Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-06
American Sunday Monthly Magazine Section
The Second Bullet
Continued rom Page m

a most rigorous 0tsItu 10 ~ hI''i' "a ~
ground overlooked by the above mentioned
window. a search in which the police joined.
but which was without any result save that OF
rousing the attention OF people IN the neigh
borhood and leading to story being clrcu-
lated of a man seen some time the mSht De
fore crossing the fields in great hurry. But
as no further particulars were forthcoming
and not even d description OF the man to he
had, no emphasis would have been LAID upon
this story had it not tran,pircd that the mo-
mcnt a report Of il had come to Mrs. Ham
mond's ears why Is there always some one
to carry these reports she reused from the
torpor into which she had fallen, and in wild
fashion exclaimed:
81 knew it, IeNpcctcd it, He was shot
through the window and by that wretch.
He never shot himself Violent deClara-
tions which trailcd off into the one continu-
Gus wall, 20, my baby my poor baby.
Such words, even though the fruit OF de
lirium, mcritcd some sort Of attention, or SO
this good coroner thought, and as soon a.
opportunitv offered and She was sufficiently
sane and quiet to respond to his questions,
he asked her whom she had meant by the
,rrtCh, and what reason She had, or thought
she had, OF attributng her husband S death
to any other agency than his own disgust
with life.
Avcrdict of suicide Wa, rendered by the
Coroncrs Jury and the life insurance com
panv i'm which Mr. Hammond had but lately
insured himself Tor a large sum- taking adj
vantage of the suicide clause embodied in
the policy announced its determination OF
not paying the same
such was the situation, as known to Violet
4 L. I d H.a. a.
She was asked to see Mr,. Hammond and
learn what might alter her opinion as to the
Justice of this verdict and the stand taken
by the Shulcr Life Insurance Company.
The clock on the mantcl in Miss Strange
rosc-colorcd boudoir had struck three, and
Violet was gazing in some impotence at the
door when there came a gentle knock upon
it, and the maid lone OF the elderly not
youthful kind ushcrcd in her expected
visitor.
you are Mrs. Hammond" she had
asked, in somewhat natural awe OF the too
black figure outlined 50 sharply against the
deep pink of the sca-shcl room.
The answer was slow lifting of the veil
which ,hadowcd the features she knew only
from the cuts She had seen in newspapers.
You dre-Ali-s Strange she STAN
mcrcd; the Young lady who"
q" am" chimcd in voice as ringing as
it was sweet. 60 am the person YOU have
come here TO see. And thi, Is my home
But that does not make me less Interested
in the unhappy, or less DESTROYS OF serving
them. Certainly YOU have met with the
two greatest losses which can come to a
woman know your -tor well enough TO
say that: but what have YOU to tell me in
proof that YOU should not lose your antici-
patcd income as we'll, Something vital.
hope, else | cannot help YOU; something
which YOU should have told the coroner 5
Jurl-and did not.
you know the facts2"
81 have read all the papers"
." | was not believed on the stand"
q" 1t was YOUR manner
." could not help my manner. | was
keeping something back and being unused
to deceit, ! could not act quite naturally"
Why did YOU keep something back
When YOU saw the unfavorablc impression
made by your rctiCcnCc. why did YOU not
speak up and frankly tell your storv2"
Because was ashamed. Because
thought it would hurt me more to speak than
to keep silent. ! do not think so now; but
did thcn-and so made my great mistake.
You must remember not only the awful
shock of my double loss, but the sense of
guilt accompanying il for my husband and
! had quarrclcd that night, quarrcled Bit
tcrly-that was why ! had run away into
another room and not because was feeling
i. q