The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-08

what would otherwise have seemed mon
strous in one-who--
She was to disturbed to proceed.
The coroner looked at her kindly, but
| it was no part of his duty to allow any
sympathy he might feel for the witness
to interfere with his endeavor to reach
! the truth. He therefore urged her to
relate the circumstances to which she
alluded; in other words, to explain how
this letter addressed collectively to her
three cousins came to be written.
| She grew still more distressed
Does not -the letter. explain itself?"
she demonstrated Spare, me, i pray.
My uncle's sons have been brothers to me.
| Do not make me repeat what passed be-
tween my uncle and myself on that un
happy morning when he first unburdened
| himself Of his lntolerable grief
81 fear that 1 cannot spare you" replied
| the coroner: but will grant you a short
| respite while this letter, or such portions
of it as bear upon Mr.. Gillespie's death,
is being read to the jury. Gentlemen, it
is written in Mr. Gillespie's own hand,
and it is dated just month prior to his
unhappy demise. Miss Meredith. you
| may Sit -.
| She fell rather than sank into the chair
offered her, and for moment felt myself
the prey of boundless indignation as I
witnessed the callousness shown towards
her by the three men who up to this time
less. affection. To me her position called
for their especial sympathy. The hero
| ism she evinced was the heroism of
loving woman who sacrifices herself, and
| what is dearest to her, to her idea Of JUS
| tice and law And while such action may
| be easy for man, it is hard beyond ex-
preston for woman, who, as we know
| is much more apt to listen to the voice of
her heart than to any abstract appeal OF
right and justice. Yet these same rela-
| tives Of hers sat still and scarcely looked
| her way, though she glanced repeatedly
| and with hearJrending appeal In their d.
| rection.
l am quite ready to admit that was
| too prejudiced witness to be just to
these men. Had I not myself been under
the influence of a sudden and violent pas
sion, I would have seen that Alfred needed
| sympathy as we'll as she; for Alfred was
the man most menaced by the contents
| Of the letter now the point OF being
| read: and he knew this certainly as
! she did. ......- ..
AS this letter is better known to you
| than 1T was to me up to this hour,
leave you to judge of its effect upon the
jury and the excited crowd Of spectators
| thronging the room at every point. Heads
which had wagged in doubt now dropped
in heaviest depression; and while all
eyes seemed to shrink from an attempt to
read the three white faces on the wit
| uSSSeS Qeucu, tuG dLleullOu VI oil was
concentrated there, and it was with quite
a sense of shock that Dr.. Frisbie's voice
was heard rising again in renewed ex-
animation of the young lady whose pre-
1 cip1tate action had brought to public
| notice, this touching let ter OF, a heartbrok-
en- father ....-
His first question was a leading one.
Had Mr.. Gillespie followed up his former
condolences by any further illusions to
the attempt which had been made upon
his life? -. RS. & ......s.
Her answer was a direct negative.
Though she had detected in her uncle
signs Of great unhappiness, he had held
4 no further conversation with her on this
topic, and life had gone on as usual In the
!,great house. .,. ~, --#.-F T..,s.n. -
!, But he talked of poisons, and refused
to take any more of the medicine which
came go near killing him."
[ Uncle Archibald took no more of this
medicine, certainly. That is, I saw. no
{ more of it in the house. But he never
talked Of poisons, that is publicly or in
my presence"
Not at the table ?"' r..
mot after that night, sir"
l ! He had before?'
| "Only incidentally. He had laughed at
5 some of DR.. Benefits remarks, and once
i heard him mention the danger of taking
Y an overdose Of the remedy that was doing
him so much good 1t was while Testing
WILL ue upoll LILY leLuSd4 W dlAOW ally OuS
9 else to portion it out to him."
t That was your duty, them"
e "AsSuredly."' -.r. ..
e ''Were you in the habit Of preparing his
q glass when alone or in the presence Of his
t | sons?"e ..-.. s. .I3s-. ~.
:, LAS it happened, sir. I had but one
O dread; that. of miscountingt the Drops
), And he took no more of this medicine
e after that especial night?''
; "No. sir He asked DR.. Bennett for 6
h, narcotic of less dangerous properties, ant
D was given choral" =.
d changer" 1888 >' i'..%
= what became of the phial which heli
r the remainder Of this medicine, marked
), 'PcAson?'" -. .--a-.. s.. r., s.
IS q empted it out at my uncle's re
: quest"
l. You were your uncle's nurse, then
If typewriter, and friend?" 49,
He trusted me, sir, in all these ca
J. pacities.'' ...-. ...,.....4
" Did he trust you with his business con
!" cerns?" 49,. ...
l. Not at all. I merely wrote letters t.
n his dictation.'' +
: Did you know. or have you ever heard
the value of his estate?" -
i 81 have never even asked myself wheth
Ne err he counted his fortune by thousand
10 or Millions
ne dignity, the WIN WHO
,e this was said made it an impressive ter
1t mination to a very painful examination
l. AS l noted the effect it produced, wa
n in hopes that she would be allowed t
l. retire for the day. But the coroner ha
nt other views. With a hesitancy tina
s more or less prepared US for what wa
80 to come, ne addressed her again. sayin
quietly: ~
Of II have spared you a public reading {
wv certain portions of your uncle's letter, re
d lferring 10 yourself and the wishes h
nt openly cherished in your behalf. In re
We turn, will you inform me if you are en-
ar gagged TO marry any one Of these youn
.1f menu
h. The thrill the start given to The wit
r. ness bench by this pointed question, CON
IN municated itself to officer and spectator
in In Georges fiery flush and Alfred's sud
den .aleness, emotions could be seen
nd work of sufficient significance to dra
u, every eye; though few present, dare sa,
ng ascrloed these emollons 70 their rlghtfl
,is sources. To myself divided as 1 wa
in feeling between the anxiety could nc
M but feel as her lawyer to see her parr
vn question TOO cersohal no1 10 pc humll1
ating, and the interest with which, as he
n lover, l awaited response which woul
! T solve mr. own doubts and make clear m
attitude of both these men strongly sus
To gestive of like uncertainty. We're hi
IL feelings, then. as much Of a mystery
on them as they were to me" Did Geors
n fear to hear her say she was engaged /
ZEE Alfred and Alfred dread to hear her az
nit that she was irrevocably pledged
/ rao ,,nl,o eft ion ho1 hoe