Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-09-20
"rhe old picture? What old pic.

chamber. You took a look at that,
didn't you-got up on a chair on pur-
pose to do sou
Mr.. Jeffrey WINGED, but he made a
direct reply.
Yes; l gave a look at that old pic
ture; got up, as you say, on a chair to
do SO. Wasn't that the freak of an idle
man, wandering, he hardly knows why,
from room to room in an old and de.
serted house?"
His tormentor did not answer. Prob.
ably his mind was on his next line of
inquiry. But Mr.. Jeffrey did not take
his silence with the calmness he had
shown prior to the last attack. AS no
word came from his unwelcome guest,
he paused in his rapid pacing and,
casting aside. with one impulsive ges-
ture his hitherto imperfectly held re-
s%traint, he cried out sharply:
why do you ask me these questions
In tones Of such suspicion? Is it not
plain enough that my wife took her
own life under a misrepresentation of
my state Of mind toward her? Why
should you feel 1t necessary to rake up
these personal matters, which, how
ever interesting to the world at large,
are OF a painful nature to me?"
MI. jeffrey" retorted the other,
with q sudden grave assumption of
dignity not without its effect i N a case
Of such serious import, 1--WE do nothing
without purpose. We ask these ques-
tons and show this interest because
the charge Of suicide which has hither-
to been made against your wife is not
entirely sustained by the facts. At
least she was not alone when she took
her life. Some one was in the house
with her"
1t was startling to observe the effect
of this declaration upon him.
"Impossible!' he cried out in a pro-
test as forcible as it was agonized.
"You are playing with my misery. She
could have had no II there; she would
not. There is not a man living before
whom she would have fred that dead
~ shot unless it was myself-unless it
was my W wretched, miserable self"
The remorseful whisper in which
those final words were uttered carried
them to my heart, which for some
strange and unaccountable reason had
been gradually turning toward this
panion, seeing his opportunity and pos
sibly considering that it was this gen.
tleman's right to know in what a
doubtful light he stood before the law,
remarked with as light a touch Of
irony as was possible:
you should know better than we in
whose presence she would choose to die
III she did so choose; also who would
be likely to tie the pistol to her wrist
and blow out the candle when the
dreadful deed was over,
The laugh which seemed to be the
only e of violent expression re-
naming to this miserable man was
kept down by some amazing thought
which seemed to paralyze him. With
out making any attempt to refute u
suggestion that fell just short of a per-
sonal accusation, he sank down in the
first chair he came to and became, as
1t were, lost in the vision of that ghast-
" ribbon tying and the solitary blow
ing out Of the candle upon this scene of
mournful death. Then, with a strug-
Cling sense Of having heard something
which called for answer, he rose blind
ly to his feet and managed to let fall
these words:
you are mistaken. No one was there,
or, If any II was, it was not 1. There
Is a man in this city who can prove ii"
But when Mr.. Jeffrey was asked to
give the name Of this man he showed
confusion and presently was obliged to
admit that he could neither recall his
name nor remember anything about
him, but that he was some one whom
he knew well and who knew him well.
He affirmed that the two had me- and
spoken near Soldiers home shortly aft
er the sun went down and that the
man would be sure to remember this
meeting If we could only find him.
AS Soldiers home was several miles
from the Moore house and quite out Of
the way Of all his accustomed haunts,
Coroner z. asked him how he came to
be there. He replied that he had just
come from the Rock Creek cemetery;
that he had been in a wretched state
Of mind all day, and, possibly being in
luenced by what he had heard Of the
yearly yigils Mr.. Moore was in the
habit of keeping there, had taken a
notion to stroll among the graves in
search Of the rest and peace of mind
he had failed to find in his aimless
walks about the city. At least, that
was the way he chose to account for
the meeting he mentioned. Failing in
to reverie again, he seemed to be try
ing to recall the name which at this
moment was Of such Importance to
him. But it was without avail, as he
presently acknowledged.
II cannot remember who it was. My
brain is whirling, and I "a recollect
nothing but that this man and myself
left the cemetery together on the night
mentioned, just as the gate was being
closed. As it closes at shutdown, the
hour can be fixed to a minute. 1t was
somewhere near Z, I believe; near
enough, I am sure, for it to have been
impossible for me to be at the Moore
house at the time my unhappy wife
Is supposed to have taken her life.
There Is nc doubt about your believing
th1sT he demanded with sudden
haughtiness, as, rising to his feet, he
confronted Us in all the pride of his
exceptionally handsome person.
I'VE wish to. believe it." assented the
coroner, rising in his turn. THAT our
belief may become certainty will you let
us know. the instant YOU recall 1t, the