Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-22

went so far"
Instantly the coroner bounced on the one
weak word which Mr.. jeffrey had let fall.
"Unhappily?'' he repeated. why do you
say unhappily?'
Mr.. jeffrey flushed and seemed to come
out of some dream.
Ibid I say unhappily?" he inquired.
well. I repeat 1t; Miss Tuttle would never
have given me any cause for jealousy"
The coroner bowed and for the present
dropped her name out Of the conversation:
you speak again Of the jealousy aroused
in you by your wife's impetuosities. Was
this increased or diminished by the tone of
the few lines she left behind herr?
The response was long in coming. 1t was
hard for this man to lie. The struggle he
made at it was pitiful. AS I noted what it
cost him I began to have new and curious
thoughts concerning him and the whole
matter under discussion.
II shall never overcome the Femorse
aroused in me by those few lines" he
finally rejoined. 'She showed considera-
ton for me-
WHAT!
The coroner's exclamation showed all the
surprise he felt. Mr.. jeffrey tottered under
1t, then grew slowly pale as II only through
our amazed looks he had come to realize
the charge of inconsistency to which he
had lain himself open.
IT mean he endeayored to explain,
that Mrs. Jeffrey showed an unexpected
tenderness toward me by taking all the
blame Of our misunderstanding upon her
self. It was generous of her and will do
| much toward making my memory Of her
a gentle One'
He was forgetting himself again. Indeed,
his manner and attempted explanations
were full Of contradictions. To emphasize
this fact Coroner T. exclaimed:
II should think so! She paid a heavy
penalty for her professed lack of love You
believe that her mind was unseated?"
Does not her action show it?"
"Unseated by the mishap occurring at
her marriage?"
yes"
You really think that?"
"Yes"
by anything that passed between your
May I ask you to tell us what passed
between you on this point?'
Yes
He had uttered the monosyllable so often
It seemed to come unconsciously from his
lips. But he recognized almost as soon as
we did that it was not a natural reply to
the last question and. making q gesture
of apology. he added. with the same mo-
notony Of tone which had characterised
these replies:
"She spoke of her strange guests unac-
countable death more than once, and when
ever she did so. 1t was with an unnatural
excitement and in an unbalanced way.
subject presently was tabooed amongst us;
but though she henceforth spared us all al
klusion to 1t. she continued to talk about
the house itself and Of the previous deaths
which had occurred there till we were
forced to forbid that topic also. She was
never really herself after crossing tho
threshold of this desolate house to be mar
ried. The shadow which turks within it's
walls fell at that instant upon her life.
May God have mercy
The prayer remained unfinished. His
head which had fallen on his breast sank
lower.
He presented the aspect Of one who Is
quite done with life. even its sorrows.
But men In the position of Coroner T.
cannot afford to be compassionate. Every
thing the bereaved man said deepened the
impression that he was acting part To
make sure that this was really SO. the cor
oner. with just the slightest touch OF sar-
casm. quietly observed:
"And to ease your wife's mind-the wife
you were 20 deeply an8ered wfth-y0u Wis.
tied this house. and, at an hour which you
should have spent In reconciliation with
her, went through its ancient rooms In the