AS this was
coincident with the arrival Of Hope at
her uncle's house, I needed no further
explanation of his ickleness.
All this gossip about people in whom l
| had come to take so deep an interest both
worried and unsettled me; and l found
myself looking forward with mingled
dread and expectation to the public in
Quiry, which l had every reason to hope
would separate some OF these threads in
the network Of which my own heart had
become so unfortunately entangled
1t had been called for Thursday, and
| when that day came I was one of the
| first to appear upon the scene Not a
| look nor a sign. Miss Meredith, who
entered on the arm of Leighton, wore a
veil thick enough to conceal her features.
But did not need to pierce that veil to
! imagine the expression Of anxiety and dis
| tress she thus concealed from the crowd.
| George, who had resumed his usual man
| ner sat, conspicuous in height and good
| looks, among group of witnesses, some
| Of whom knew and some not. DR.. Ben
| nett sat at my side, and had so little to
say that did not attempt to disturb him,
! having respect for the grief with which he
regarded the untimely end of his life
| long friend and patient.
! The first witness was myself.
AS my testimony contained nothing
| which has not ben already very fully re-
lated in these pages, will pass over this
! portion of the scene, with the single re-,
| mark that in the course OF my whole eX-
| animation, which was a lengthy and ex-
| haustive one, allowed no expression to
| escape me likely to prejudice the minds
| of those about me against any one Of Mr..
| Gillespie's sons. For it was apparent, be-
| fore had been upon the stand ten
INMATES, that an effort was being made
| to fix the crime on Alfred; and what
!
| not plunge barbed arrow into the breast
of her about whom, my fancy had drawn its
magic circle? AS sat down, I glanced
her way, and it seemed to me there was
meaning in the slight Acknowledgement
she made me with her ungloyed hand.
| But what meaning?
The inquiry thus being opened, and
| curiosity reused as to the motive which
led Mr.. Gillespie to summon a stranger
| to his side at moment SO vital and
! under circumstances seemingly calling
! for the mnistrations of those nearest and
| dearest to him, various experts and ply
| sicians were called to prove that his death
had not been caused by disease, but by
the action of prussia acid On a sufficiently
healthy system. With the establishment
| of. this fact the mornings inquiry closed.
! AS Miss Meredith was likely to be the
| first witness called at the afternoon ses-
sion, I felt it my duty as her lawyer to
approach her at this time with the fol-
lowing question, quite customary under
the circumstances
! Miss Meredith" said I. "you will prob
ably soon be subjected to searching In
quiry by the coroner. May l ask if there
is any special point or topic concerning
which you would prefer to keep silence
If so, can insist upon your privilege
| The look Of mingled surprise and indig-
nation with which she regarded me was
sufficient answer in itself Yet she chose
to say, and say coldly, after moment Of
reflection: E
/ II have nothing to conceal He can ask
no question / shall not be perfectly will
ing to answer ~~
i Abashed by the construction she had
put upon my words, as well as greatly
! hurt by her manner, bowed and drew off.
Evidently she had felt her candor i'm
! pugned and her innocence questioned,
and. in her ignorance of legal proceed
ings, thought she had only to speak the
truth to sustain herself in my eyes and
in those of the crowd assembled to hear
her. 's-;8 -.-"s,..
This sort of self-confidence is common
in witnesses, especially in such as are
more conscious of their integrity than Of
the pitfalls underlying the simplest in
quiry. and, however much I deplore her
shortslghtedness and wish that she had
better understood both myself and her
own position it was plain that, in the
light OF what had just passed between u.s.
) all interference on my part would be re-
garded by her as an insult, and that I
would be expected to keep silence under
/ all circumstances, let the consequences
be what they would.
1t was an outlook far from agreeable
either for the lawyer or lover, and the
recess which now ensued was passed by
me In a state of dread of which she in her
| inexperience had little idea
| OPo1i lAe IesedlluB Oh the jury, her
name, just as l had anticipated, was the
first one to be called.
The emotions with which I saw her
rise and throw aside her veil under the
concentrated gaze of the unsympathetic
crowd convened to hear her testimony
first revealed to me the absoluteness of
her hold upon me and when I heard the
buzz of admiration which followed the
disclosure of her features, was con-
scious of coloring so deeply that feared
, my secret would become the common
property Of the crowd. But the spell Gre
ated by her beauty still held and all re-
CARDS remained fixed upon her counte.
7 nance, now eloquent. with feelings which
"a for the moment were shared by all who
: looked upon her.
: Her voice, when she spoke, deepened
the effect of her presence. 1t was of thai
, fine and resonant quality which awakens
, an echo in all sensitive hearts and carries
!, conviction with it, even to the most cal.
: lous and prejudiced. 1t lost some of it.
! power perhaps the ear became accus
! toned to 1t; but to the very end of he1
!, testimony noted, here and there
persons who looked up ever,
> time she spoke, as if some tnne]