Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-05-07


my mind was necessarily full, that l
paused, baked in my advance and well
nigh uncertain whether I looked upon
real thing or on some strange and
terrible fantasy Of my aroused imagi-
nation.
A form lay before me, outstretched
on that portion of the floor which had
hitherto been hidden from me by the
half open door-a woman's form,
which even in that first casual look
impressed itself upon me as one Of
aerial delicacy and extreme refine
ment; and this form lay as only the
dead lie; the dead! And I had been
looking at the hearthstOne for just
such a picture! No, not just such
picture, for this woman lay face upper
most, and, on the floor beside her was
blood
A hand had plucked my sleeve. 1t
was Hibbard's. Startled by my i'm
mobility and silence, he had stepped in
with quaking members, expecting he
hardly knew what But NO sooner did
his eyes fall on the PROSTATE form
which held me spellbound than an I'M
foreseen change took place in him.
What had unnerved me, restored him
to full self possession. Death in this
shape was familiar to him. He had no
fear of blood. He did not show sur
prise at encountering it, but only at
the effect it appeared to produce on me.
"Shotv' was his laconic comment as
he bent over the PROSTATE body. "Shot
through the heart! She must have
died before she fell"
Shot!
That was a new experience for this
room. No wound had ever before dis
figured those who had fallen here, nor
had any of the previous victims been
found lying on any other spot than the
one over which that huge settle kept
guard. AS these thoughts crossed my
mind I instinctively glanced again TO-
ward the fireplace for what l almost
refused to believe lay outstretched at
my feet. When nothing more ap-
peared there than that old seat of sin
lister memory, 1 experienced thrill
which poorly prepared me for the cry
" u.
"Look here! What do you make of
this?'
He was pointing to what upon closer
proved to be a strip of
white satin ribbon running from one
Of the delicate wrists Of the girl before
us to the handle of a pistol which had
fallen not far away from her side. eft
looks as if the pistol was attached to
her. That is something new in my
experience. What do you think it
Alas, there was but one thing it
could mean. The shot to which she
had succumbed had been delivered by
herself. This fair and delicate creature
was a suicide.
But suicide in this place! How could
we account for that? Had the story
IF this rooms ill acquired fame acted
lypnotically on her, or had she STUN
oled upon the open door in front and
been glad of any refuge where her
misery might find a solitary termina-
ion? Closely scanning her upturned
ACE, sought an answer to this ques-
ion, and while thus seeking received
| fresh shock which 1 did not hesitate
o communicate to my now none too
sensitive companion.
''Look at these features" cried. 81
eem to know them. Do your"
He growled out dissent, but stoop-
ID at my bidding and gave the pitiful
'oung face prolonged stare. When
le looked up again it was with a puz-
led contraction of his eyebrows.
''I've certainly seen it somewhere"
e hesitatingly admitted, edging slow
Y away toward the door. perhaps in
he papers. Isn't she like
"Likev' interrupted. "It is Veroni-.
a Moore herself, the owner of this
ouse and she who was married here
wo weeks since to Mr.. Jeffrey. Evil
emily her reason was unseated by the
ragedy which threw So deep a gloom
yer her wedding"