Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-09-09
CHAPTER Y Continually


was you and not she who had a right
trary stated. 1t is matter Of public
gossip that you loved another woman
previous to your acquaintance with
Miss Moore. woman whom your wife
regarded with sisterly affection and
subsequently took into her new home"
Miss Tuttle?' Mr.. Jeffrey stopped
in his walk to fling out this ejacula-
ton. Il admire and respect Miss Tut.
tle," he went on to declare, but new
er loved her-not as 1 did my wife,"
he finished, but with q certain hard ac-
cent, apparent enough to q sensitive
ear
Pardon me, 1t Is as difficult for me
to put these questions as 1t is for you
to hear thern-were you and Miss Tut
tie ever engaged"
l started. This was a question which
half Of Washington had been asking
itself for the last three months.
Would Mr.. jeffrey answer it, or, re-
membering that these questions were
rather friendly than official, refuse to
satisfy a curiosity which he might well
consider intrusive? The set aspect of
his features promised little in the way
Of information, and we were both sur.
prised when moment later he re.
sponded with q grim emphasis hardly
70 be expected from one OF his impul.
sive temperament:
"Unhappily, no. My attentions new.
er went so far"
Instantly the coroner pounced on the
one weak word which Mr.. jeffrey had
let fall.
"Unhappily he repeated. "Why
do you say 'unhappily?"
Mr.. Jeffrey flushed and seemed to
come out of some dream.
did I say 'unhappily p" he inquired
"Well, repeat it-Miss Tuttle would
never have given me any cause for
Jealousy"
The coroner bowed and for the pres.
ent dropped her name out of the con.
versatiOn.
You speak again Of the jealousy
aroused in you by your wife's impetu-
osities. Was this increased or dimin-
ished by the tone Of the few lines she
left behind herr"
The response was long in coming. II
was hard for this man to lie The
struggle he made at 1t was pitiful. AS
l noted what 1t cost him, I began to
have new and curious thoughts con.
corning him and the whole matter I'm.
der discussion.
Il shall never overcome the remorse
reused in me by those few lines" he
finally rejoined. 'She showed a con.
sideratiOn for me-
"Whatw
The cOr0ner's exclamation showed all
the surprise he felt. Mr.. Jeffrey tot
tered under it. then grew slowly pale
as II only through our amazed looks
he had come to realize the charge Of
Inconsistency to which he had laid
himself open.
Il mean," he endeavored to explain
'that Mrs. Jeffrey showed an unex.
pected tenderness toward me by taking
all the blame Of our misunderstood.
ing upon herself. 1t was generous OF
her and will do much toward making
my memory Of her gentle one."
He was forgetting himself again
Indeed his manner and attempted ex
plantations were full Of contradictions
To emphasize this fact Coroner z. ex
claimed:
Il should think 80! She paid heavy
penalty for her protested lack Of love
You believe that her mind was un
seated"
Does not her action show it?"
"Unseated by the mishap occurring
at her marriageT
EYES,"
"You really think thatr'
"Yes."
"By anything that passed between
you"
YES"
MAY ask you to tell US what pass
ed between you on this point?"
YES"
He had uttered the monosyllable %
often it seemed to come unconsciously
from his lips. But he recognized al
most as soon as we did that it was no,
q natural reply to the last question
and, making gesture of apology, ht
added, with the same monotony OF
tone which had characterized these re
plies:
''She spoke of her strange guests un
accountable death more than once, and
whenever she did SO it was with nj
unnatural excitement and In an un
balanced way. This was SO noticeable
to us all that the subject presently
was tabooed among us, but though
she henceforth spared us all allusiOr
to it she continued to talk about the
house itself and of the previous deaths
which had occurred there till we were
forced to forbid that topic also. She
was never really herself after cross
ing the threshold of this desolate house
to be married. The shadow which
turks within its walls fell at that In
slant upon her life May God have
mercy
The pravor rama inod r,pfinichaJ His