Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-17
nn00 7E find that Letitia Wood
~ N.\H riff was accidently poi
W\V soned by morphia- How
" " taken or administered is

: 66NM rim Hr' was sas' a l'a poi
\Y\V soned by morphia- How
" " taken or administered is
not sufficient evidence before us to
show. and we desire to express our pro-
found sympathy with the afflicted IA
Their, Mr. Woodriff, in the sad bereave-
ment that has befal1en him
The coroner's jury could reach no
deeper than this in the perplexing mys-
terry. Theirverdict having been given,
with grave faces and quiet tread they
left the fathers house. where by spe-
eial favor the inquest had been held.
Then John Woodrif stole up softly.
as though he feared to waken her. to
the room where his dead daughter lay.
beautiful in death. With a tinid gem
tleness he touched the little hand cold
and white on the coverlet. The placid
face with the still smile pm the pale
lips half frightened him. 1t seemed as
If death had lifted his dear little girl
his own familiar pet and playth1ng-
so far above him that even his thoughts
could not reach TO her now 1t was no
longer his girl that he had so loved, and
that so loved him, that lay there calm
and cold. An angel was in the room,
loving Lefty was lost to him forever.
Then the door opened softly and
face showed itself at the opening
young girls face, wan and white, with
red rims under the eyes.
Father" said a soft voice, replete
with tenderness. and MiIly Woodruff
stole to where her father knelt. shaken
by sorrow
Like tired child the broken-hearted
man yielded to her careSsing touch, and
81. Tod hp
Thank God. Milly.' he whispered.
you are still left to me- as they sat
together with clasped hands in the big
silent sitting room, where even the sun
light seemed to come sadly now.
A sudden fear. pang of sharp re-
meubrance came upon him as he spoke.
He caught her hand so tightly that he
hurt it. "Oh. my God" he cried in a
sort of frenzy, must l lose her. too!'
Presently he seemed to steady him
self with an effort, like one who has
purpose in view.
Has any one come by the train,
Milly?' he asked
The train is hardly in yet, father
she answered. with a glance at the
marble clock on the mantelpiece, and
il is good half hour from town, you
know. Do You expect any one?'
II wired the day before yesterday to
London for a Detective man named
Beck-Pau1 Beck. We were at school
together, and great friends then.
inouSn We nave not met since nave
heard he is the keenest detective in
London. I hoped to have had him down
for the inquest. If any man can find
out how poor Lefty died he can"
whats the use. father, of worrying
over that now? 1t will only help to
keep the wound open in your heart. It
won't bring our darling back to u.s.
'fMilly." he said. with earnestness, II
would give my right hand this moment
to know how death came to poor
Lefty
There was silence again. Presently
he asked abruptly, Where is Susan?'
in her room. father, utterly broken
down. She has hardly eaten or slept
since. In some things Susan is like a
little child. and she and Lefty were
such friends
GO to her. my dear You will COM
fort each other I'm restless and i'm
patient for this man to come. I'll walk
down a bit of the road to meet him"
Mr.. Woodriff's house was a tall red
brick building that looked out from the
crest of a wooded slope far over the
sea About three miles inland was the
large and prosperous town of Dering-
ham. where Mr. Woodruff, as an iron