Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-10

/ the maids glance and that of her mis-
! tress crossed, Mrs. Jeffrey spoke. and
the effort she made In doing so natu-
rally frightened the girl still more. II
am going out" were her words. ~
may not be home till late What are
you looking at?"
| Loretta declared that the words took
her by surprise and that she did not
know what to say. but managed to COW
er up her embarrassment by intimating
that if her mistress would let her
touch up her hair bit she would
make her look more natural.
! AT this suggestion Mrs. Jeffrey cast
glance in the glass and impetuously
declared, ut doesn't natter But she
seemed to think better Of it the next
minute; for. throwing herself in q.
chair, she babe the girl to bring A.
comb and sat quietly enough, though
evidently in great tremor of haste
and impatience while Loretta combed
her hair and put it up in the old way.
| But the old way was not as becom-
| ing as usual, and Loretta was wonder
! ing il she ought to call in Miss Tuttle
when Mrs. Jeffrey jumped to her feet
and went over to the table and began
to eat with the feverish haste of one
who forces herself to take food in
spite of hurry and distaste.
This was the moment for Loretta to
leave the room, but she did not know
how to do so. She felt herself fixed
to the spot and stood watching Mrs
Jeffrey till that lady. suddenly becom-
ing conscious Of the girls presence,
turned, and in the midst Of the means
which broke unconsciously from her
lips said with pitiable effort at her
old manner:
Go away. Loretta; l am i'll; have
been Ill for two days. don't like peo-
pie to look at me like thatw Then, as the
girl shrank back, she added in break
ing voice, When Mr.. jeffrey comes
home and said no more for several
minutes, during which she clutched
her throat with both hands and strug-
gIed with herself till she got her voice
back and found herself able to repeat:
when Mr.. Jeffrey comes, II he does
come, tell him that / was right about
the way that novel ended. Remember
that you are to say to him the moment
you see him that was right about the
novel and that he is to look and see II
it did not end as said 1t would. And,
Loretta here she rose and approach
ed the speaker with sweet, appeal
ing look which brought tears to the
impressionable girls eyes-"don't go
gossiping about me downstairs.
shan't be sick long. am going to be
better soon, very soon. By the time
you see me here again shall be quite
like my old self. Forget how-how
and Loretta said she seemed to have
difficulty in finding the right word here
--"how childish l have BEEN"
OF course Loretta promised, but she
is not sure that she would have had
the courage to keep all this to herself
IL she had not heard Mrs. Jeffrey stop
in Miss Tuttle's room on her way out
That relieved her and enabled her to
go downstairs to her own supper with
more appetite than she had thought
ever to have again Alas, it was the
last good meal she was able to eat for
days! In three hours afterward a
man came from the station house with
the news of Mrs. Jef'rey's suicide in
the horrible old house in which she
had been married only two weeks be-
fore.
AS this had been continuous mar
rative and coneisely told, the coroner
had not interrupted her. When at this
point little gasp escaped Miss futile
and groan broke from Francis JEFF
frey's hitherto sealed lips the feelings
of the whole assemblage seemed to
find utterance. A young wife's misery
eliminating in death on the very spot
where she had been SO lately married!
What could be more thrilling or ap-
peal more closely to the general heart
OF humanity But the cause of that
misery! This was what every one pres
ent was eager to have explained. This
is what we now expected the coroner
to bring out But instead of continu-
ing on the line he had opened UP he
proceeded to ask:
"Where were you when this officer
brought the news you mention?"
"In the hall, sir. l opened the door
for him."
.And to whom did he first mention
his errand?"
.sTo Miss Tuttle. She had come in
just before him and was standing at
the foot of the stairs"
What! Was Miss futile out that
EVENING""
"Yes; she went out very soon after
Mrs. Jeffrey left. When she came in
she said that she had been around the
block, but she must have gone around
it more than once, for she was absent
two hours
did you let her in!'
Yes, sir
"And she said she had been around
the block?"
Yes, sir" 4
Ibid she Say anything else"
..She asked if Mr.. Jeffrey had come
In"
Anything else?'
Then if Mrs. Jeffrey had returned"
ITO both of which questions you an /
swered''-
"A plain No