Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-07


pardon me, 1t is as difficult for me
to put these questions as 1t is for yor
to hear them-were you and Miss Tut
tie ever engaged?"
started. This was question whicr
| half Of Washington had been asking
itself for the last three months.
/ Would Mr.. Jeffrey answer 1t, or, re
membering that these questions were
/ rather friendly than official, refuse tc
| satisfy curiosity which he might well
consider intrusive? The set aspect OF
his features promised little In the way
| Of information, and we were both sur
| prised when moment later he re.
sponded with grim emphasis hardly
to be expected from one OF his impul
sive temperament:
"Unhappily. no. Ny attentions new.
err went so far"
! Instantly the coroner pounced on the
one weak word which Mr.. jeffrey had
let fall
'Unhappily?" he repeated. why
do you say .unhappilyY
Mr.. Jeffrey flushed and seemed to
come out of some dream.
Did say 'unhappily? he inquired
"Well, repeat it-Miss Tuttle would
never have given me any cause for
| Jealousy
| The coroner bowed and for the pres
ent dropped her name out Of the con-
| versation.
You speak again Of the jealousy
aroused in you by your wife's impetu-
osities Was this increased or dimin-
ished by the tone of the few lines she
left behind herr
The response was long in coming. It
was hard for this man to lie. The
struggle he made at it was pitiful. As
l noted what it cost him, began to
have new and curious thoughts con-
corning him and the whole matter un.
der discussion.
II shall never overcome the remorse
reused in me by those few lines" he
finally rejoined. .'She showed a con-
sideration for me-
.Whatr'
The coroner's exclamation showed all
the surprise he felt. Mr.. jeffrey tot
tered under it, then grew slowly pale,
as IL only through our amazed looks
be had come to realize the charge Of
inconsistency to which he had laid
himself open.
Il mean." he endeavored to explain,
'that Mrs. Jeffrey showed an unex-
pected tenderness toward me by taking
all the blame Of our misunderstand-
ing upon herself. 1t was generous Of
her and will do much toward making
my memory Of her gentle one.'
He was forgetting himself again.
Indeed his manner and attempted ex-
plantations were full of contradictions.
To emphasize this fact Coroner 2. ex-
claimed:
II should think 80! She paid heavy
penalty for her professsd lack of love.
You believe that her mind was un-
seated?"
Does not her action show it?'
"Unseated by the mishap occurring
at her marriage?"
"Yes.'
"You really think that7"
EYES,"
"By anything that passed between
your
YES"
MAY l ask you to tell us what pass
ed between you on this point?"
YES"
He had uttered the monosyllable so
often it seemed to come unconsciously
from his lips. But he recognized al
most as soon as we did that 1t was not
a natural reply to the last question,
and, making gesture Of apology, he
added, with the same monotony of
tone which had characterized these re-
plies:
"She spoke of her strange guests un-
accountable death more than once, and
whenever she did so 1t was with an
unnatural excitement and in an I'M
balanced way. This was so noticeable
to us all that the subject presently
was tabooed among US, but though
she henceforth spared us all allusion
to it she continued to talk about the
house itself and Of the previous deaths
which had occurred there till we were
forced to forbid that topic also. Sh
was never really herself after cross
ing the threshold Of this desolate house
to be married. The shadow which
turks within its walls fell at that in
slant upon her life. May God have
mercy
The prayer remained unfinished. His
head, which had fallen on his breast,
sank lower.
He presented the aspect Of one who
is quite done with life, even its sor-
rows.
But men in the position Of Coroner
q. cannot afford to be compassionate.
Everything the bereaved man said
deepened the impression that he was
acting part To make sure that this
was really SO the coroner, with just
the slightest touch Of sarcasm, quietly |
observed:
And to ease your wife's mind-the
wife you were so deeply angered with
you visited this house and, at an
hour which you should have spent in
with her, went through
it's ancient rooms in the hope-of
what?"
Mr.. jeffrey could not answer. The
I