Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-06-25

, opened Cne upper drawer anu Will very
evident emotion thrust her hand into it
What she took out or whether she
took out anything this spy upon hel
movements could not say, for whel
Loretta heard the drawer being pushed
back into place she drew the curtains
close, perceiving that Miss Tuttle
would have to face this window IN
coming back However, she ventured
upon one other peep through them just
as that lady was leaving the room and
remembered as if it were yesterday
how clay white her face looked and
how she held her left hand pressed
close against the folds Of her dress. 1t
was but few minutes after that Miss
Tuttle left the house.
AS we all knew what was kept in
that drawer, the conclusion was obvi-
Gus. She wished to see if his pistol
was still there or If it had been taken
away by her sister.
The temerity which had made it pos
sible to associate the name of such a
man as Francis Jeffrey with an out
rageous crime having been thus in a
measure explained, the coroner recall
ed that gentleman and again thorough
ly surprised the gaping public.
l.; Had the witness accompanied his
wife to the Moore house?
"No."
Had he met her there by any ap-
pointment he had made with her or
which had been made for them both
by some third person?
| mo"
Had he been at the Moore house on
the night Of the 18th at any time pre-
| vious to the hour when he was brought
there by the officials?
mo"
Would he glance at this impression
! Of certain finger tips which had been
left in the dust Of the southwest cham
Der mantel?
He had already noted them.
Now would he place his left hand on
the paper and see
ut is not necessary" he burst forth,
in great heat. 81 own to those marks.
That is, have no doubt they were
made by my hand" Here, uncon-
sciously, his eyes flew to the member
thus referred to, as if conscious that
in some way it had proved a traitor
to him; after which his gaze Travelled
slowly my way, with an indescrbable
question in it which reused my con-
science and made the trick by which
I had got the impression Of his hand
locS of fpi1 hoI
heretofore considered it. The next
minute he was answering the coroner
under oath, very much as he had an
swered him in the unofficial interview
at which had been present
Il acknowledge having been in the
Moore house and even having been in
its southwest chamber, but not at the
time supposed. 1t was on the previous
night" He went on to relate how,
being in a nervous condition and hay
ing the key to this old dwelling in his
pocket, he had amused himself by 60
ing through its dilapidated interior.
All of this made doubtful impression
which was greatly emphasized when,
in reply to the inquiry as to where he
got the light to see by, he admitted
that he had come upon a candle in an
upstairs room and made use Of that; ::
though he could not remember what be p!
had done with this candle afterWard,
and looked dazed and quite at sea, till !
the coroner suggested that he might |
have carried it into the closet Of the |
room where his fingers had left their
in the dust of the mantel- i
shelf.
Then he broke down like man from
whom some prop is suddenly snatched
and looked around for seat. This
was given him, while a silence, the
most dreadful l ever experienced, held i
every one there in check. But he |
speedily rallied and, with the remark
that he was a little confused in regard
to the incidents of that night, waited
with wild look in his averted eye for
the coroner's next question.
Unhappily for him, it was in continu-
alton of the same subject Had he
bought candles or not at the grocer's
around the corner? Yes, he had. Be-
fore visiting the house? Yes. Had he
also bought matches? Yes. What
kind? Common safety matches. Had
be noticed when he got home that the
box he had just bought was half emp
ty? No. Nevertheless he had used
many matches in going through this
old house, had he not? Possibly. To
light his way upstairs, perhaps? 1t
might be. Had he not so used them?
Yes. Why had he done so If he had
candles in his pocket, which were SO
much easier to hold and so much more
lasting than lighted match? All, he
could not say; he did not know; his
mind was confused. He was awake
when he should have been asleep. 1t
was all a dream to him.
The coroner became still more per-
,istent.
did you enter the library ON your
solitary visit to this old house?"
81 believe So"
'What did you do there"
SPOttered around don't remem.