The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-01-05
OFF 10 Alexandria

occurrence, so they said. before the
fancy took her to be married In the III
starred home of her ancestors.
The few lines of attempted eXplana.
ton which she had left behind for her
husband seemed to impose on no one.
To those who knew the young couple
well II was an open proof of her insan.
ity; to those who knew them slightly.
as well as to the public at large, 1t was
woman's way of expressing the dis
appointment she felt in her husband.
That l might the more readily de.
termine which of these two theories
had the firmeGt basis in fact | took
advantage of an afternoon off and
slipped away to Alexandria, where,
had been told, Mr.. Jeffrey had courted
his bride. | wanted Il taste OF local
gossip, you see, and got II. The mir
was fully charged with II. and. being
careful not to rouse antagonlsm by an
nouncing myself detective, | readily
picked up many small facts. Brought
into shape and arranged In the form OF
narrative, the result was as follows:
John Judson Moore. the father Of
Veronica, had fewer oddities than the
other members of this eccentric family
1t was thought, however, that he had
shown some strain OF the peculiar In
dependence of his race when, In Sc
lecting wife. he let his choice fall on
widow who was not only inCumbered
with n child, but who was generally
regarded as the plnineSt woman In Nir-
ginia-he who might have had the pick
Of southern beauty. But when in the
course Of time this dcSpised woman
proved to be the possessor Of those vir-
tues aud social graces which eminently
fitted her to conduct the large estAb-
ulhrnent of which she had been made
mistress he was forgiven his lack OF
taste Little more was said of his pc
culinritcs until, his wife having. died
and his child proved weakly he made
the will in his brothers favor which
has since given that gentleman such
deep satisfaction.
why this proceeding should have
been so Dispensing To their friends re-.
port says not; but that it VAS so IS
evident from the fact that great re-
joicing took place on all Sides when
Veronica suddenly developed into n
healthy child, and the probability of
David Moore inheriting the coveted
estate decreased to minimum, II
was not long rejoicing. however, for
John JudsOn followed his wife to the
grave before Veronica had reached her
tenth year, leaving her and her hall
sister, Cora, to the guardianship of q
grabbed old bachelor who had been his
fathers lawyer. This lawyer was
morose and peevish, hut he was never
positively unkind. For two years the
sisters seemed happy enough, when
suddenly and somewhat peremptorily
they were separated. Veronica being
sent TO western school, where she
remained, seemingly without n single
visit east till she was seventeen.
During this long absence Miss Tut
tie resided in Washington, developing
under masters into an accomplished
woman. VNronica's guardian, severe
In his treatment Of the youthful owne
of the large fortune of which he hat
heen made sole executor, was unex
pectcdly generous to the penniless Sis
Ter, hoping perhaps III hlS ''""'' P'"
wish old heart that the charms and nc
quired graces Of this lovely woman
would soon win for her husband il
tho brilliant set in which she natural,
found herself, Rut Cora futile wa
not ensy TO please, and the first mel
of Washington came and went befor
her eyes without awakening in he
any special interest til she met Fran
els Jeffrey, who stole her heart with
look
Those who remember her that wiz
ter say that under his influence sh
developed from a handsome woma
into lovely one, Yet no engagement
was announced, and society was wor
dorlng what held Francis Jeffrey hac
From, ca preot a nriZp when NerOniC