Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-17

had SO startled all Washington on the
evening Of the Jeffrey wedding. Thai
they had come from some eyewitness
had no doubt, but who was the eye
witness? Himself? No. Who then.
At first he declined to tell me, but aft
err fuller understanding of my mo
tives he mentioned the name Of young
lady who. while frequent guest al
the most fashionable functions, was
not above supplying the papers with
such little items of current gossip as
came under her own observation.
How l managed to approach this lady
and by what means I succeeded in
gaining her confidence are details quite
unnecessary to this narrative. Enough
that did obtain access to her and that
she talked quite frankly to me and in
so doing supplied me with clew which
ultimately opened up to me an entirely
new field of inquiry.
We had been discussing Mr.. jeffrey
and Miss Tuttle when suddenly and
with no apparent motive beyond the
natural love Of gossip, which was her
weakness, she launched out into re-
marks about the bride. The ceremony
had been late. Did know it? A half
| hour or three-quarters past the time set
! for It. And why? Because Miss Moore
| was not ready. She had chosen to ar
| ray herself in the house and had come
early enough for the purpose, but she
would not accept any assistance, not
even that Of her maid, and Of course
she kept every one waiting. ooh.
there was no more uneasy soul in the
whole party IhEl morning than the
bride!" Let other people remark upon
the high look in Cora Tuttle's face or
gossip about the anxious manner of
the bridegroom. she (the speaker) could
tell things about the bride which would
go to show that she was not al right
even before that ominous deaths head
reared itself into view at her marriage
festival. Why, the fact that she came
downstairs and was married without
her bridal bouquet was enough. Had
about, people would have talked about
that. But the big event had SO effec-
tually swallowed up the little that only
herself and possibly two other ladies
she might name seemed to retain any
memory of the matter
what ladiesy' asked.
"Oh, it doesn't matter what ladies.
Two Of the very best sort. l know
they noticed it, because l heard them
talking about it. We were all stand
ing in the upper hall and were all
crowded into passage leading to the
room where the bride was dressing.
1t was before the alarm had gone
around Of what had been discovered in
the library, and we were all impatient
enough for the appearance of the
bride, who, we had been told, intended
to wear the old point in which her
great-grandmother was married.
have a weakness for old point and l
was determined to stand where could
see her come out, even If lost sight
of the ceremony itself. But it would
have been tedious enough waiting in
that close hall il the ladies behind me
had not kept up conversation. which
l, of course, pretended not to hear. I
remember it, every word, for it was
my sole amusement for half an hour.
What was 1t? Oh, 1T was about that
same bouquet, which, by the way, l
had the privilege of staring at all the !
time they chatted. For the boy who
brought it had not been admitted into
Miss Moore's room, and, not knowing |
what else to do with it. was lingering |
before her door, with the great stream
ers falling from his hands, and the
lilies making the whole place heavy
with sickening perfume. From what
| heard the ladies say, he had been
landing there an hour, and the timid
,ock he gave from time to time pro-
;ced In me an odd feeling which
nose ladies behind me seemed to share.
Its q shamep heard enc of them
.ry. Veronica Moore has no excuse
for such thoughtlessness. 1t is an
hour now that she has been shut up
IN her room alone. She won't have
aven her maidtin. She prefers to dress
alone, she says. Peculiar In bride.
sn't it2 Bat one thing Is certain
The cannot pot on her vcii without
lelp. She VIII have to call some one
n for that At which-the other volun-
eered that the Mopres were all queer.