Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-07-06
fancy TOOK her to De married in the Iii
starred home of her ancestors.

ton which she had left behind for her
husband seemed to impose on no one.
To those who knew the young couple
well it was an open proof of her insan-
ity; to those who knew them slightly,
as well as to the public at large, it was
woman's way Of expressing the dis
appointment she felt in her husband.
That l might the more readily de-
tcrmine which of these two theories
had the firmest basis in fact l took
advantage of an afternoon off and
slipped away to Alexandria, where,
had been told, Mr.. Jeffrey had courted
his bride. l wanted Il taste of local
gossip, you see, and got it. The air
was fully charged with it, and, being
careful not to rouse antagonism by an
nouncing myself Il detective, readily
picked up many small facts. Brought
into shape and arranged in the form of
a narrative, the result was as follows:
John Judson Moore. the father of
Veronica, had fewer oddities than the
other members of this eccentric family.
1t was thought, however, that he had
Shown some strain OF the peculiar IN
dependence of his race when, in Sc
lecting wife, he let his choice fall on
a Willow who was not only incumbered
regarded as the plaineSt woman in Vir-
gnia-he who might have had the pick
of southern beauty. But when in the
course of time this despised woman
proved to be the possessor of those vir-
tues and social grnccs which eminently
| fitted her to conduct the large estab-
lishment of which she had been made
I, mistress lie WAS forgiven his lack of
taste. Little more was said of his pc
culiarities until, his wife having died
and his child proved weakly, he made
the will in his brothers favor which
has since given that gentleman such
deep satisfaction.
Why this proceeding should have
been SO displeasing to their friends re-
port says not; but that it was so is
evident from the fact that great re-
| jOicing took place on all sides when
Veronica suddenly developed into a
healthy child, and the probability of
David Moore inheriting the coveted
estate decreased TO Il minimum. 1t
was not Il long rejoicing, however, for
John JudSon followed his wife to the
grave before Veronica had reached her
tenth year, leaving her and her half
sister, Cora. to the guardianship of Il
grabbed old bachelor who had been his
! fathers lawyer. This lawyer was
morose and pcevish, but he was never
positively uniind. For two years the
sisters seemed happy enough, when,
suddenly and somewhat percmptorily,
they We're separated, Veronica being
sent to western school, where she
remained, seeminglyy~-w without single
7 visit east, TIL she was seventeen.
During this long absence Miss Tut
tie resided in Washington, developing
under masters into an accomplished
woman. Neronica's guardian, severe
in his treatment Of the youthful owner
| of the large fortune of which he had
| been made sole executor, was uneX.
pectedly generous to the penniless sis
ter, hoping perhaps in his close, pee
wish old heart that the charms and ac
quired graces of this lovely woman
would soon win for her a husband il
found herself. But Cora futile was
not easy to please and the first mer
of Washington came and went before
her eyes without awakening in hel
any special interest till she met Fran
els Jeffrey, who stole her heart with {
look
Those who remember her that win
ter say that under his influence She
developed from handsome woman
into a lovely one. Yet no engagement
was announced. and society was won
dering what held Francis Jeffrey bacl
from so great prize, when Veronica
Moore came home, and the question
was forever answered.
Veronica was now nearly eighteen
and during her absence had blossOmeC
into womnnhood She was not as
beautiful rs her sister, but she had q
bright and pleasing expression, will
enough spice i'll her temperament tc
rob her girlish features of insipidity
and make her conversation witty, il
not brilliant. Yet when Francis JET
frey turned his attentions from Miss
Tuttle and fixed them without reserve
or seeming shame upon this pretty but
ter1ly, but one term could be found tt
characterize the proceeding, and thai
was fortune hunting OF small bu
settled income, he had hitherto shown
certain contentment with his condi
ton calculated 70 inspire respect ant
make his attentions to Miss Tuttlt
seem both consistent and appropriate
But no sooner did Neronica's brigh
eyes appear than he fell at the young
] heiress' feet and pressed his suit Sc
close and fast that in two months they
were engaged and at the end of tho
half year married-with the disastrous
consequences just made known.
SO much for the general gossip Of
the town. Now for the special.
A certain gentleman, whom 1t is un
necessary to name, had been present
at one critical instant in the lives OF
these three persons. He was not Q
scandal monger, and IL everything haG
gone on happily-if Veronica had lived
anu SoI't Scllleu uDWIl lnlO uluCrllnOny
he would never have mentioned what
he heard and saw one night in the
great drawing room of hotel in At
lantic City.
1t was at the time when the engage
ment was first announced between
Jeffrey and the young heiress This
and his previous attentions to Cora
had made much talk, both in Wash.
ington and elsewhere, and there were
not lacking those who had openly
twitted him for his seeming incon
stancy. This had been over the cups
of course, and Jeffrey had borne it well
enough from his so called friends and
intimates. But when, on certain
evening in the parlor of one Of the
large hotels in Atlantic City, fellow
whom nobody knew and nobody liked
accused him Of knowing on which side
his bread was buttered, and that Ger.
tainly it was not on the side Of beauty
| and superior attachments. Jeffrey got