Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-09-20

his intense rcstlessness. I'VE did have
some words. Her conduct the night
before had not pleased me. I am nat.
urally jealous, vilely Jealous, and 1
thought she was a little frivolous at
the German ambassadors ball. But I
had no idea she would take my sharp
speeches SO much to heart. I had no
idea that she would care SO much or
that I should care so much. A little
Jealousy is certainly pardonable in a
bridegroom, and II her mind had not
already been upset she would have re-
membered how I loved her and hope
fully waited for q reconciliation"
You did love your wife, then? It
was you and not she who had q right
to be jealous? I have heard the con-
trary stated. It is a matter Of public
gossip that you loved another woman
previous to your acquaintance with
Miss Moore, a woman whom your wife
regarded with sisterly affection and
subsequently took into her new home"
"Miss Tuttle" Mr.. jeffrey stopped
in his walk to fling out this ejacula-
ton. II admire and respect Miss Tut
tie" he went on to declare, "but I new
er loved her-not as I did my wife"
he finished, but with a certain hard ac-
cent, apparent enough to a sensitive
ear.
Pardon me, 1t is as difficult for me
to put these questions as It. Is for you
to hear them-were you and Miss Tut
tie ever engagedT
I started. This was a question which
half Of Washington had been asking
itself for the last three months.
Would MI. Jeffrey answer 1t, or, re-
membering that these questions were
rather friendly than official, refuse to
satisfy a curiosity which he might we'll
consider intrusive? The set aspect Of
his features promised little in the way
Of information, and we were both sur
prised when a moment later he re-
sponded with a grim emphasis hardly
to be expected from one Of his lmpul-
sive temperament:
"Unhappily, no.. My attentions new
er went so far" :
Instantly the coroner pounced on the
n weak word which Mr.. jeffrey had
let fall.
"Unhappily" he repeated. "Why
do you say 'unhappilyT
Mr.. Jeffrey flushed and seemed to
come out of some dream.
"Did 1 say 'unhappily? 2" he inquired.
"Well, l repeat it-Miss Tuttle would
never have given me any u for
jealousy"
The coroner bowed and for the pres
ent dropped her nam out Of the con-
%versation.
you speak again of the Jealousy
aroused in you by your wife's impetu-
osities. Was this increased or dimin-
ished by the tone Of the few lines she
left behind herr"
The response was long in coming. 1t
was hard for this man to lie. The
struggle he made at it was pitiful. AS
I noted what it cost him, l began to
have new and curious thoughts con-
corning him and the whole matter un.
der discussion.
II shall never overcome the remorse
reused in me by those few lines," he
finally rejoined. "She showed a con-
sideration for me-
"Whatp
The %coroner's exclamation showed all
the surprise he felt. Mr.. jeffrey tot.
tered under it, then grew slowly pale,
as If only through our amazed looks
he had come to realize the charge Of
inconsistency to which he had laid
himself open.
II mean," lie endeavored to explain,
'that Mrs. jeffrey showed an unex-
pected tenderness toward me by taking
all the blame Of our misunderstand-
ing upon herself. 1t was generous Of
her and will do much toward making
my memory Of her a gentle one."
He was forgetting himself again.
Indeed his and attempted ex-
plantations were full of contradictions.
To emphasize this fact Coroner q. ex-
claimed:
II should think so! She paid a heavy
penalty for her protested lack Of love.
You believe that her mind was un-
seated?"
Does not her action show it?"
"Unseated by the mishap occurring
at her marriage?"
EYES,"
"You really think that7"
EYES,"
"By anything that passed between
your
EYES,"
MAY l ask you to tell us what pass.
ed between you on this point"
EYES,"
He had uttered the monosyllable so
often it seemed to come unconsciously
from his lips. But he recognized al
most as SOC as we did that it was not
a 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:
"She spoke Of her strange guests un.
accountable death more than once, and
whenever she did SO it was with al
unnatural excitement and in an un'
balanced way. This was SO noticeable
to us all that the subject presently
was tabooed among us, but though
she henceforth spared US all allusion
to 1t she continued to talk about the
house itself and of the previous deaths
which had occurred there till we were