Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-30

So his name failed to be publicly preached
In connection with the shooting, though his
influence over Miss futile could not be for
gotten, suggesting to some that she had
acted as his hand in the deed which robbed
him of an undesirable wife. But this l
would not believe. 1 preferred to accept
the statement that she had stopped short
of the library door in her suspicious visit
there, and that the ribbon tying. which
went for SO much had been done at home
That these facts especially the latter
called for more than common credulity, l
was quite ready to acknowledge: and had
her feeling for Francis Jeffrey shown less
unselfshness 1 should certainly have Joined
my fellows in regarding these assertions as
very lame attempts to explain what could
only be explained by a confession of guilt.
So here was a tangle without a frayed
end to pull at, unless the impervious
egotism Of Uncle David afforded one, which
l doubted. For how could any man with a
frightful secret in his breast show that I'M
mixed delight in his new equipage and sud-
denly acquired position, which had so plain
ly beamed from that gentleman's calm eye
and assured bearing? When he met my
scrutiny in the sacred precincts where the
one love of his heart lay buried he did so
without a culver or any sign of inner dis
turbance. His tone to Caesar as he drove
off had been the tone of a man who can af-
ford to speak quietly because he is con-
scious of being SO undeniably the master;
and when his foot rose to the carriage step
1t was with the confidence of one who had
natural life, but who feels in his present
enjoyment Of them no apprehension of
change. His whole bearing and CONVERSE
ton on that day were, as I am quite
ready to admit. an exhibition of prodig-
ious selfishness; but it was also an exhibit
ton Of mental poise incompati ble with a
consciousness of having acquired his for
tune by any means which laid him open to
the possibility of losing it. Or so l judged.
Finding myself with every new consid-
Grafton of the tantalizing subject, deeper
and deeper in the uuagmire of doubt and
uncertainty, l sought enlightenment by
making memorandum of the special
points which must have influenced the jury
in their verdict, as witness:
1. The relief shown by Mr.. jeffrey at
finding an apparent Communication from
his wife limiting at suicide.
2. The possibility, disclosed by the SINH
larity between the sisters handwriting OF
this same communication being forgery
substituted for the one really written by
Mrs Jeffrey.
8. The fact that previous to Mr.. JEFF
frey's handling of the book in which this
communication was said to have been hid
den, 1t had been seen in Miss Tuttle's
hands.
4. That Immediately after this she had
passed to the drawer where Mr.. Jenrey's
pistol was kept
8. That while this pistol had not been
observed In her hand, there was as yet no
evidence to prove that 1t had been previous
ly taken from the drawer. save such as
was afforded by her own acknowledgment
that she had tied some unknown object.
presumably the pistol to her sisters wrist
before that sister left the house.
6. That IL this was SO. the pistol and
the ribbon connecting 1t with Mrs JEFF
frey's wrist had been handled again before
the former was discharged. and by fingers
which had first touched dust-of which
there was plenty in the old library
Z. That Miss Tuttle had admitted.
though not till after much prevarication
and apparent subterfuge, that she had ex-
tended her walk on that fatal night not
only as far as the Moore house, but that
she had entered 1t and penetrated as far
as the library door at the very moment the
shot was fired within.
9. That in acknowledging this she had