Evening star., 1903-07-07

quest and my heart beat high as l sat
awaiting her appearance in the dim niue
parlor where / had been seated by me
person who held her under secret suryei,-
lance. The scene l had just been through.
the uncertain nature of the relations held
by this beautiful woman both toward the
crime just discovered and the one long as
sociated with her name lent to these few
moments of anticipation an emotion which
poorly prepared me for the touching slshi
of the patient smile with which she pres
emily entered.
But l doubt if she noticed my agitation
She was too much swayed by her own. Ad-
vancing upon me in all the unconscious
pride Of her great beauty, she tremulously
remarked:
you have a message for me. Is 1t from
headquarters? Or has the district alter
ney still more questions to ask?''
Il have a much more trying errand thar
that" fastened to say, with some idea OF
preparing her for experience that could
not fail to be one Of exceptional trial. For
reasons which will be explained to you by
those in greater authority than myself. you
are wanted at the house where-where-
could not help stammering under the light
OF her melancholy eyes-'where 1 saw you
once before l lamely concluded.
1.-The house in Waverley avenue?' she OBJ
jected wildly. with the first signs of positive
terror had ever beheld in her.
l nodded, dropping my eyes. What call
had / to penetrate the conscience of this
woman?
"Are they there? all there?" she present
ly asked again. The police and and Mr..
Jeffrey?'
Madam" 1 respectfully protested my
duty is limited to conducting you to the
place named. A carriage Is waiting. May
1 beg that you will prepare yourself to go
at once to Waverley avenue?'
For answer she subjected me to a long
and earnest look which found 1t impos-
sible to evade. Then she hastened from
the room.s but with very unsteady steps.
Evidently the courage which had upbOrne
her SO long was beginning to fail. Her
very countenance was changed: Had she
recognized I meant she should, that the
secret of the Moore house was no longer
a secret confined to her own breast and to
that of her unhappy brother-inlaw?
When she returned ready for her ride
this change in her spirits was less observ-
able. and by the time we had reached the
house in Waverley avenue she had so far
regained her old courage as to move and
speak with the calmness of despair If not
of mental serenity.
The major was awaiting at the door
and bowed gravely before her heavily veil
ed figure.
Miss Tuttle," he asked. without any pre-
amble the moment she was well inside the
house. may / inquire of you here, and be-
fore / show you what will excuse us for
subjecting you to the distress of entering
these doors. whether your sister, Mrs. JEFF
frey had any other name was ever
known by any other name than that of
Veronica?
"She was christened Antoinette, as well
as Veronica; but the person in whose mem
Ory the former name was given her was no
honor to the family and she very soon
dropped 1t and was only known as Veroni-
ca. Oh. what have 1 doneT' she cried,
awed by the silence which followed the ut
terance of these simple words.
No one answered her. For the first time
in her presence, the minds of those who
faced her were with another than herself.
The bride! the unhappy bride-no maid
en- but a wife: nay, a wife one min
ute, widow the next. and then again a
newly welded bride before the husband
lying below was cold! What wonder that
she shrank when her new-made BRIDE
groom's lips approached her own! or that
their honeymoon was disappointment! Or