The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-05-24
Ole
FILIGREE BALL
...by...
ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
Author of the Mystery Of agatha Webb
Lost Mans Lane" Etc.
Copyright. 1909, by Tho Bobbs-Aierrni %


| 4@44@44+4t4 49,
AS we an knew what was Eept In
that drawer. the conclusion was obvi-
GUS She wished to see II his pistol
was still there or IL it had been taken
away by her sister
The temerity which had made Il pos.
| sible 20 associate the name Of such
man as Francis jeffrey with an out
/ rageous crime having been thus in
measure explained, the coroner recall.
ed that gentleman and again thorough
ly surprised the gaping public
Had the witness accompanied his
wife to the Moore house?
mo-
Had he met her there by any ap-
| pointment he had made with her or
which had been made for them both
by some third person2
mo"
Had he been at the Moore house on
the night Of the 18th at any time pre-
vious to the hour when he was brought
there by the officials?
"No"
Would he glance at this impression
Of certain finger tips which had been
/ left in the dust Of the southwest cham.
| Der mantel?
He had already noted them.
Now would he place his left hand on
| the paper and see
"It is not necessary" ne burst forth,
/ in great heat Il own to those marks.
That is, have no doubt they were
made by my hand" Here. uncOn-
sciously, his eyes flew to the member
thus referred TO- as if conscious that
in some why 1t had proved a traitor
to him. after which his gaze Travelled
| slowly my way, with an indescribable
/ question in it which reused my con-
science and made the trick by which
| l had got the impression Of his hand
| seem less of a triumph than l had
/ heretofore considered it. The next
minute he was answering the coroner
under oath, very much as be had an
swered him In the unofficial interview
at which l had been present
Il acknowledge having been in the
Moore house and even having been In
| It's southwest chamber, but not at the
time supposed, 1t was on the previous
night" He went on to relate how,
| being In a nervous condition and hav-
ing the key to this old dwelling in his
! pocket, he had amused himself by go
ing through its dilapidRted interior.
| All OF this made doubtful Impression
which was greatly emphasized when,
in reply to the inquiry as to where he
] N-l, g.. IL
| that he had come upon a candle in an
upstairs room and made use of that;
! though he could not remember what he
had done with this candle afterwGrd,
and looked dazed and quite at sea, till
the coroner suggested that he might
have carried II into the closet oe the
room where his FINGERS had left their
impression In the dust OF the mantol
shelf
Then he broke down like man from
whom some prop is suddenly snatched
and looked around for a seat This
was given him. while a silence. the
most dreadful ever experienced, held
every one there in check. But he
speedily rallied and. with the remark
that he was a little confused in regard
to the incidents Of that night, waited
with wild look In his averted eye for
the coroner's next question.
Unhappily for him, Il was In continu-
alton Of the same subject Had he
bought candles or not at the grocer's
around the corner7 Yes. be had. Be
fore visiting the house? Yes. Had he
also bought matches7 Yes. What
kInd7 Common safety matches. Had
be noticed when he got home that the
box he had Just bought was half emp
tyr No. Nevertheless he had used
many matches In going through this
old house. had he not2 Possibly. To
light his way upstairs. perhaps1 1t
might be. Had he not 50 used them
Yes. Why had he done 80 II he had
candles In his pocket. which were 50
much easier to bold and so much more
lasting than a lighted matchi All, he
could not say: he did not know: his
mind was confused. He was awake
when he should have been asleep. 1t
was all a dream to him.
The coroner became still more per
sistent.
Ibid you enter the library on your
solitary visit to this old houseT
Il believe so"
"What did you do here2
"Pottered around. l don't remem-
ber"
"What light did you user
"a candle. think"
"You must know"
"WeH, l had a candle 1t was in a
candelnbum
"what candle and what candela.
brumW
"The same used upstairs. OF
course"
And you cannot remember where
you left this candle and candelabrum
when you finally quilted the house7'
mo. l wasn't thinking about can
dies"
What were you thinking aboutT
"The rupture with my wife and the
bad name Of the house | was in."
"Ohl And this was on Tuesday
nightf"
Yes. sir"
Glow can you prove this to usY'
Il cannot"
"But you swear
Il swear that It was Tuesday night
the night Immediately preceding tbs
one when-when my wife's death rob
, bed me OF all earthly happiness"
1t was feelinyly uttered, and seyera
% faoaa HghfonoNs htrf tho corouar 70