The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-03-02
he reporter

obtained the facts from which he made
that leading article in the Star which
had so startled all Washington on the
evening of the Jeffrey wedding. That
they had come from some eyewitness
| had no doubt, but who was the Cyc
witness? Himself? No. Who then?
At first he declined to tell me, but aft.
err Il fuller understanding of my mo.
tves he mentioned the name of n young
lady who, while n frequent guest at
the most fashionable functions was
not above supplying the papers with
such little items of current gossip rs
came under her own observation.
How | managed to approach this lady
and by what means | succeeded In
gaining her confidence are details quite
unnecessary to this narrative Enough
that did obtain access to her and that
she talked quite frankly to me and in
so doing supplied me with clcw which
ultimately opened up to me an entirely
new field of inquiry.
We had been discussing Mr.. jeffrey
and Miss futile when suddenly and
with no apparent motive beyond the
natural love of gossip which was her
weakness. she launched out Into re.
marks about the bride. The ceremony
had been late. Did know It? A half
hour or three.quarters past the time set
for 1t. And why? Because Miss Moore
was not ready. She had chosen to ar.
ray herself In the house and had come
early enough for the purpose. but she
would not accept any assistance, not
even that of her maid, and Of course
she kept every one waiting "Oh,
there was no more uneasy soul in the
whole party that morning than the
bride!" Let other people remark upon
the high look in Cora Tuttle's face or
gossip about the anxious manner or
the bridegroom. she (the speaker could
tell things about the bride which would
go to show that she was not all right
even before that ominous deaths head
reared Itself into view at her marriage
festival. Why. the fact that she came
downstairs and was married without
her bridal bouquet was enough. Had
there not been so much else TO talk
about. people would have talked about
that. But the big event had 80 efrec
tua ~ swallowed up the little that only
herself and possibly two other ladies'
she might name seemed to retain any
memory OF the matter.
"What ladiesT | asked.
"Oh. 1t doesn't matter what ladies.
Two OF the very best sort. know
they noticed 1t, because | heard them
talking about 1t. We were all stand.
ing In the upper hall and were all
crowded into passage leading to the
room where the bride was dressing.
1t was before the alarm had gone
the library. and we were all impatient
enough for the appearances OF the
bride, who, we had been told. intended
to wear the old point In which her
great-grandmother was married. !
have II weakness for old point and I
was determined to stand where could
see her come out, even IL lost sight
of the ceremony itself But 1t would
have been tedious enough waiting In
that close hall IL the ladies' behind me
had not kept up a conversation, which
!, of course, pretended not to hear. l
remember it, every word, for 1t was
my sole amusement for half an hour.
What was 1t? Oh, 1t was about that
same bouquet, which, by the way, I
had the privilege OF staring at all the
time they chatted. For the hoy who
brought it had not been admitted into
Miss Moore's room, and, not knowing
what else to do with it, was lingering
before her door, with the great stream
ers falling from his hands, and the
lilies making. the whole place heavy