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Filigree Ball
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN,
Author ol "Hie Mystery ol Agatha Webb,” “Leal Man's Lane,” Etc.
Copyright, 1903, by the Bobbs-Merrlll Company
she'paused before a larg< bureau. As
this bureau was devoted entirely t >
CHAPTER XIII.
HE appearance of this witness Mr. Jeffrey's use, Loretta experienced
had undergone a change since | some surprise at seeing his wife's sis
ate last stood before us. She I ter approach it in so stealthy u manner.
was sharnefuced still, but her j Consequently she was watching with
manner showed resolve and a feverish j all her might when this young lady
determine tl m to face tlie situation , opened the upper drawer and with very
Which could but awaken in the breasts evident emotion thrust ber hand into it.
What she took out or whether she
of those who had Mr. Jeffrey’s honor
• nd pc- - -ii.il welfare at heart a name took out anything this spy upon her
less dread, as if they already foresaw movements could not say, for when
th<- dark shadow which minute by min Loretta heard the drawer being pushed
ute was slowly sinking over a house back into place she drew the curtains
hold wliii h up to a week ago had been close, perceiving that Mi. s Tuttle
the envy and admiration of all Wash would have to face this window In
coming back, nowever, she ventured
ington society.
Tbe first answer slie made revealed . upon one other peep througli them Just
both the cause of her shame und the aB that lady was leaving the room and
reason of her firmness. It was In re ( remembered as If It were yesterday
•ponse to the question whether she, 1 how clay white her face looked and
Loretta, had seen Miss Tuttle before | bow she held her left hand pressed
•he went out on tlie walk she was said | close against the folds of her dress. It
to have taken Immediately after Mrs. was but a few minutes after that Miss
Jeffrey's final departure from the Tuttle left the bouse.
As we all knew what was kept in
house.
that drawer, the conclusion was obvi
Her words were these:
“I did. sir. I do not think Miss Tut- ous. She wished to see if bis pistol
tie knows ft. but I saw her In M rs. was still there or if it had been taken
Jeffrey's room. I am not especially away by her sister.
The temerity which had made It pos
proud of wliat I did that night, but 1
Was led into It by degrees, and I am sible to associate the name of such a
•uro I beg the lady’s pardon." And I man as Francis Jeffrey with an out
then she went on to relate bow ufter rageous crime having been thus in a
She had seen Mrs. Jeffrey leave the measure explained, the coroner recall
house she went into lier room with the ed that gentleman nnd again thorough
Intention of putting it to rights, As ly surprised the gaping public.
Had tbe witness accompanied his
this was no more than her duty, no
fault could be found with her, but she wife to the Moore bouse?
“No.”
owned that when she had finished this
Had he met her there by any ap
task and removed all evidence of Mrs.
Jeffrey’s frenzied condition she had no pointment he hud made with her or
which had been made for them both
by some third person?
business to linger at the table turning
“No.”
over the letters she found lying there.
Had he been at the Moore house on
Her cheeks were burning now, for [ the night of the 11th at any time pre- j
Blie had found herself obliged to admit , vlous to the hour when he was brought
that she had read enough of these let there by the oiticlals?
ters to be sure that they had no refer
“No.”
ence to the quarrel then pending be
Would lie glance at this dmpresslon
tween her mistress and Mr. Jeffrey. of certain finger tips which bad been
Her eyes fell and she looked seriously left in the dust of the southwest chum
distressed us she went on to saj- that bet- mantel?
she was us conscious then as now of
He had alrendy noted them.
having no business with these papers;
Now would he place ids left hand on
bo conscious, indeed, thr‘ when she
the paper and see—
heard Miss Tuttle’s step at tbe door,
"It is not necessary." he burst forth.
her one idea was to hide herself.
In great heat. "1 own to thoej marks.
That slie could stand and face that
That is, I have no doubt they were
lady never so much as occurred to ber.
