The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-03-15


accountable death more than once, and
whenever she did so it 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. She
was never really herself after cross
Ing the threshold of this desolate house
to be married. The shadow which
turks within it's 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 it's 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 We're so deeply angered with
you visited this house and, at an
hour which you should have spent in
reconciliation with her, went through
Its ancient rooms in the hope-of
what?"
Mr.. Jeffrey could not answer. The
words which came from his lips were
mere CALCULATIONS.
II was restless, mad. I found this
adventure diverting. had no real
purpose in mind"
"Not when you looked at the old pic
ture?"
'The old picture? What old pic.
ture?'
1.-THE old picture in the southwest
chamber. You took a look at that
didn't you-got up on chair on pur.
pose to do so?
Mr.. Jeffrey WINGED, but he made q
direct reply.
Eyes; gave look at that old pic.
ture; got up, as you say, on 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 house"
His tormentor did not answer. Prob
ably his mind was on his next line OF
inquiry. But Mr.. jeffrey did not take
bis silence with the calmness he had
shown prior to the last attack. As nc
word came from his unwe1come guest
he paused in his rapid pacing and
casting aside with one impulsive ges
ture his hitherto imperfectly held re
straint, he cried out sharply:
"Why do you ask me these questions
n tones of such suspicion? Is it moi
plain enough that my wife took he,
9 own life under misrepresentation OF
my state of mind toward her3, Why
should you feel 1t necessary to rake uI
these personal matters, which. how.
1ver interesting to the world at large
IRE Of painful nature to me?"
"Mr. jeffrey" retorted the other
with sudden grave assumption OF
dignity not without Its effect in case
Of such serious import, 1--WE do nothing
without purpose. We ask these ques
tons and show this interest because
the charge Of suicide which has hither
to been made against your wife is no
entirely sustained by the facts. Al
least she was not alone when she tool
her life. Some one was in the house
with her."
It was startling to observe the effec
Of this declaration upon him.
~Impossiblew he cried out in a pro
test as forcible as it was agonized
you are playing with my misery. Sh'
could have bad no one there; she woult
not. There is not man living befor'
whom she would have fred that dead
ly4shot unless 1t was myself !
was my own wretched, miserable self.
The re1norseful whisper in which
those final words were uttered carried
them to my heart, which for SOM
strange; and unaccountable reason hat
been gradually turning toward thi
man. But my less easily affected com
panion, seeing his opportunity and pos
sibly considering that it was this gen
tleman's right to know in what
doubtful light he stood before the law
remarked with as light touch o
irony as was possible:
''You should know better than we II
whose presence she would choose to di
If she did so choose; also who woul'
be likely to tie the pistol to her wris
and blow out the candle when tn
dreadful deed was over"
The laugh which seemed to be til
only means Of violent expression re
naming to this miserable man wa
kept down by some amazing though
which seemed to paralyze him. Will
out making any attempt to refute
suggestion that fell just short of pei
sonal accusation, he sank down in tn
first chair he came to and became, a
It were, lost in the vision of that ghas1
ly ribbon tying and the solitary blow
ing out Of the candle upon this scene @
YHl.