The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-08-18
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN,
Ithor Of The Mystery Of Agatha webb Lost Mans Laae
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gossip that you loved another woman
previous to your acquaintance with
Miss Moore. Il woman whom your wife
regarded with sisterly affection and
subsequently took into her new home"
Miss Tuttlef' Mr.. Jeffrey stopped
in his walk TO fing out this cjacula-
ton. IL admire and respect Miss Tut.
tie" he went on 20 declare. but | new
er loved her-not as | did my wife"
he finished. but with certain hard at
cent. apparent enough 20 a sensitive
ear.
Pardon ne It Is as difficult for me
10 put these questions as II Is for You
to hear them-werc you and Miss Tut
tle ever engaged"
started. This was a question which
half of Washington had been asking
itself for the last three months.
Would My. Jeffrey answer 1t, or. re
membering that these questions were
rather friendly than official. refuse TO
satisfy curiosity which he might well
consider ntrusivef The set aspect OF
his features promised little in the way
Of Information. and we were both sur
prised when moment later he re-
sponded with grim emphasis hardly
TO be expected from one of his impul
sive temperament:
"Unhappily. no. My attentions new
er went so far"
Instantly the coroner pounced on the
one weak word which Mr.. Jeffrey had
let fall.
"Unhappily?" he repeated. why
do you say 'unhappiy|'
Mr.. Jeffrey flushed and seemed TO
come out OF some dream.
Did say 'umhappily| he inquired.
"Weil, | repeat it-Miss Tuttlc would
never have given me any cause for
jealousy
The coroner bowed and for the pres
ent dropped her name out of the con-
versation.
you speak again of the jealousy
aroused in you by. your wifc's impctu-
oslties. Was this increased or dimin-
ished by the tone of the few lines she
left behind herr"
The response was long in coming. II
was hard for this man 10 lie. The
struggle he made at It was pitiful. As
l noted what il cost him. | began TO
have new ana curious thoughts con-
cerning him and the whole matter un.
der discussion.
Il shall never overcome the rcmOrse
reused in ne by those few lines he
finally reio!ned. she showed con.
sideration FOR me-
"Whatw
The Coroners exclamation showed all
the surprise he felt. Mr.. Jeffrey tot
tered under Ii. then grew slowly pale.
as if only through our amazed looks
lie had come TO realize the charge of
Inconsistency TO which he had laid
himself open.
Il mean he endeavored to explain.
that Mrs. Jeffrey showed an uneX-
pected tenderness toward me by taking
I'll the blame Of our msunderstand-
ing upon herself. 1t was generous of
her and will do much toward making
my memory of her gentle one
He was forgetting himself again.
Indeed his manner and attempted eX-
plantations were full of contradictions
10 emphasize this fact Coroner Il. ex-
claimed:
II should think so. She paid a heavy
penalty for her professed lack of love.
You believe that her mind was un-
seated
Docs not her action show it,
"unseItcd by tie nishap occurring
at her malriagoF'
Yes
"You really think thatT
"Yes."
"By anything that passed between
you?"
Yes
"May ask you TO tell US what pass
ed between you on this pointr'
Yes"
He had uttered the monosyliable so
often it seemed to come unconsciously
from his lips. But he recognized al
most as soon as we did that it was not
natural reply TO the last question,
and, making a gesture of apology, he
added with the same monotony of
tone which had characterized these re-
plies:
accountable death more than once, and
whenever she did so IL was with an
unnatural excitement ana in an un-
balanced way. This was so noticeable
TO US all that the subject presently
was tabooed among us, but though
she henccforth spared US all allusion
TO il she continued to talk about the
house Itself ANA Of the previous deaths
which had occurred there till we were
forced 10 forbid that topic also. She
was never really herself after cross
ing the threshold o. this desolate house
to be married. The shadow which
turks within its walls fell at that in.
stant upon her life. May God have
mercy"
The prayer remained unfinished. His
head, which had fallen on his breast,
sank lower.
He presented the aspec' of one who
is quite done vith life, even its sor.
rows.
But men in tic position Of Coroner
z. cannot afford TO be compassionate
Everything the bereaved man said
deepened the impression that he was
acting part. To make sure that this
was really SO the coroner, with just
the slightest touch of sarcasm, quietly
observed:
'And to ease your wife's mlnd-the
wife you were so deeply angered with
you visited this house and, at an
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