The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-02-08

time OF her leaving the hOuSe!"
II cannot say. 1 think so. 1t was
some time before or after Z. 1 don't
remember the exact minute"
ut would take fifteen for her to walk
here. Did she walkY'
II do not know. 1 didn't see her
leave. My room is at the back of the
house."
'You can say if she left alone or in
the company of her husband?"
'Mr Jeffrey was not with her"
WAS Mr.. jeffrey in the house?"
Gle was not
This last negative was family
spoken.
The captain noticed this and ven
tured upon interrogating her further.
How long had he been gomez
Her lips parted; she was deeply
agitated, but when she spoke it was
coldly and with studied precision.
"Mr. Jeffrey was not at home to-
night at all. He has not been in all
day"
mot at home? Did his wife know
that he was going to dine out?"
''She said nothing about it,
The captain cut short his questions
and in another moment / understood
why. A gentleman was standing in
the doorway, whose face, once seen,
was enough to stop the words on any
mans lips. Miss futile saw this gen
tleman almost as quickly as we did
and sank with an involuntary moan to
her knees.
1t was Francis Jeffrey come to look
upon his dead bride. Breathlessly we
awaited his first words. His eye,
which was fixed on the PROSTATE body
of his bride, did not yield up its secret.
When he moved and came to where
she lay and caught his first sight of
the ribbon and the pistol attached to
it, the most experienced among us We're
baft1ed as to the nature of his feelings
and thoughts. One thing alone was
| patent to all. He had no wish to
touch this woman whom he had so
| lately sworn to cherish His eyes de-
/ voured her, he shuddered and strove
several times to speak, and, though
kneeling6Ssy her side, he didr Tot reach
forth, ,-ov and nor did Ne let tear fall
on. On e and 9ea!ti.a1g features 50 pathetic
ally turned upward as if to meet his
| look
Suddenly he leaped to his feet.
Must she stay here?' he demanded,
, looking about for the person most in
authority.
The captain answered by question:
"How do you account for her being
here at all? What explanation have
you, as her husband, to give for this
strange suicide of your wife?"
4 For reply, Mr.. Jeffrey, who was an
exceptionally handsome man, drew
forth small slip of crumpled paper
the speaker.
"Let her own words explain" said
he. Il found this scrap of writing ir
our upstairs room when l returned
home tonight. She must have writer
It just before-before"-
, A smothered groan filled up the
: break, but it did not come from his lips
which We're fixed and set, but from
those of the woman who crouche(
among u.s. Did he catch this expires
} sion of sorrow from one of whose pres
J ence he as yet had given no token O.
\ recognizing? He did not seem to. Hi
, eye was on the captain, who was slow
J ly reading, by the light Of Lantern
J held in detectives hand, the almos
fllegible words which Mr. Jeffrey hat
: Just said We're his wife's last commu
nication.
Will they seem as pathetic to the ey
as they did to the ear in that room O,
0 awesome memories and present death
I find that I do not love you as
q thought did. I cannot live. knowing thi
V to be SO. 1 pray God that you may for
I give me. VERONICA.
t A gasp from the figure in the corner
/ then silence. We were glad to hea
s the captains voice again.
! "a woman's heart is a great mys
J. terry" he remarked, with short glanc
at Mr.. Jeffrey
!? 1t was a sentiment we could allaecho
d for he to whom she had alluded II
: these few lines as one she could no
o love was a nan whom most womel
$ would consider the embodiment of al
that was admirable and attractive.
g That one woman 10 Fssnydsa hi
was apparnt to al. H.evsr the hear
spoke in 4 human fass u Apohs IN TIA
q Of Miss Tutt1e a. shs watehed has sia
ters husband serugeafns fsr esmpesu,
s above tho PROSTATE form Of her WA'
a but alfew hours previous had besn IL
2 envy of all the fashionable young wo
: m6n In Washington. found It hasl
: to fix my attention on the next quss
j ton, interesting and valuable as ever,
o small detail was likely to prove Fl
D case my theory OF this crime SHOULD
ever come to be looked on as the tru
one.
e GLOW came you to search here 70
: the wife who had written you thi
j vague and far from satisfactory fare
II, well? I see no hint In these lines O
the place where she intended to talk
her life"