The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-08-18

The Old picture IN tne southwest
chamber. You took look at that,
didn't you-eot up on a chair on pur.
pose to do soT'
Mr.. Jeffrey WINGED, but he made
direct reply.
"Ses: | gave a look at that old pic
ture: got ur. as you say. OH n 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 housei'
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-
straint. hs cried out sharply:
"Why do you ask me these questions
in tones of such suspicion? Is II not
plain enough that my wife took her
| own life under misrepresentation of
| my state of mind toward her? Why
should you feel It necessary to rake up
these personal matters, which, how
, ever interesting to the world at large,
are of Il painful nature to meT
Mr.. jeffrey" retorted the other.
with sudden erase assumption of
dignity not without its effect in IA case
of such serious import. 1--WE do nothing
without purpose. We ask these ques-
tions 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"
II was startling to observe the effect
of this declaration upon him.
Impossible" he cried out in a pro-
test as fOrcible as ii was agonzed.
! You are playing with my misery. She
could have had no one there; she would
not. There is not "a man living before
whom she would have fired that dead
| ly shot unless il was myself-unless II
was my own wretched. miserable self"
The remorScful whisper in which
! lItNt Ullil NblNlN were bll'l'N 'hll l'u
them to my heart, which for some
strange and unaccountablc reason had
been gradually turning toward this
man. But my less easily affected com
panion, seeing his opportunity and pos
Sibly considering that il was this gen
| tleman'S right TO know in what Il
doubtful light he stood before the law,
/ li,ybt touch nf
| irony as was possible:
you should know better than we in
whose presence she would choose to die
if she did so choose; also who would
| he likely 10 tie the pistol to her wrist
and blow ont the candle when the
dreadful deed was over"
The laugh which seemed to be the
only means of violent expression re-
naming 10 this miserable man WIS
| kept down by some amazing thought
which seemed TO paralyZe him. With
out making any attempt TO refute Il
suggestion that fell just short of per-
sonal accusation. he sank down in the
| first chair he came to and became, as
! II were, lost in the vision of that ghast-
! ly ribbon tying and the solitary blow
! ing out of the candle upon this scene of
mournful death. Then, with Il strug-
Cling sense of having heard something
which called for answer, he rose blind
~ to his feet and managed to let fall
these words:
"You are mistaken. No one was there,
or, If any one was, it was not !. There
is 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 met and
spoken near Soldiers home shortly aft
er the sun went down and that the
man would be sure to remember this
meeting IL 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 u. asked him how he came to
he there. He replied that he had just
come from the Rock Creek cemetery
that he had been in wretched state
Of mind all day, and, possibly being in.
fuenced by what he had heard of the
yearly vigils Mr.. Moore was In the
habit of keeping there, had taken Il
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. Falling in
to reverle again, he seemed to be try
ing to recall the name which at this
moment was Of such Importance 10
him. But It was without avail, as he
presently acknowledged
Il cannot remember who 1t was. My
brain Is whirling, and | can recollect
nothing but that this man and myself
left the cemetery together on the night
mentioned, just as the gate was being
closed. As il closes at sundown, the
hour can be fixed TO minute. 1t was
somewhere near I, l believe; near
enough, am sure, for II 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 no doubt about your believing
thisf" 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
haIiaf ,nav bacnno oart a u xx,i IN yo,, lot