Evening star., 1903-07-07

that the shadow which fell upon her on
that evil day never left her till she gave
herself wholly up to its influence and re-
turned to die on the spot made awful by
her own crime.
Before any OF us were quite ready to
speak a tap at the door told us that Durbin
had arrived with Mr.. Jeffrey. When they
had been admitted and the latter saw Miss
Tuttie standing there, he, too. seemed to
realize that turn had come In their az
fairs, and that courage rather than endur-
ance was the quality most demanded from
him. Facing the small group clustered In
the dismal hall fraught with such unutter-
able associations, he earnestly prayed:
DO not keep me In suspense. Why am
summoned here?'
The reply was as grave as the occasion
warranted. ..
you are summoned to learn the murder
GUS secret Of these old walls. and who 1t
was that last made use Of It, Do you feel
inclined to hear these details from my lips.
Or are you ready to state that you already
know the means by which SO many persons,
in times past well az in times present,
have met death here? We do not require
you to answer u.s.
II know the MEANS" he allowed. recog-
nizing without doubt that the crisis Of
crises had come. and that denial would be
worse than useless. p
"Then it only remains for us to acquaint
you with the identity OF the person who
last pressed the fatal spring. But perhaps
you know that, too?" .sa.t; ,,s
'I-" He paused; words were impossible
to him; and in that pause his eyes flashed
helplessly in the direction of Miss Tuttle
But the major was quick ON his feet and
was already between him and that lady.
This act forced from Mr.. Jefrrey's lips the
following broken sentence:
II acknowledgements Great
gasps came with each heavily spoken word.
Perhaps this morsel of lace will do 1t in
gentler manner. THAN could, responded
the district attorney:oopening his hand, in
wi Ia ha ofs a ha
Or so before, had pllrked away from the
boarding Of that fatal closet.
Mr.. Jeffrey eyedift and understood. His
hands went up to- his face and he swayed
to the point of sfaIling. Miss Tuttle came
quickly forward. t5V IA i,nt+
"Oh- she moaned,t as her eyes fell
on the little white shred. The provi-
dence Of God has found us out. We have
suffered. labored dndidbnied in vain.''
YES" came In dreafy echo from the man
none Of us had understood till now; 80
great crime could not be hid. God will
have vengeance. .srViiat are we that we
should hope to avert " by any act or at any
cost 2' 500 ne
The major, with hfss eyes fixed piercingly
on this miserable onah, replied with one
pregnant sentence:ls's
. Then you forced a. apr. q wife to suicide!"
could follow Miss futile, respIendent in
beauty and beaming with new life, broke
In with the fervid cry:
You wrong him and you wrong her by
such suggestion. 1t was not her husband
but her conscience that forced her to this
retributive act What-M Jeffrey might
have done had she proved ;obdurate and
blind to the enormity of her own guilt do
not know. But that he Is innocent of so in
fiuencing her rs proved by the shock he suf-
fered at finding She had taken her punish
ment into her own hands,"
Mr.. Jeffrey will please answer the ques-
tion." insisted the major. Whereupon the
,,
appearance of real candor yet seen in him.
said earnestly:
II did nothing to influence her. was in
no condition to do so / was benumbed-
some words muttered in her sleep-I
thought she was laboring under some fear