Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-09-20

the attempt he made at surprise was
instantaneous and veryewell feigned.
Indeed, I think he was in a constant
state Of apprehension during these
days and that no inroad Of the police
would have astonished him. But ex-
pectation does not preclude dread-in-
deed, it tends to foster it-and dread
was in his heart. This he had no pow
er to conceal.
ITO what am l indebted for this Sec
ond visit from your he asked of Coro-
ner a., with IN admirable presence of
mind. "Are you not yet satisfied with
what we have been able to tell you of
my poor wife's unhappy end"
I'VE are not" vas the plain re-
Spouse. "There are some things you
have not attempted to explain, Mr..
Jeffrey-for instance, why you went
to the Moore house previous to your
being called there by the death of your
wife,"
It was a shot that told, an arrow
which found its mark. Mr.. jeffrey
flushed, then turned pale, rallied and
again lost himself in a maze Of con-
ficting emotions, from which he only
emerged to say:
"How do you know that I was there?
Have 1 said so, or do those old walls
babble in their sleepY
"Old walls have been known to do
this" was the grave reply. whether
they had anything to say in this case
is at present quite immaterial. That
you were where I charge you with be-
ing is evident from your own manner.
May I then. ask II you have anything
to say about this visit? When a per-
son has died under such peculiar cir
c%umstances as Mrs. jeffrey, everything
bearing upon the case is of interest to
the coroner"
"Mrs. Jeffrey's death was a strange
one" her husband admitted, with tar.
dy self control. II find myself as much
at q loss to understand it as you do
and am therefore quite ready to an
swer the question you have so openly
~broached; not that my answer has any
bearing upon the point you wish to
make, but because it is your due and
my pleasure. I did visit the Moore
house, as ! certainly had every right
to do. The property was my wife's,
and It was for my interest to learn If I
could the secret Of Its many crimes"
"Ahy'
Mr.. Jeffrey looked quickly up. "You
think that an odd thing for me to do?"
AT n~ight-yes."
might is the time for such work. l
did not care to be seen pottering
around there in daylight"
mo? Yet it would have been SO
much easier. You would not have had
to buy candles or carry a pistol Or
Il did not carry q pistol. The only
pistol carried there was the one with
which my demented wife chose to take
her life. I do not understand this allu.
sion."
1T grew out of a misunderstanding
OF the situation, Mr.. Jeffrey. Excuse
me If 1 supposed you would be likely
to provide yourself with some means
of defense in venturing alone upon the
scene of so many mysterious Deaths"
II took no precaution."
And needed none, 1 suppose"
And needed none"
when was this visit paid, Mr.. JEFF
frey-before OF after your wife pulled
the trigger which ended her life? You
need not hesitate to answer"
II do not" The elegant gentleman
before us had acquired a certain fierce
ness. why should I? Certainly you
don't think that l was there at the
same time she was. 1t was not on the
same night even. So much the walls
should have told you and probably did,
or my wife's uncle, MI. David Moore.
Was he not your Informant"
mo. Mr.. Moore has failed to call
our attention to this fact. Did you meet
Mr.. Moore during the course Of your
visit to a neighborhood over which
he seem to hold absolute sway?"
mot to my knowledge. But his
house is directly opposite, and as he
has little to do but amuse himself with
what he car see from his front win
dow I concluded that he might have
observed me going in"
"You entered by the front door,
them"
"How elseW
"And on what night?"
Mr.. Jeffrey made an effort. These
questions were visibly harassing him.
"The night before the one-the one
which-ended all my earthly happi.
ness" he added in a low voice.
Coroner q. cast a glance at me. I re-
membered the lack Of dust on the nest
Of little tables from which the upper
one had been drawn forward to hold
the candelabrum and gently shook my
head. The c%oroner's eyebrows went
up, but nor Of his disbelief crept into
his voice as he made this additional
statement:
'The night on which you failed to
return to your own house."
Instantly Mr.. Jeffrey betrayed by a
nervous action, which was quite in.
voluntary, that his outward calm was
slowly giving way under 4 fire Of ques.
tons for which he had no ready reply.
1T was odd your not going home
that night" the coroner coldly pur.
sued. "The misunderstanding you had
with your wife Immediately after
breakfast must have been a very seri.
GUS one, more serious than you have
hitherto acknowledged"
II had rather not discuss the sub.
ject," protested Mr.. jeffrey. Then as
If he suddenly recognized the official
character of his interlocutor he hastily
added, Unless you positively request
me to do SO. in which case I must"