Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-01
..nfy sisterl where is my sister?s


 The captain made a hurried move ment toward the rear and then, with the laudable intention doubtless of preparing her for the ghastly sight which awaited her, returned and open ed q way for her into the drawing room. But she was not to be turned aside from her course. Passing him by, she made directly for the library, which she entered with a bound. Struck by her daring, we all crowded up behind her and, curious brutes that we were, grouped ourselves in semi circle about the doorway as she falter- ed toward her sisters outstretched form and fell on her knees beside 1t. Her involuntary shriek and the fierce recoil she made as her eyes fell on the long white ribbon trailing over the floor from her sisters wrist struck me as voicing the utmost horror of which the human soul is capable. It was as though her very soul were pierced. Something in the fact itself, some thing in the appearance of this snowy ribbon tied to the scarce whiter wrist, seemed to pluck at the very root of her being. and when her glance, in travelling its length, lighted on the death dealing weapon at its end she cringed in such apparent anguish that we looked to see her fall in swoon or break out into delirium. We were cor respondingly startled when she sud denly burst forth with this word of | stern commando:
 s'Untie that knot! Why do you leave that dreadful thing fast to her? Un- tie it, I sayi It is killing me. cannot bear the sight" And from trembling she passed to shuddering till her whole l body shook convulsivsly. l The captain, with much considera- tion, drew back the hand he had i'm l pulsively stretched toward the ribbon.
 'tNo, no," he protested; i've cannot do that. We can do nothing till the coroner comes. It is necessary that he should see her just as she was found. Besides, MT. Jeffrey has right to the same privilege. We expect him any. | moment
 The beautiful head of the woman be- l Tore us shook 1nVoiunturlly, but her l lips made no protest. doubt if she possessed the power of speech at that moment. A change, subtle, but quite perceptible, had taken place in her l emotions at mention of her sisters husband, and, though she exerted her I self to remain calm, the effort seemed too much for her strength. Anxious to hide this evidence of weakness, she rose impetuously, and then we saw iI how tall she was, how the long lines I of her cloak became her and what a I glorious creature she was altogether
 'Tt will kill him." she groaned in a deep inward voice. Then, with cer- tain forced haste and in tone of sur j prise which to my ear had not quite a natural ring she called aloud on her who could no longer either listen or an swer:
 'tOh, Veronica Veronica! What cause had you for death2 And why do we find you lying here in spot you so feared and detested? ?'
 Don't you know?' insinuated the captain, with mild persuasiveness, such as he was seldom heard to use. "Do you mean that you cannot account for your sisters violent ena, you, who have lived with her-or so have been told ever since her marriage with MT. Jeffrey?''
 'sYes."
 Keen and clear the word rang out, fierce in its keenness and almost too clear to be in keeping with the half choked tones with which she added: T know that she was not happy, that she never has been happy since the shadow which this room suggests fell upon her marriage. But how could I so much as dream that her dread of the past or her fear of the, future would drive her to suicide, and in this place of all placesi Had done so- had I imagined in the least degree that she was affected to this extent-do you think that I would have left her for ' one instant alone? None of us knew that she contemplated death. She had no appearance of 1t; she laughed when I"-
 What had she been about to say The captain seemed to wonder, and after waiting in vain for the compile ton of her sentence, he quietly sug- gested:
 "You have not finished what you had to say Miss Tuttle."
 M She started and seemed to come back from some remote region of thought into which she had wandered. q don't
 Miss Tuttlo
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