The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-23
BOOK I.
The Forbidden Room.
CHAPTER x.-contlnued.
BOOK I.
Francis Jeffrey.

Francis Jeffrey.
'To what am 1 indebted for this sec
ond visit from you?" he asked of Coroner
H., with an admirable presence of mind
Are you not yet satisfied with what We
have been able to tell you OF my poor
, wifeS unhappy end?' r.,...-.E,-
we are not" was the plain response.
"There are some things you have not at
tempted to explain. Mr.. Jeffrey. For in
stance, why you went to the Moore house
previous to your being called there by
the death of your wife.
1T was a shot that told: an arrow that
. found its mark. Mr.. jeffrey flushed,
then turned pale, rallied and again lost
himself In a maze of conflicting emo
tions from which he only emerged to say:
How do you know that I was there?
Have I said so; or do those old walls
babble in their sleep?" ~.
"Old walls have been known to do this
was the grave reply. whether they had
anything to say in this case is at pres
where charge YOU with being Is evident
from your own manner. May then ask
II you have anything to say about this
visit? When a person has died under
such peculiar circumstances as Mrs. jeff
rey, everything bearing upon the sase Is
OF interest to the coroner
was sorry he added that last sentence;
F. sorry that he felt obliged to qualify his
action by anything savoring OF apology;
for the time spent in It's utterance afford
ed his agitated nearer an opportunity not
only of collecting himself but Of preparing
an answer for which he would not have
been ready an instant before. =, ..
Mrs. Jeffreys death was a strange
one" her husband admitted with tardy
self control. II find myself as much at
. a loss to understand 1t as you do, and
am therefore quite ready to answer the
Lo, Ivy hrNo na6
Not that my answer has any bearing upon
the point you wish to make, but because
1T Is your due and my pleasure. I did
visit the Moore house, as certainly had
every right to do. The property was my
wife's, and it was for my interest to learn,
II could, the secret Of It's many crimes"
"Ah!'
Mr.. jeffrey looked quickly up. You
think that an odd thing for me to do?"
AT night. Yes" 49, e..
Might is the time for such work. I did
not care to be seen pottering around there
in daylight" .--,
NO? Yet it would have been so much
easier. You would not have had to buy
candles or carry a pistol Or 90. =.
Il did not carry a pistol. The only
pistol carried there was the one with
which my demented wife chose to take
her life. L do not understand this allu
sion --" ... e
1T grew out of misunderstanding Of
the situation, Mr.. Jeffrey; excuse me If
. I supposed you would be likely to provide
yourself with some means OF defense In
yenturing upon the scene OF so many mys-
|, ferrous Deaths" 49,
II took precaution.'
And needed none. I suppose ,.
"And needed none"
''When was this visit paid, Mr. jeff
rey? Before or after your wife pulled
the trigger which ended her life? You
Of OF To
II do not The elegant gentleman be-
fore us had acquired a certain fierceness.
"Why should +? Certainly, you don't
think that + was there at the same
time she was. It was not on the
same night. even. So much the
PROBABLY did. or. my. .w1re's uncle, Mr..
David Moore. Was he not your inform
anti" ''' ..' ''.. ..= ..|. !
= No Mr. Moore has failed to call our
attention to this fact. Did you meet Mr..
Moore during the course of your visit to
a neighborhood over which he seems to
hold absolute sway?"
g mot to my knowledge. But his house
Is directly opposite, and as he has little
to do but amuse himself with what he
can see from his front window. I con-
cluded that he might have observed me
going in
You entered by the front door, them"
GLOW else?"
And on what night?" 20.
Mr. Jeffrey made an effort. These
questions were visibly harassing him.
1.-The night before the one-the one
which-ended all my earthly happiness
he added In a low voice.
Coroner u. cast glance at me. re-
membered the lack Of dust on the nest
of little tables from which the upper one
had been drawn forward to hold the can.
delabrum, and gently shook my head
The coroner's eyebrows went up, but
none of his disbelief crept into his voice
as he made this additional statement:
"The night on which you failed to re-
turn to your own house, .a..-,
Instantly Mr.. Jeffrey betrayed by
nervous action, which was quite involun
tary, that his outward calm was slowl!
giving way under a fire Of questions TO-
: which he had no ready reply.