The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-04-26

U0udVlOr DOCQ Cueu anu dICerWuruS
The hour usually given by brides to
dress and gladstone expectation was
with her one of farewell to past hopes
and an unfortunate If not passionate
attachment. No wonder that she
wished to be alone. No wonder that
Interruption angered her. Perhaps it
had found her on her knees. Perhaps
Here I felt myself seized by strong
and sudden excitement remembered
the filings had gathered up from the
small stand by the window, filings
which had glittered and which must
have been of gold. What was the con-
clusion? In this last hour Of her maid
en- life she had sought to rid herself of
some article of jewelry which she
found it undesirable to carry into her
new life. What article of jewelry? In
consideration of the circumstances and
the hour I could think of but one-a
ring, the symbol of some old attach
ment
The slight abrasion at the base of
her third finger, which had been looked
upon as the result of too rough and
speedy withdrawing of the wedding
ring on the evening Of her death, was
much more likely to have been occa-
stoned by the reopening Of some little
wound made two weeks before by the
file. If Durbin and the rest had taken
Into account these filings, they must
have come to very much the same con-
clusion, but either they had overlooked
them in their search about the place
or, having noted them, regarded them
az clew leading nowhere.
But for me they led the way to
very definite inquiry. Asking to see
the rings Mrs. jeffrey had left behind
her on the night she went for the last
time to the Moore house, looked them
carefully over and found that none Of
them showed the least mark Of the
file. This strengthened my theory, and
4 proceeded to take my next step with
increased confidence. It seemed an
easy one, but proved Unexpectedly DIFF
6cult. My desire was to ascertain
whether she had worn previous to her
marriage any rings which had not
been seen on her finger since, and 1t
took me one whole week TO establish
the fact that she had.
But that fact once learned, the way
cleared before me. Allowing my fan
cy full rein, pictured to myself her
anxious figure standing alone in that
ancient and ghostly room fling OF this
old ring from her dainty finger. Then
& asked myself what she would be
MRely to do with this ring after dis
engaging It from her hand? Would
shs keep It? Perhaps. But, II 80, why
0buld 1t not be found7 None such had
been discovered among her effects.
Or had she thrown it away, and II SO,
where? The vision Of her which I
had just seen in my minds eye came
out with clearness at this, which
struck me as providential. could
discern as plainly as II had been a
part Of the scene the white clad form
of the bride bending toward the light
'-'hich came in sparsely through the
)alf open shutter she had loosened for
this task. This was the shutter which
had never again been fastened and
whose restless blowing to and fro had
first led attention to this house and
the crime 1t might otherwise have con-
cealed indefinitely. Had some glimpse
Of the rank grass growing underneath
this window lured her eye and led her
longer any right to keep? 1t would be
Ike woman to yield to such an i'm
pulse, and on the strength Of the possi-
bility decided to search this small
plot for what 1t might very reasonably
conceal.
Calling together a posse of street
urchins, organized them into band,
with the promise Of good supper all
around If one Of them brought me the
pieces of broken ring which had
lost in the grass plot of house where
had been called upon to stay all
night. That they might win the sup
per in the shortest possible time and
before the owner Of this house, who
lived opposite, could interfere, ad-
vised them to start at the fence In
long line and, proceeding on their
knees, to search, each one the ground
before him to the width of his own
body. The fortunate one was to have
the privilege of saying what the sup
per should consist of. To give plausi-
BILE excuse for this search ball was
to be tossed up and down the street
till it lighted in the Moore house in
closure.
I did not accompany them. jimmy,
who has such an innocent air on the
street, took my . and promenaded
mp and down the block just to see that
Mr.. Moore did not make too much
trouble. And it was well she did so,
for though he was not at home-I had
chosen the hour Of his afternoon ride
his new manservant was, and he no
sooner perceived this crowd of urchins
making for the opposite house than he
rushed at them and would have scat
tered them far and wide in twin
king If the demure dimples of my lit
tie ally had not come into play and
distracted his attention so completely
as to make him forget the throng of
Vanlyonopf ,hnodlur,o 1r,h, caap,o5 I,orr1