The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-16
By ANlN.d KATHERINE CIR

He said that she was probably the sis
ter of the woman who lay inside. Upon
which remembered that this lady, under
the name of Miss 'Tuttle-she was but
half-sist to Miss Moore--had been re-
peatedly mentioned by the reporters, in
the accounts of the wedding before men
toned, as a person of superior attachments
and magnificent beauty.
/, This did not take from my interest, and
flinging decorum to the winds, I APP
preached as near as possible to the
threshold which she must soon cross. AS
I did so was astonished to hear the
strains Of Uncle David's organ still peal
ing from the opposite side Of the way.
This at moment so serious and while
matters of apparent consequence were
taking place in the house to which he
had himself directed the attention Of the
police, struck me as carrying stoicisn to
the extreme. Not very favorably i'm
pressed by this display of open If not in
sulting indifference on the part Of
ference which; did not appear
natural even in man of his
morbid eccentricity-I resolved to know
more of this old man and, above all, to
make myself fully acquainted with the
exact relations which had existed between
him and his unhappy niece.
| within the circle OF light cast by our
lanterns.
have never seen a. finer woman, nor
one whose features displayed a more
heartrending emotion. This called for
| respect, and I, for one, endeavored to show
it by withdrawing into the background
But I soon stepped forward again. MY
| desire to understand her was too great,
| the impression made by her bearing too
| complex, to be passed over lightly by one
on the lookout for a key to the remarkable
| tragedy before us.
Meanwhile her lips had opened with the
| cry: sE,2
| my sister! Where is my sister?'
The captain made hurried movement
! toward the rear and then with the laud
able intention, doubtless, Of preparing
her for the CHASTITY sight which awaited
her, returned and Opened a way for her
into the drawing room. But she wasnot
to be turned aside from her course. Pass
ing him by, she made directly for the
library which she entered with a bound.
Struck by her daring, we all crowded up
| behind her, and, curious brutes that we
| were, grouped ourselves in a semicircle
! about the doorway as she faltered toward
her sisters, outstretched form and fell
I on her knees beside it. Her involutary
| shrek and the fierce recoil she made as
| her eyes fell on the long white ribbon
trailing over the floor from her sister S
wrist, struck me asvoicing the utmost hor-
ror Of which the human soul is capable.
/ 1t was as tho her very soul were pierced
Something in the fact itself something in
the appearance Of this snowy ribbon tied
| to the scarce whittier wrist seemed to
pluck at the very root Of her being; and
1 when her glance, lin travelling it's length.
tlighted on the death dealing weapon at it's
end, she cringed in such apparent anguish
/ f1of 80 - I,S~. 60
| or break out into delirium. We were cor
respondingly startled when she suddenly
! burst forth with this word of stern COM
I mand:
! Unite that knott, Why do you leave
that dreadful thing fast to her Unite it.
l say, it is killing me; can not bear the
sight And from trembling she passed
/ convulsively. ....
! The. captain, with much consideration,
drew back the hand he had impulsively
stretched toward the. ribbon 80.
'No, no. he protested; I'VE can not do
'that;. we can do nothing till the
coroner comes 1t is necessary that
he should see her just as she was
found Besides, Mr.. Jeffrey has a right
TO the same privilege. We expect him
any moment
The beautiful head of the woman before
us shook involuntarily, but her lips made
ITO protest. doubt If she possessed the
power of speech3@at that moment. A
cnange, subtle, but quite perceptibIe, haG
| taken place in her emotions at mention q
her sisters husband, and tho she exertef
! nefseH to remain calm, the effort seemed
too much for her strength Anxious Il
! hide this evidence of weakness she rose
4 1mpetuously; and then we saw how tai
she was, how the long lines Of her cloal
became her, and what glorious creatur,
she was altogether.
i 1T will kill him." she groaned in .
deep inward voice. Then, with a certai,
forced haste and in q tone of surnris
winch to my ear had not quite a natura
ring, she called aloud on her who could NJ
: longer either listen or answer:
"Oh, Veronica, Veronica! What cans
had you for death? And why do we fin,
you lying here in spot you so feared an,
detested?'' .tzs.. :" -, -
Don't you know" insinuated the can
TAIN, with mild :persuasiveness such a
ne was seldom heard to use. ',Do Vol
| mean that you can not account for vol,
sisters violent end, you, who have live
with her-or SO I. have been told-eye
since her marriage with Mr. Jeffrey?"
/ eyes" - f,xlss - $500 -
, Keen and clear the word rang out, f1erc
? IN It's keenness, and almost too clear t
l ne IN Keeping with the half choked tone
;. with which she added: IT know tina
she was not happy, that she never ha
been happy since the shadow which thi
room suggests fell upon her marriage Blu
: now could I so much as dream tina
3 her dread Of The past or her fear Of tn
! future would drive her to suicide, and /
t this place Of all places. Had done So
+ mad imagined in the least degree that sh
l was affected to this extent-do YOU thin
D that. would have left her for one in
i slant alone? None Of us knew that sh
' contemplated DEATH. She had no appear
:? ance of it; she laughed when IL
e What had she been about to say? Th
+ captain seemed to wonder. and after wait
Ing in vain for the completion OF he
v sentence. he quietly suggested:
n You have not finished what YOU ha
I to say, Miss Tuttle .
She started anu seemed to come bac
d from some, remote region of thought int
: which she had wandered. IT don't know
forget" she stammered, with a hear,
broken sigh Poor Veronica. wretche
Veronica. How shall I ever tell him. How
how, can we ever prepare him.
The captain took advantage of this re,
erence to Mr.. Jeffrey to ask where Ihs
J. gentleman was. The young lady did M
a seem eager to reply, but when presse,
8 answered, tho somewhat mechanical
y that 1t was Impossible for her to say; M
jeffrey had many friends with any or
IS Of whom he might be enjoying a soci
Y evening.
To be continued Tomorrow