The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-04-20

supposed. gone. you flew to the Moore
house,"
Immediately"
And now what else?"
II found the door unlocked"
THAT was done by Mrs. jeffrey"
Yes, but ! did not think of her
then"
And you went inT"
Yes; it was all dark, but felt my
way till came to the gilded pillars"
why did you go there?'
Because | felt-I knew-if he We're
anywhere in that house he would be
there"
"And why did you stop"
Her voice rose above its usual quiet
pitch in shrlll protest;
You know! you know! heard
pistol shot from within, then a fall.
I don't remember anything else. They
say went wandering about town. Per.
| haps | did, 1t Is all blank to me-
everything is a blank till the police.
man said that my sister was dead and
learned for the first time that the
shot | had heard in the Moore house
was not the signal Of his death, but
hers. Had been myself when at that
| library door," she added, after mo.
ment of silence, IL would have rushed
in at the sound of that shot and have
received my sisters dying breath"
| Cora" The cry was from Mr.. JEFF
frey, and seemed to be quite involun-
tary. "In the weeks during which we
| Ia, co.
have turned all these events over in
my mind till longed for any respite.
even that of the grave But in all my
thinking never attributed this motive
to your visit here. VIII you forgive
me?"
There was new tone in his voice.
Il tone which no woman could hear
without emotion.
You had other things to think Of"
she said, and her lips trembled. Never
have / seen on the human face more
beautiful expression than l saw on
hers at that moment; nor do l think
Mr.. Jeffrey had either, for as he
marked it his own regard softened al.
most to tenderness.
The major had no time for sentimcn-
taitles. Turning TO Mr.. jeffrey. he
said:
zone more question before we send
for the letter which you say will give
us full insight into your wife's crime.
DO you remember what occurred OH
the bridge at Georgetown just before
you came into town that night?"
lie shook his head.
Did you meet any one tbereW
Il do not know"
Can you remember your state of
mind?"
81 was facing the future"
"And what did you see in the fu.
ture?"
death. Death for her and death for
me! A crime was on her soul, and she
must die; and If she, then myself.
knew no other course. could moi
summon the police, point out my bride
Of fortnight and, with the declaration
that she had been betrayed into killing
man. coldly deliver her up to justice
Neither could l live at her side know
ing the guilty secret which parted us
or live anywhere In the world under
this same consciousness. Therefore,
meant to kill myself before another
sun rose. But she was more deepl,
stricken with a sense Of her own gull
than / realized. When | returned
, home for the pistol which was to enc
, our common misery l found that sh,
had taken her punishment into hel
owp hands. This strangely affected
, me. but when / found that, in do
ing this, she had remembered that
should have to face the world after sh,
! was gone and so left few lines To-
me to show In explanation of her act
my revolt against her received checl
+ which the reading of her letter onl!
, increased. But the lines she thu
| All her heart was mine and If 1t was
wicked heart she has atoned"-
! He paused, quite overcome. Other
\ among us were overcome, too. but onl.
! for u moment. The following remarl
4 from the district attorney soon recalled
] us to the practical aspects OF the case:
t "You have accounted for many fact
] not hitherto understood. But there
t still a very important one which ne
g Their yourself nor Miss futile has We
D.. made plain. There was candle o
!. the scene OF crime. 1t was out whe
" this officer arrived here. There wa
also one found burning In the upstair
room, aside from the one you profess
( eddy used in your tour of inspectio
e there. Whence came those candles
r And did your wife blow out the on
y in the library herself previous to tn
e shooting, or was 1t blown out afteI
e ward and by other lips"
q These are questions which, as hav
n already said, have no means of al
p swering," repeated Mr.. Jeffrey. 9Th
!. courage which brought her here ma
J. have led her to supply herself wit
| light, and, hard as it Is to conceive, sll
r may even have found nerve to blow OF
It the light before she lifted the pistol
] her breast"
The district attorney and the majC
d looked uncOnvinCed, and the latte
turning toward Miss futile asked
she had any remark TO make on III
subject.
put clio nOuld only rcnpot Mr. 10