Her own guilty consciousness made made by my hand." Here, uncon
sciously. his eyes tlew to the memt-er
her cheeks too hot for her to wish to i
meet an eye which had never rested 1 thus referred to. as if conscious that
on her any too kindly; so noticing how [ In some way it had proved a traitor
straight the curtains fell over one of to him; after which his gaze traveled
the windows on the opposite side of! slowly my way, with an indescribable
the room, she dashed toward it and question in it which roused my con
slipped In out of sight Just as Miss I science and made the trick by which
Tuttle came In. This window was onej 1 had got the impression of bis hand
seldom used, owing to the fact that it seem less of a -triumph than 1 had
overlooked an adjoining wall, so she heretofore considered it. The next
had no fear of Miss Tuttle approach minute he win answering the coroner
ing it. Consequently, she could stand under oath, very much as he liad an
there quite nt her ease, and, as tlie swered him in the unofficial interview
curtains In falling behind her bad not at which I hud been present
come quite together, she really could
"I acknowledge having been in the
not help seeing what that lady did.
Moore house and even having been In
Here the witness paused with every its southwest chamber, but not at the
appearance of looking for some token time supposed. It was on the previous
of disapprobation from the crowd.
night.” He went on to relate how,
But she encountered nothing there being in a nervous condition and hav
but enger anxiety for her to proceed, ing the key to tills old dwelling in Ills
bo without waiting for the coroner's pocket, he had amused himself by go
question, she addl'd in so many words: ing through its dilapidated Interior.
"She went first to the bookshelves.” All of this made a doubtful impression
YVe had expected It; but yet a gen which was greatly emphasized when,
eral movement took place, and a few in reply to the inquiry as to where he
suppressed exclamations could be got the light to see by, he admitted
heard.
that he had come upon a candle in an
"And what did she do there?”
upstairs room and made use of that;
•' “Took down a book, after looking though he could not remember what he
carefully up and down the shelves.”
bad done with this candle afterward,
“YVliat color of book?”
nnd looked dazed nnd quite at sea, till
“A green one with red figures on It. the coroner suggested that he might
I could see the cover plainly as she I hnve carried it into tlie closet of tbe
took It down.”
room where hts fingers had left their
"Like this one?”
impression in the dust of the mantel
“Exactly like that one.”
shelf.
"And what uld she do with this
Then he broke down like a man from
book ?”
whom some prop Is suddenly snatched
“Opened It. but not to read It. She nnd looked around for a seat. This
was too quick In closing it for that.”
was given him, while a silence, the
"Did she take the book away?”
most dreadful I ever experienced, held*
“No; she put it back on the shelf.”
every one there in cheek. But be
“After opening und closing itr
speedily rallied and. with the remark
“Yes, sir."
that he was a little confused In regard
“1 >ld you see whether she put any to the Incidents of that night, waited
thing Into the book?”
with a wild look In his averted eye for
“1 cannot swear that she did, but the coroner's next question.
then her back wns to me. and I could
Unhappily for him. It was In contlnu-
not have seen It if she had.”
ation of tlie same subject, Had he
The Implied suggestion caused some bought candles or not nt tlie grocer's
excitement, but tlie coroner, frowulng around tlie corner? Yes, be bud. Be
fore visiting tlie house? Yes. Had lie
Lorrtta'a leali in u n y
also bought matches? Yes. What
err ette a a. irnifftioff
kind? Common safety mutches. Had
ho noticed when he got home that tlie
box he had Just bought was halt enip-
Nevertheless lie had used
ty ?
this
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'VvTiat light cid you use?”
‘A candle, I think.”
'.’ci must know.”
“Well, 1 had a candle. It was In a
candelabrum."
“Wliut cundle and what candela-
brum?”
“The same I used upstairs, of
course.”
"And you cannot remember where
you left this cundle and candelabrum
when you finally quitted the house?”
'No. I wasn’t thinking about cun-
dles.”
"What were you thinking about?"
"The rupture with my wife und »he
bad name of the ho.'.so I was in.”
“Oh! And this was on Tuesday
night?"
"Yes, sir.”
"IIow can you prove this to us?”
"I cannot.”
