The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-16

she tOucneQ the 1atal spring. VINO Will |
tell the man inside there? It will be his |
browning blow
CHAPTER XVI.
Rudge.
I never saw any good reason for my
changing the opinion just expressed. In
deed, as time went on and further in
VeStigation was made into the life and
character Of these two brothers, came to |
think that not only had the unhappy We
ronica mistaken the person of Wallace
Pfeiffer for that Of her husband, but also
the nature Of the message he sent her
and the motives which actuated it: that
the interview he so peremptorily demanded
before she descended to her nuptials
would, had she but understood it properly,
have yielded her an imn1easurable salts
faction instead of rousing in her alarmed
breast the criminal instincts of her race;
that it was meant to do this; that he.
knowing Williams secret-a secret which
the latter naturally would confide to him
at a moment so critical as that which wit
messed their parting in the desolate Klon-
dixie pass-had come, not to reproach
her with her new nuptials, but
to relieve her mind in case
she cherished the least doubt of her full
right to marry again, by assurances Of her
husbands death and Of her own complete
freedom. To this he may have intended
to add some final messages Of love and
confidence from the man she had been so
! ready to forget; but nothing worse. Wal
] lace Pfeiffer was incapable of anything
worse, and if she had only resigned her
| self to her seeming fate and consented to
! see this man
But to return to fact and leave specula-
ton to the now doubly wretched Jeffrey.
On the evening of the day which saw
first racopnitjOn Of this AZ he
| work of Veronica Moore, the following
| notice appeared in the Star and all the
| other local Journals:
ANY person who positively rem embmers
I! passing thru Waverley avenue between N
| and M streets on the evening of May the
eleventh at or near the hour Of quarter
| past seven will confer a favor on the de-
| tective force of the District by COM
municating the same to F. at the police
headquarters in G. street"
was "F.," and I was soon deep in
| business. But was readily able to iden-
/ tify those who came from curiosity, and
as the persons who had really fulfilled the
| conditions expressed in my advertisement
i were few an evening and mornings work
| sufhced to sft the whole matter, down
| to the one man who could tell me just
what wanted to know With this man
went to the major, and as a result we all
| met later in the day at Mr. Moore's door.
This gentleman looked startled enough
when he saw the number and character Of
his visitors; but his grand air did not for
sake him and his welcome was both dig
11ified and cordial. But did not like the
way his eyes rested on me.
But the slight venom visible in 1t at
that moment was nothing to what he aft
erwards displayed when at a slight growl
from Ridge, who stood in an attitude Of
offense in the doorway beyond, I drew
the attention Of all to the dog by saying
sharply:
"There is our witness, sirs. There is
the dog who will not cross the street even
when his master calls him. but crouches
on the edge Of the curb and waits with
eager eyes but immovable body, till that
master comes back. Isn't that so. Mr..
Moore? Have not heard you utter more
than one complaint in this regard 2"
) 81 can not deny it, was the stiff reply,
] ''but what"
1 did not wait for him to finish.
] 'Mr. Currean,' I asked, lis this the
animal you passed between the hours OF
seven and eight on the evening of May
e the eleventh., crouching in front of this
house with his nose to the curbstone?"
|, 1T is; I noted him particularly; HI
d seemed to be watching the opposit,
J, | house,
j, Instantly turned upon Mr.. Moore.
: SIS Ridge the dog to do that asked
: eff his master were not there? Twice
d have I myself seen him in the safe-sam,
s place and with the self-same air Of ex
d pectant attention, and both times you hat
s crossed to the house which you acknowl
n edge he will approach no nearer than TIN
!? curb on this side Of the street."
Il "You have me- was the short repl.
with which Mr.. Moore gave up the strug
2 gle. ''Rudge, go back to your place
u When you are wanted in the court room
/ will let you know"
q The. smile with which he said this wa
a sarcastic enough, but it was sarcasm di
y rected mainly against himself. We wer
not surprised when, after some sharp per
suasion on the part of the major, h
y launched into the following recital Of hi
- secret relation to what he called the las
y tragedy ever likely to occur in the Moor
. family.
le II never thought 1t wrong to be curiou
- about the old place; never thought
~ wrong to be curious about its mysteries
" I only considered it wrong, or at all event
i'll judged, to annoy Veronica in regard
them. or to trouble her in any way abot
the means by which might effect an er
:, trance into Its walls. Sc I took the or
- that offered and said nothing.
a a 'I have visited the old house man
~ times during my sojourn in this lit
&c cottage. The last time was, as one
80 your number has so ably discovered, 9
- | the most memorable night in Its histor.
-. - the one in which Mrs. Jefrey's remarkab
a. death occurred there. The interest rouse
q in me by the unexpected recurrence of tt
old fatality attending the library hearth
xe stone reached its elimination when I pc
e. ceived one night the CLINT of cand
at | burning in the southwest chamber. d
er not know who was responsible for tn
ul light. but strongly suspected 1t to
Mr.. Jeffrey; for who else would dare
n light candle in this .disused house witt
nd out first seeing that all the shutters we
ed fast? I did not dislike Mr.. Jeffrey
d. question his right to do this. Neverth
less I was very angry. Tho allied to-
We Moore he was not one himself and Il
Is difference in our privileges affected n
on strongly. Consequently watched till
came out and upon positively recognizil