FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  
next line of inquiry. But Mr. Jeffrey did not take his silence with the calmness he had shown prior to the last attack. As no word came from his unwelcome guest, he paused in his rapid pacing and, casting aside with one impulsive gesture his hitherto imperfectly held restraint, he cried out sharply: "Why do you ask me these questions in tones of such suspicion? Is it not plain enough that my wife took her own life under a misapprehension of my state of mind toward her, that you should feel it necessary to rake up these personal matters, which, however interesting to the world at large, are of a painful nature to me?" "Mr. Jeffrey," retorted the other, with a sudden grave assumption of dignity not without its effect in a case of such serious import, "we do nothing without purpose. We ask these questions and show this interest because the charge of suicide which has hitherto been made against your wife is not entirely sustained by the facts. At least she was not alone when she took her life. Some one was in the house with her." It was startling to observe the effect of this declaration upon him. "Impossible!" he cried out in a protest as forcible as it was agonized. "You are playing with my misery. She could have had no one there; she would not. There is not a man living before whom she would have fired that deadly shot; unless it was myself,--unless it was my own wretched, miserable self." The remorseful whisper in which those final words were uttered carried them to my heart, which for some strange and unaccountable reason had been gradually turning toward this man. But my less easily affected companion, seeing his opportunity and possibly considering that it was this gentleman's right to know in what a doubtful light he stood before the law, remarked with as light a touch of irony as was possible: "You should know better than we in whose presence she would choose to die--if she did so choose. Also who would be likely to tie the pistol to her wrist and blow out the candle when the dreadful deed was over." The laugh which seemed to be the only means of violent expression remaining to this miserable man was kept down by some amazing thought which seemed to paralyze him. Without making any attempt to refute a suggestion that fell just short of a personal accusation, he sank down in the first chair he came to and became, as it were, lost in the vision of that ghastly ribbon-tying and the solitar
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

choose

 

effect

 

personal

 
questions
 
miserable
 

hitherto

 
Jeffrey
 

possibly

 

opportunity

 

doubtful


wretched
 

gentleman

 

remorseful

 

carried

 

uttered

 
unaccountable
 

strange

 

whisper

 

easily

 
affected

reason

 
gradually
 

turning

 

companion

 

attempt

 

refute

 

suggestion

 
making
 

Without

 

remaining


amazing

 

thought

 

paralyze

 

ghastly

 

vision

 

ribbon

 

solitar

 

accusation

 

expression

 

violent


presence

 

remarked

 

dreadful

 

candle

 

pistol

 

misapprehension

 
sharply
 

suspicion

 

painful

 

interesting