“But you swear”—
"1 swear that it was Tuesday night,
the night Immediately preceding the
one when—when my wife’s death rob-
bed me of all earthly happiness.”
It was feelingly uttered, and several
faces lightened; but the coroner re
peatlng, "Is there no way you can
prove this to our satisfaction
the
shadow settled again, and on no head
more perceptibly than on that of the
unfortunate witness.
It was now late In the day and the at
mosphere of the room bad become
stifling, but no one seemed to be con
scious of any discomfort, and a general
gasp of excitement passed through the
room when the coroner, taking out a
box from under -a pile of papers, ills
closed to the general gaze the famous
white ribbon with its dainty bow, ly
Ing on top of the fatal pistol.
That this special feature, tbe most
interesting one of all connected with
this tragedy, should have been kept
so long In reserve and brought out just
at this time, struck many of Mr. Jef
frey’s closest friends as unnecessarily
dramatic; but when the coroner, lift
ing out the ribbon, remarked tentative
ly, "Y’ou know this ribbon?” we were
more struck by the involuntary cry of
surprise which rose from some one in
the crowd about tlie door than by the
look with which Mr. Jeffrey eyed it
and made the necessary reply. That
cry hud something more than nervous
excitement in it.
Identifying the
person who had uttered it as a certain
busy little woman well known in town
I sent an officer to watch her: then re
called my attention to the point dhe
coroner was attempting to make He
had forced Mr. Jeffrey to recognize the
ribbon ns tlie one which had fastened
the pistol to his wife's arm. Now he
asked whether, in ills opinion, a wom-
an could tie such a bow to ber own
wrist, uud when in common justice
Mr. Jeffrey was obliged to say no,
yvaited a third time before l:e put the
general suspicion again into words:
"Can you not, by some means or
some witness, prove to us that it was
on Tuesday night and not on Wednes
day you spent tlie hours you Sy ik ol
on this scene of your marriage anil
your wife's death?”
The hopelessness which more than
olio' had marked Mr. Jeffrey’s features
since the beginning of this inquiry re
appeared with renewed force as this
suggestive question fell again upon liis
ears, and lie was about to repeat his
plea of forgetfulness when the coro
ners attention was diverted by a re
quest made in his ear by one of the
detectives. Ln another moment Mr.
Jeffrey had been waved aside and a
new witness sworn in.
You eait imagine every one’s surprise,
mine most of all, when thia witness
proved to be Uncle David.
CHAPTER XIV.
DO not know why tbe coroner had
so long delayed to call this witness.
What he said was‘hi the way of
confirming the last witness’ test!
mony as to his having been at
Moors house on Tuesday eveulng. Mr.
Moore, who was very particular as to
dates and days, admitted that the light
which he had seen in a certain window
of his ancestral home on tbe evening
when he summoned tlie police was but
the rejietltlon of one he had detected
there the evening before. It was tills
repetition whleli alarmed him and
caused him to break through all bis
usual habits and leave bls home at
night to notify tlie police.
Tbe coroner asked him if he had seen
Mr. Jeffrey go in on the niglit in ques
tion: if he find ever seen any one go in
there since the wedding, or even if be
had seen any one loiteri
steps or sneaking into t
But tlie answer «.is alw
same no1
I
us 1 have
any jury,
ntioned of
t distress of mil
fi<Mr. after will
agitated way ill
U one anxious look 1
■■ adjoining room, n be
old house
there?**
I don’t re
dug ruu the i
• 1 !:i\ t
"And w;.s this the hour when you
saw that light?”
"Yes; butt times.”
As he hud appeared at the station
house it a few minutes before 10. lie
was pr.,1 ably correct in this statement.
He wound up with such a distinct
«■petition of Lis former emphatic as
set tioii us to the presence of light in
the old house on Tuesday as well as
Wednesday evening that Mr. Jeffrey's
testimony in this regard received u de
cided confirmation. 1 looked to see
some open recognition of this, when
suddenly and with a persistence un
derstood only ly the police the coro
I ner recalled Mr. Jeffrey und asked lam
what proof he hud to offer that Ids
visit of Tuesday had not been repeated
the next night and that he was not In
the building when that fatal trigger
was pulled.
