Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-05-28

dust covering the southwest chamber
mantelshelf, and, if fortunate enough
| to find that these had been passed over
| by the other detectives, seek to gain
| hearing thereby and secure for my
self the privileges l so earnestly de-
sired But my egotism was such that
I wished to be sure of the hand which
had made these marks before parted
with a secret which, once told, would
make or mar me. Yet to obtain the
slight concession of an interview with
any of the principals connected with
this crime would be difficult without
the aid Of one or both of my superiors.
Even to enter the house again where
but a few hours before I had made
myself so thoroughly at home would
require certain amount of pluck, for
Durbin had been installed there, and
Durbin was a watchdog whose bite
as we'll as his bark 1 regarded with
considerable respect. Yet into that
house must sooner or later go, if only
to determine whether or not I had
been alone in my recognition of GER
tain clews pointing plainly toward
murder Should 1 trust my lucky star
and remain for the nonce quiescent?
This seemed a wise suggestion, and 1
decided to adopt it, comforting myself
with the thought that if after a day
or two of modest waiting l failed in
obtaining what / wished l could then
appeal to the lieutenant of my own
precinct. He, had sometimes felt as
sured, did not regard me with an al
together unfavorable eye.
Meantime 1 spent all my available
time in lettering around newspaper Of
fees and picking up such stray bits Of
gossip as were offered. AS no question
had yet been raised of any more Sc
rious crime than suicide, these mostly
related to the idiosyncrasies of the
Moore family and the solitary position
into which Miss Tuttle had been
plunged by this sudden death Of her
only relative. AS this beautiful and
distinguished young woman had been
and still was a great belle in her spe-
cial circle, her present homeless. if not
penniless, position led to many sur
misses. Would she marry, and, if so,
to which of the many wealthy or
prominent men who had openly court
ed her would she accord her hand? In
the present egotistic state of my mind
secretly fattered myself that 1 was
right in concluding that she would say
yes to no mans entreaty till certain
newly made widower's year Of mourn
ing had expired.
But this opinion received something
Of check when in quiet talk with q
reporter I learned that it was openly
stated by those who had courage to.
speak that the tie which had certainly
existed at one time between Mr.. JEFF
frey and the handsome Miss futile had
been entirely Of her own weaving, and
that the person of Veronica Moore,
rather than the large income she COM
had been the attractive pow
er which had led him away from the
older sister. This seemed improbable,
for the charms Of the poor little bride
were not to be compared with those Of
her maturer sister. Yet, as we all
know, there are other attrac tions than
those offered by beauty. have since
heard it broadly stated that the Pc
culiar witch of the lip observable in
all the Moores had proved an irresist-
BILE charm in the unfortunate Veronica,
making her radiant image when she
laughed. This was by no means a rare
Il