Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-09


 little, but Francis Jeffrey did not be- tray any sign of feeling or even of at tention. The coroner, embarrassed, perhaps, by this exhibition of silent misery so near him, hesitated a little before he put his next question. Lo- retta, on the contrary, had gathered courage with every word she spoke and now looked ready for anything. Tt was Mrs. Jeffrey, then, who clung most determinedly to her sisterY the coroner finally suggested. "I have told you what she said.''
 "Yet these sisters spent but little time together?
 "Very little; as little as two per sons could who lived together in one house."
 This statement, which seemed such a contradiction to her former one, in- creased the interest, and much disap- | pointment was covertly shown when | the coroner veered off from this topic and brusquely inquired
 Did you ever know MT. and Mrs. Jeffrey to have any open rupture?" The answer was decided one. 'Yes. On Tuesday morning preced- ing her death they had a long and angry talk in their own room, after which Mrs. Jeffrey made no further effort to conceal her wretchedness. In. deed, one may say she began to die i from that hour.''
 Mrs. Jeffrey's death had occurred on 1 Wednesday evening.
 ''Let us hear what you have to say ! about this quarrel and what happened I after it.'
 The girl, with a renewed flush, cast l deprecatory look at the mass of faces before her, and meeting on all sides but one look of intense and growing interest, drew up her neat figure with relieved air and began story which 1 will proceed to transcribe for you in the fewest possible words.
 Tuesday mornings breakfast had been a silent one. There had been a J ball the night before at some great place on Massachusetts avenue; but no one spoke of it. Miss Futile made l some remark about a friend she had met there, but as no one listened to l her she soon stopped and in little while left the table. MT. and Mrs 1 Jeffrey sat on, but neither said any thing. Finally MT. Jeffrey rose and, l speaking in a voice hardly recogniz- | able, remarked that he had something l to say to her, and led the way to their room. Mrs. Jeffrey looked frightened as she followed him; SC frightened that it was evident that something very serious had occurred or was about to occur between them. AS nothing of .I this kind had ever happened before, I Loretta could not help waiting about Efll Mir. Jeffrey reappeared, and when he did so, and she saw no signs of re- lief in his face or manner, she watch T ed, with the silly interest of a girl I who had nothing else to occupy her
 mind, to see if he would leave the house in such a mood and without making peace with his young bride To her surprise, he did not go out at the usual time, but went to Miss Tut ties room, where for full half hour he remained closeted with his sister in-law, talking in excited and unnatu- q ral tones. Then he went back for few minutes to where he had left his wife in her own boudoir. But he could not have had much to say to her this time, for he presently came out again and ran hastily downstairs and out, almost without stopping to catch up his hat.
 l As it was Mary's business, ana not the witness, to make Mrs. Jeffrey's bed in the morning, Loretta could think of no excuse for approaching her mistress room at this moment; but later, when letters came, followed by I various messages and some visitors, she went more than dozen times to Mrs. Jeffrey's door. She was not ad- mitted, nor were her appeals answer I ed except by sharp GO away!'
 Nor was Miss Futile received any better though she tried more than once to see her sister, especially as night came on and the hour approach ed for MT. Jeffrey's return. Mrs. Jeff frey was simply determined to remain I alone, and when dinner time arrived, and no MT. Jeffrey, she could be in- duced to open her door only wide enough to take in the cup of tea which Miss Futile insisted upon sending her.
 The witness here confessed that she had been very much excited by these ! unusual proceedings and by the effect which they seemed to have on the lady just mentioned, so she was ready to notice that Mrs. Jeffreys hand shook like that of an old and palsied woman when she reached out for the tray. l Gladly would Loretta have caught one glimpse of her face, but it was hid- den by the door; nor did Mrs. Jeffrey answer a single one of her questions She simply closed her door and kept 1t so till toward midnight, when Miss Futile, coming into the hall, ordered l the house to be closed for the night Then the long shut door softly swung I open; but, before any one could reach it, it was again pulled to and locked.
 The next day brought no relief. Miss Futile, who had changed greatly dur ing this unhappy day and night, sue ceeded no better than before in getting access to her sister, nor could Loretta gain the least word from her mistress till toward the latter part of the after noon, when that lady, ringing her bell,