Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-07-20

through the Moore house while his
wife lay dying below. AT all events,
we will give him the opportunity to
do SO and If possible to clear up mys-
teries which provoke the worst kind of
conjecture. It is time, The ideas adj
vanced by the papers foster supersti-
ton, and superstition is the devil. Go
and tell my man out there that am
going to X street. You may say we
If you like" he added. with humor
more welcome to me than any serious
concession.
Did feel set up by this? Rather.
Mr.. jeffrey was expecting us. This
was evident from his first look, though
the attempt he made at surprise was
instantaneous and very well feigned.
Indeed, I think he was in constant
state Of apprehension during these
days and that no inroad Of the police
would have astonishcd him. But ex-
pectation does not preclude dread-in-
deed, it tends to foster it-and dread
was in his heart. This he had no pow
err to conceal.
ITO what am 1 indebted for this sec
ond visit from you?" he asked of Coro-
ner a., with an admirable presence of
mind. care you not yet satisfied with
what we have been able to tell you of
my poor wifes unhappy end?"
1--WE are not was the plain re-
Spouse. "There are some things you
have not attempted to explain, Mr..
Jeffrey-for instance, why you went
to the Moore house previous to your
being called there by the death Of your
wife,"
1t was shot that told, an arrow
which found its mark. Mr.. Jeffrey
flushed, then turned pale, rallied and
again lost himself in maze of con-
| flicting emotions, from which he only
emerged to say:
Elbow do you know that was there?
Have said so, CT do those old walls
babble in their sleep?'
"Old walls have been known to do
this" was the grave reply. whether
they had anything to say in this case
is at present quite immaterial That
you were where charge you with be
ing is evident from your own manner
May then ask if you have anything
to say about this visit? When q per
son has died under such peculiar cir
cumstances as Mrs. Jeffrey, everything
bearing upon the case is of interest tt
the coroner"
"Mrs. Jeffrey's death was strange
one" her husband admitted, with tar
dy sci; control. II find myself as muci
Mt loss to understand it as you dt
and am therefore quite ready to an
swer the question you have so openly
broached; not that my answer has any
bearing upon the point you wish tt
make, but because it is your due ant
my pleasure. did visit the Moore
house, as certainly had every righ'
to The property was my wife's
and for my interest to learn if
could the secret Of lis many CRIMES"
"Ah!" "
Mr.. Jeffrey looked quickly up. "Yo,
think that an odd thing for me to do?'
cat night-yes."
might is the time for such work.
did not care to be seen potterin,
around there in daylight"
"No? Yet it would have been s,
much easier. You would not have ha,
to buy candles or carry pistol or
II did not carry q pistol. The onl,
pistol carried there was the one witt
which my demcnted Wife chose to tax
her life. / do not understand this allu
sion."
at grew out of misunderstanding
of the situation, Mr.. jeffrey Excus
me If | supposed you would be likel
to provide yourself with some mean
of defense in venturing alone upon til
scene of SO many mysterious deaths"
II took no precaution."
"And needed none, 1 suppose"
"And needed none"
when was this visit paid, Mr.. JET
frey-before or after your wife pulle
the trigger which ended her life7 Yo
need not hesitate to answer"
Il do not" The elegant gentlema
before us had acquired a certain fierce
ness. "Why should 1? Certainly yo
don't think that l was there at til
same time she was. 1t was not on til
same night even. So much the wall
should have told you and probably did
or my wife's uncle, Mr.. David Moore
Was he not your informantY
mo. Mr.. Moore has failed to cal
our attention to this fact. Did you NEE
Mr.. Moore during the course of you
visit to a neighborhood over whicl
he seems to hold absolute swayY"
"Not to my knowledge. But hi
house is directly opposite, and as h
has little to do but amuse himself witt
what he can see from his front win
dow I concluded that he might hav,
observed me going in"
"You entered by the front door
then?'
J. "How else?"
"And on what night?'
Mr.. Jeffrey made an effort. Thes
questions were visibly harassing him.
"The night before the one-the on
which-ended all my earthly happl
ness" he added in low voice.
Coroner u. cast a glance at me. l re
membered the lack of dust on the mes
of little tables from which the uppe
one had been drawn forward to hol
the candelabrum and gently shook m
head. The coroner's eyebrows wen
up, but none Of his disbelief crept int
his voice as he made this additiona
statement:
"The night on which you failed t
return to your own house."
Instantly Mr.. Jeffrey betrayed by
nervous action, which was quite ir
voluntary, that his outward calm wa
slowly giving way under n fire Of ques
tons for which he had no ready reply
at was odd your not going HON
that night" the coroner coldly pun
sued. 1.-THE misunderstanding you ha
with your wife Immediately aftc
breakfast must have been very SER
Gus one, more serious than you hay
hitherto acknowledged"
II had rather not discuss the sul,