The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-03-22

declared, ut doesn't matter" But she
seemed to think better Of it the next
minute; for, throwing herself in
chair. she babe the girl to bring
comb and sat quietly enough, though
evidently in a great tremor of haste
and Impotence, while Loretta combed
her hair and put it up in the old way. .
But the old way was not as becom'
] Ing as usual, and Loretta was wonder,
Ing if she ought to call in Miss futile.
when Mrs. Jeffrey jumped to her feet
and went over to the table and began
to eat with the feverish haste of one
who forces herself to take food in
spite of hurry and distaste.
This was the moment for Loretta to
leave the room, but she did not know
how to do so. She felt herself fixed
to the spot and stood watching Mrs.
Jeffrey till that lady, suddenly becom-
ing conscious of the girls presence,
turned, and in the midst of the means
which broke unconsciously from her
lips said with a pitiable effort at her
old manner:
go away, Loretta; am i'll; have
been i'll for two days. don't like peo-
pie to look at me like that!' Then, as the
girl shrank back, she added in break
ing voice, when Mr.. Jeffrey comes
home and said no more for several
minutes, during which she clutched
her throat with both hands and strug-
gled with herself till she got her voice
back and found herself able to repeat:
"When Mr.. Jeffrey comes, If he does
come, tell him that l was right about
the way that novel ended. Remember
that you are to say to him the moment
you see him that was right about the
novel and that he is to look and see if
It did not end as said it would. And,
Loretta here she rose and approach
ed the speaker with sweet, appeal
ing look which brought tears to the
impressionable girls eyes-"don't go
gossiping about me downstairs. I
shan't be sick long. l am going to be
better soon, very soon. By the time
you see me here again 1 shall be quite
like my old self. Forget how-how'-
and Loretta said she seemed to have
difficulty in finding the right word here
-"how childish l have been"
OF course Loretta promised, but she
is not sure that she would have had
the courage to keep all this to herself
If she had not heard Mrs. Jeffrey stop
That relieved her and enabled her to
go downstairs to her own supper with
more appetite than she had thought
ever to have again. Alas, it was the
last good meal she was able to eat for
days! In three hours afterward q
man came from the station house with
the news Of Mrs. Jeffrey's suicide in
had been married only two weeks be-
fore.
AS this had been continuous mar
rative and concisely told. the coroner
had not interrupted her. When at this
point a little gasp escaped Miss futile
and groan broke from Francis JEFF
frey's hitherto sealed lips the feelings
Of the whole assemblage seemed tc
find utterance. A young wffe's misery
eliminating in death on the very spo,
where she had been SO lately married
What could be more thrilling or ap
pea! more closely to the general hear,
Of humanity? But the cause of that
misery! This was what every one pres
ent was eager to have explained. This
Is what we now expected the CORNER
to bring out But instead of continu
ing On the line he had opened up he
proceeded to ask:
'Where were you when this Officer
brought the news you mention?"
''1n the hall, sir. I opened the dool
for him"
"And to whom did he first mentor
his errand?"
ITO Miss futile. She had come IL
Just before him and was standing a
the foot of the stairs
what! Was Miss Tuttle out tina
EVENING"
Eyes; she went out very soon afte
Mrs. Jeffrey left. When she came II
she said that she had been around tn,
block, but she must have gone arount
1t more than once, for she was absen
two hours"
did you let her in?"
Eyes, SIR
"And she said she had been aroun.
the block?"
eyes. Sir"
Ibid she say anything elseY
''She asked If MT. jeffrey had com
IN"
Anything else?"
"Then II Mrs. jeffrey had returned
ITO both Of which questions you an
gwered"-
"A plain No."
Nov tell us about the officer"
"He rang the bell almost Immediate
y after she, did. Thinking she woul,
want to slip upstairs before I admitte.
any one, ! waited minute for her I,
60, but she did not do so, and when th,
officer stepped in she"-
'Weu?'
''Ehe shrieked"
d What! Before he spoken
Yes, SIR
"Just at sight Of him7'
Eyes. SIR
- a.