Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-09-27

unhappy lady-a wound which he IN
sisted, with marked display Of learn
ing, must have made that end instan-
taneous or at least too immediate for
her to move foot or hand after 1.-THE
was asked II the body showed any
other mark Of violence.
To this he replied:
There was minute wound at the
base Of one of her fingers, the one
which IL popularity called the wedding
finger"
This statement made all the women
present stare with renewed interest;
nor was 1t altogether without point for
the men, especially when the doctor
went on to say:
1.-The hands were entirely without
rings. As Mrs. Jeffrey had been mar.
ried with ring, / noticed their alb
sence,"
WAS this wound which you charac-
terlze as minute recent one?"
ut had bled little. It was an abra-
sion such as would be made II the ring
she usually wore there had been drawn
of with Jerk. That was the impress
sion I received from its appearance.
do not state that It was SO made.r
A little thrill which went over the
audience at the picture this evoked
communicated itself to Miss futile,
who trembled violently. It even pro-
duced a slight display Of emotion in
Mr.. jeffrey, whose hand shook where
he pressed it against his forehead. But
neither uttered sound nor looked up
when the next witness was summoned.
This witness proved to be Loretta,
who, on hearing her name called,
evtnced great reluctance to come for
ward. After the coroner had ELECTED
her name and the position she held in
Mr.. Jenrey's household he asked
whether her duties took her into Mrs.
Jeffrey's room. Upon her replying that
they did, he further inquired II she
knew Mrs. Jeffrey's rings, and could
say whether they were all to be found
on that lady's toilet table after the
police came In with news Of her death.
The answer was decisive. They were
all there: her rings and all the other
ornaments she was In the daily habit
Of wearing, with the exception Of her
watch. That was not there.
did you take up those rings?"
mo, sir"
did you see any one else take them
upT
mo, sir; not till the officer did So"
Every well, Loretta. Sit down again
till we hear what Durbin has to say
about these rings"
And then the man hated came for
ward, and, though I shrank from &C
knowledging it even to myself, I could
but observe how strong and quiet ant
self possessed he seemed and how de
cisive was his testimony.
But 1t was equally brief. He hat
taken up the rings and he had looked
at themi and on one. the wedding ring
he had detected slight stain Of blood
He had called Mr.. Jeffrey's attention
to it. but that gentleman had made ne
comment.
This remark had the effect Of con
centrating general attention upon Mr.
Jeffrey. But he seemed quite ohlivi
GUS of it; his attitude remained I'm
changed, and only from the quicl
stretching out and withdrawal of Mis-.
Tuttle's hand could it be seen tina
anything had been said calculated t
touch or arouse this man. The corone
cast an uneasy glance in his direction
then he motioned Durbin aside and re
called Loretta.
And now began to be sorry for tn,
girl. It Is hard to have ones weak
nesses exposed, especially IL one II
more foolish than wicked. But their
was no way of letting this girl OF with
Ihs pAotosrsph Of tn.
timer marks