Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-12-05
JOSSELYN'S WIFE


"Reaching home at about one
O'Clock, think. sat by the fire in
my wife's bedroom for awhile, and
she woke me up. We had short con-
versation, and l told her that ! pro-
posed to leave my fathers house the
next morning. Then l went to bed"
zone moment, Mr.. Josselyn. On
that walk back-a long walk. you
know, for man alone in the dark,
you must have passed through sew
eral villages. Didn't it occur to you
to stop somewhere else for food?"
81 don't remember thinking of food"
"Yet you thought of food when you
reached the 'Wayside Inn'?"
Gibbs was silent.
"H0w do you account for the fact
that you did that?'
81 changed my mind, suppose"
Exactly. You changed your mind.
But do you know what caused You to
change your mindY'
Again Gibbs did not speak.
II could believe that to man In
your excited condition the mere sight
of the woman he loved dining there
with another man might cause de-
cided change of mind" the district at
torney said, thoughtfully, making a
series of hard little marks with his
pencil on the blotter before him, and
finally raising his head to look Gibbs
straight in the eyes. But l wish, for
your own sake, Mr.. Josselyn, that you
could find some one to confirm this
rather extraordinary story. Eight
miles," he added, musingly; well, a
man in condition might walk that far,
and decide not to eat anything, and
walk back-I used to walk once my
self, good deal. But" He pursed
his lips and elevated his eyebrows
with the shadow of a shrug. zone
more thing" he asked, in dead 81
lence. You did not tell your wife
last night what you had seenY'
THAT l had seen my fathers wife
dining with Pepper? No"
"Why didn't you tell her, Mr.. jesse
lynn
"Why--it did not occur to me to do
so. never have discussed the mat
ter with her."
'Tell me just what you mean by
the matter'9"
"The-th anything that concerned
my stepmotfer. ] suppose"
"YoL quarrel with your father,
threaten to kill him, leave his house,
over this very man, and then do not
consider this fresh evidence of Mrs.
Thomas Josselyn's relationship with
Pepper of sufficient Importance to tell
your wife? Didn't 1t occur to you that
here was an absolute REPUTATION of
your fathers suspicious; suspicious
that you knew were shared by your
wife?"
mo, l don't remember thinking
that" Gibbs asserted doggedly.
you didn't say to yourself: Here
is an excuse for me-and more than
an excuse! You didn't say my dear,
TO show you how innocent | am In this
whole affair, Lilllan-or whatever you
call her--and Pepper were dining to-
gether this very EVENING""
81 have told you that / did not men
ton il to my wife," Gibbs answered.
81 should like to call your attention
to the fact that Mr.. Josselyn was IN
willing to bring his stepmother's name
into this discussion few minutes
ago." George said quietly. THAT
would seem to me to Indicate that
there had been no Encouragement be-
tween them"
Exactly" Ryan said, with sharp
look. "rhank you'll think that is all.
Oh, one moment. When you came
home from this walk, you approached
the house by the rear road, crossed
the field of the adjoining property, en-
tered the gate on the tennis court, and
so came around the west face Of the
house, to the front door?"
Eyes, SIR
$50 that, by really circuitous
route, you did not pass the lighted
study Window"
Accidentally. did just that"
Accidentally, of course. Thank
you, Mr.. Josselyn."
Again there was the little stir of
men changing position. Gibbs and
George went to the desk.
II will make 1t my business to look
up those matters you called to my at
tentlon, Mr.. Ryan," George said, In
business-like tone. "I'll see Mr.. jesse
lyn's man of business-find out If
there was anything irregular, any dis
pute there. There was one point /
would like to make before we end this
investigation: is 1t possible that Mr..
Josselyn fell asleep in his chair, and
was shot in that state?"
The district attorney nodded
thoughtfully. He had scored steadily.
throughout the long day, but he was
rasped by the conviction that Gibbs
despised him.
Il will speak to Corrigan about it.
That would be an important point, of
course" He glanced at the coroner,