Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-10-07


had undergone change since
she last stood before US. She
was shamefaced still, but her
manner showed resolve and feverish
determination to face the situation
which could but awaken in the breasts
of those who had Mr.. Jeffrey's honor
and personal welfare at heart name
less dread, as If they already foresaw
the dark shadow which minute by min.
ute was slowly sinking over house
hold which up to week ago had been
the envy and admiration of all Wash
lngton society.
The first answer she made revealed
both the cause of her shame and the
reason Of her frmness. It was in re-.
Spouse to the question whether she,
Loretta, had seen Miss futile before
she went out on the walk she was said
to have taken Immediately after Mrs.
Jeffrey's final departure from the
house.
Her words were these:
II did, sir. do not think Miss Tut
tie knows 1t, but I saw her in Mrs.
Jeffrey's room. I am not especially
proud Of what did that night, but
was led into 1t by degrees, and am
sure I beg the lady's pardon" And
then she went on to relate how after
she had seen Mrs. Jeffrey leave the
house she went into her room with the
Intention Of putting 1t to rights. AS
this was no more than her duty, no
fault could be found with her, but she
owned that when she had finished this
task and removed all evidence Of Mrs.
Jefrey's frenzied condition she had no
business to linger at the table turning
over the letters she found lying there.
Her cheeks were burning now, for
she had found herself obliged to admit
that she had read enough of these let
tiers to be sure that they had no refer
ence to the quarrel then pending be-
tween her mistress and Mr.. Jeffrey.
Her eyes fell and she looked seriously
distressed as she went on to say that
she was as conscious then as now Of
having no business with these papers;
80 conscious, indeed, that when she
heard Miss Tuttle's step at the door.
her one idea was to hide herself.
That she could stand and face that
lady never so much as occurred to her.
Her own guilty consciousness made
her cheeks too hot for her to wish to
meet an eye which had never rested
on her any too kindly; so noticing how
straight the curtains fell over one Of
the windows on the opposite side of
the room, she dashed toward it and
slipped in out of sight just as Miss
Tuttle came in. This window was one
seldom used, owing to the fact that IL
overlooked an adjoining wall, 80 she
had no fear of Miss futile approach.
ing it. Consequently, she could stand
there quite at her ease, and, as the
curtains in falling behind her had not
come quite together, she really could
not help seeing what that lady did.
Here the witness paused with every
appearance of looking for some token
Of disapprobation from the crowd.
But she encountered nothing there
but eager anxiety for her to proceed,
so without waiting for the coroner's
question, she added in so many words:
"She went first to the bookshelves.' y
We had expected 1t; but yet gen.
eral movement took place, and few
suppressed EXPLANATIONS could be
heard.
"And what did she do there7"
"Took down book, after looking
carefully up and down the shelves"
"What color Of bookT'
"a green one with red figures on it
could see the cover plainly as she
took 1t down."
like this one7'
EXACTLY like that one"
"And what did she do with this
book?"
"Opened 1t, but not to read It. She
was too quick in closing it for that"
"Did she take the book away?"
mo; she put it back on the SHELF"
"After opening and closing it,"
eyes, sir"
"Did you see whether she put any
thing into the book?"
II cannot swear that she did, bu
then her back was to me, and I could
not have seen 1t If she had"
The implied suggestion caused som.
excitement, but the coroner, frownint
ln,attas. taati mnov