Morris tribune., 1904-06-18

" do COfCltlJ SllOW w uCl
the coroner veered off from this topic
and brusQuely inquired:
Did you ever know Mr.. and Mrs
jeffrey to have any open rupture?"
Tie answer was a decided one.
Yes. On Tuesday morning preced
ing her death they had long and
angry talk in their own room, after
which Mrs. Jeffrey made no further
effort to conceal her Wretchedness. In
deed, one may say she began to die
from that hour"
Mrs. Jefrey's death had occurred on
Wednesday evening.
LET us hear what you have to say
about this quarrel and what happened
after it."
The girl, with renewed flush, cast
n deprecatory look at the mass Of faces
before her. and, meeting on all sides
but one look of intense and growing
interest, drew up her neat figure with
relieved air and began a story which
I will proceed to transcribe for you in
the fewest possible words.
Tuesday mornings breakfast had
been a silent one. There had been a
ball the night before at some great
place on Massachusetts avenue; but
no one spoke of it. Miss Tuttle made
some remark about a friend she had
met there, but as no one listened to
her she soon stopped and in little
while left the table, Mr.. and Mrs.
Jeffrey sat on, but neither said any
thing. Finally Mr.. Jeffrey rose and.
speaking in a voice hardly recogniz-
able, remarked that he had something
TO say to her, and led the way to their
room. Mrs. Jeffrey looked frightened
as she followed him; 50 frightened that
it was evident that something very
serious had occurred or was about to
occur between them. AS nothing of
this kind had ever happened before,
Loretta could not help waiting about
Fill Mr.. Jeffrey reappeared, and when
he did so, and she saw no signs of re-
lief in his face or manner, she watch
ed, with the silly interest of girl
who had nothing else to occupy her
mind, to see if he would leave the
house in such a mood and without
making peace with his young bride.
To her surprise, he did not go out at
the usual time, but went to Miss Tut
Ge's room, where for a full half hour
he remained closeted with his sister
in-law, talking in excited and unnatY,
raj tones. Then he went back for
few minutes to where he had left his
70 tn n,, Iosr D,,+ h~ o,,1I
not have had mach to say to her this
time, for he presently came out again
and ran hastily downstairs and out
almost without stopping to catch up
ais nat. -. sagss.t. ,.rr,-sr..,..t4.t
>t"As it was Mary's business, and not
the witness, to make Mrs. Jeffrey's
bed in the morning, Loretta could
think Of no excuse for approaching her
mistress room at this moment; but
later, when letters came, followed by
various messages and some visitors,
she went more than dozen times to
Mrs. Jeffrey's door. She was not adj
mitted, nor were her appeals answer
ed, except by sharp go awayw
Nor was Miss Tuttle received any
better, though she tried more than
once to see her sister, especially as
night came on and the hour approach
ed for Mr.. .Jeffrey's return. Mrs. JEFF
frey was simply determined to remain
alone, and when dinner time arrived,
and no Mr.. Jeffrey, she could be in
duced to open her door only wide
enough to take in the cup Of tea which
Miss Tuttle insisted upon sending her.
The witness here confessed that she
had been very much excited by these
unusual proceedings and by the effect
which they seemed to have on the lady
just mentioned, SO she was ready to
notice that Mrs. Jeffrey's hand shook
like that Of an old and palsied woman
when she reached out for the tray.
Gladly would Loretta have caught !
one glimpse Of her face, but it was hid
den by the door; nor did Mrs. Jeffrey
answer a single one Of her questions.
She simply closed her door and kept it
30 till toward midnight, when Miss
Tuttle coming into the hall, ordered |
the house to be closed for the night.
Then the long shut door softly swung /
open; but, before any one could reach |
1T, it was again pulled to and locked.
The next day brought no relief. Miss
Tuttle, who had changed greatly dur
Ing this unhappy day and night, sue J