The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-07-21
Hssnsis Jeffrey

| he declared. And consequently the
hour and the moment when Mrs. JEFF
frey FELL" finished Durbin.
Miss Tuttle said nothing. only gasped.
"valuable evidence" quoth the cap
tain, putting the watch in his pocket.
| Then. with u kind look ut her. called
forth by the sight of her misery, he
added. Does this hour agree with the
time of her leaving the house?"
II cannot say. think so. 1t was
some time before or after Z. I don't
remember the exact minute"
1T would take fifteen for her to walk
here. Did she walki'
81 do not know. didn't see her
house"
You can say If she left alone or IN
the company of her husband;"
"Mr. Jeffrey was not with her"
"Wns Mr.. Jeffrey in the house"
''lIe was not
This last negative was family
spoken.
Tile captain noticed this and ven
turcd upon intcrrogating her further.
How long had he been gomez
Her lips parted she was deeply
| aGitatcd. hut when she spoke il was
coldly and with studied precision.
Mr.. Jeffrey was not at home to.
night at all. He has not been in all
day"
Not at home? Did his wife know
that he was going TO dine out:"
she said nothing about it,"
The captain cut short his questions
and in another moment | understood
why. A gentleman was standing In
the doorway. whose face. once seen.
was enough to stop the words on any
mans lips. Miss Tuttle saw this gen
tleman almost as quickly as we did
and sank with an involuntary moan to
her knees.
1t was Francis Jeffrey come to look
upon his dead pride. Breathlessly we
awaited his first words. His eye.
which was fixed on the PROSTATE body
Of his bride, did not yield up its secret.
When he moved and came to where
she lay and caught his first sight of
the ribbon and tie pistol attached to
II, the most experienced among Ms were
baliied as TO the nature of his feelings
and thoughts. one thing alone was
patent TO all. lie had no wish 10
touch this woman whom he had so
lately sworn 10 cherish. His eyes de.
voured her, he shuddcrcd and strOve
several times 10 speak. and, though
kneeling 10y her SIDE. he did not reach
forth his haud nor did he let II tear fall
on the Appearing features SO pathetic
ally turned upward as if to meet his
look.
Suddenly h" leapcl TO his feet.
"NluSt she stay hcro:" he demanded.
looking about fcr tie person most in
authority.
The captain answered by "A question:
How do you account for her being
here at all! What explanation have
you, as hey luEbHnC. sto give for this
strange suicide Of your wife,
For reply, Mr.. Jeffrey. who was an
exceptionally handsome man, drew
forth Il small slip Of crumpled paper,
which he Immediately handed over to
the speaker.
let her own worGH explain" said
he. Il found this scrap of writing in
our upstairs room when ] returned
home tonight She must have written
it just before before
A smOthercd groan filled up the
break. but IL did not come from his lips.
which We're liked and set, but from
those of the woman who crouched
among MS. Did he catch this express
sion of sorrow from one of whose pres
ence he as yet had given no token of
recognizing? He did not seem to. His
eye was on the captain. who was slow
ly reading, by the light Of lantern
held In "A detectives hand. the almost
illegible words which Mr.. Jeffrey had
just said We're his wife's last commu-
nication.
VIII they seem as pathetic to the eye