The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-03-08

ond visit from your he asked Of Coro-
ner a., with an admirable presence Of
mind. care you not vet satisfied with
what we have been able to tell you of
my poor wife's unhappy end?"
eve are not" was 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"
1t was a shot that told. an arrow
which found it's mark. Mr.. Jeffrey
flushed, then turned pale. rallied and
again lost himself in a maze of con-
f1icting emotions, from which he only
emerged to say:
"How do you know that was there?
Have l said so, or do those old walls
babble in their sleep?"
"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 We're where I charge you with be-
ing is evident from your own manner.
May then ask If you have anything
to say about this visit? When a per-
son has died under such peculiar cir
cumstances 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
uy self control. Il ind myself as much
at 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 I certainly had every right
to do. The property was my wife's
and it was for my interest to learn if
could the secret of its many crimes"
''Ah!"
Mr.. Jeffrey looked quickly up. "You
think that an odd thing for me to do!"
cat night-yes."
"Night is the time for such work.
did not care to be seen pottering
around there in daylight
"No? Yet it would have been so
much easier. You would not have had
to buy candles or carry a pistol Or
II did not carry pistol. The only
pistol carried there was the one with
which my demented wife chose to take
her life. a not understand this allu-
Hon.''
ut grew out Of misunderstanding
Of the situation, Mr.. Jeffrey. Excuse
me If 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, suppose"
"And needed none."
"When was this visit paid, Mr.. JEFF
frey-before or 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 certain fierce
ness. "Why should I? Certainly yor
don't think that I 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 Mr. David Moore
Was he not your informant?"
mo. Mr.. Moore has failed to cal
our attention to this fact. Did you meet
Mr.. Moore during the course Of your
visit to neighborhood over which
he seems to hold absolute sway?"
j "Not to my knowledge. But his
house is directly opposite, and as he
has little to do but amuse himself witt
what he can see from his front win
dow concluded that he might have
observed me going in"
"You entered by the front door
them"
GLOW else?"
"And on what nfght?
Mr.. Jeffrey made an effort. These
questions were visibly harassing him.
"The night before the one-the on.
which-ended all my earthly happi
ness" he added in low voice.
i Coroner q. cast glance at me. re
membered the lack of dust on the nes
Of little tables from which the uppe
one had been drawn forward to hole
the candelabrum and gently shook m,
head. The coroners eyebrows wen
up, but none Of his disbelief crept int,
his voice as he made this additona
statement:
'.The night on which you failed Il
return to your own house."
Instantly Mr.. jeffrey betrayed by .
nervous action, which was quite in
voluntary, that his outward calm wa
slowly giving way under fire Of ques