At this leading question a lawyer
sitting near me edged himself forward
as if be hoped for some sign from Mr.
Jeffrey which would warrant him In
Interfering. But Mr. Jeffrey gave no
such sign. I doubt If he even noticed
this man's proximity, though be knew
him well and had often employed him
as his legal adviser in times gone by.
He was evidently exerting himself to
recall tbe name which so persistently
eluded his memory, putting his hand to
his bead and showing the utmost con-
fusion.
"I cannot give you one,” he finally
stammered. "There is a man
could tell if only 1 could remember hts
name.” Suddenly, with a loud cry
which escaped him involuntarily, he
gave a gurgling laugh, anil we heard
the name "Tallman!” leap from his
lips.
The witness had at last remembered
whom be had met at the cemetery
gate at the hour or near the hour his
wife lay dying In the lower part of
the city.
The effect was electrical. One of the
spectators—some country boor, no
doubt—so far forgot himself as to cry
out loud enough for all to hear:
“Tallman! Let us have Tailman!”
Of course he met with an Instant re
buke, but I did not wait to bear it or
to see order restored, for a glance from
the coroner had already sent me to tbe
door In search of this new witness.
My destination was the Cosmos club,
for Phil Tallman and his habits and
haunts were as well known In Wash
ington as tbe figure of Liberty on the
summit of the capitoi dome. When 1
saw •I111 I did not wonder. Never ha vs
I seen a more amiable looking man or
one with a more absentminded expres
sion. To my query as to whether ho
had ever met Mr. Jeffrey at or near
the entrance of Rock Creek cemetery
he replied with an amazed look and
the quick response:
“Of course I did. It was the very
night that his wife— But what's up?
Y’ou look excited for a detective.”
"Come to the morgue and see. This
testimony of yours will prove Invalua
ble to Mr. Jeffrey.”
The result was an absolute proof
that Mr. Jeffrey had been near Sol
diers' home ns late as 7, which was
barely fifteen minutes previous to the
hour Mrs. Jeffrey's watch was stopped
by her fall in the old house on Waver-
In tbe cornfield with his hoe. and h«
leaned against the fence ard beard
what the publisher had to say uud then
•ft
replied:
<1
“By gum, but I always knowed Silas
«a Bebee was a sneak, and now it’s prov
ed! He wants folks to think lie’s the
big Bebee, does he? Wants the world
By CYRUS BERICKSON
to believe that all the other Be bees
stand around and look at him with
„.Cop right. 1MJ3, by T. C. McClure...
Waal, I’ll bust up
. • * • • • . ••••••■ their mouths open?
bis little circus for him!”
The Bebee Settlement was so called
Mr. Graves had struck a good thing,
because so many farmers of that name, uud he was the man to push it. Reuben
tnd all related, bud settled there. It wanted more pages than Silas bad.
was at peace with all mankind and tlie His sons wanted to spread out in a lib
farmers lioeiug their corn when some eral manner, and Mr. Graves fixed
thing like a cloudburst happened. A matters to suit them and himself. He
stranger arrived at tbe house of Silas had free board and lodgings for four
Bebee unit sat down to a boiled dinner uays and departed with cash enough
with him and afterward held a long to buy a fur lined overcoat for the
and interesting conversation.
Mr. next winter. In honor bound, as he in
Graves, as the stranger gave bis name, formed Reuben, be must call on Sala-
was one of the partners in a big pub thlel Bebee, but only to make sure
lishing house which made a specialty whether his grandfather was bitten by
of publishing the biographies of the a mad dog in the state of Ohio or Mich
old and eminent families of America. igan. He called. Salathiel was up
The name of Bebee, as he had discov rooting the pigweeds which had crept
ered by long and patient research, dat into his garden, and when Mr. Graves
ed back to the year 900 and had been had explained the biography business
borne by princes, dukes, counts, bar to lilmMie straightened up and said:
oils, poets and soldiers. What Mr.
"You kin pass right on. I ain’t buy-
Graves wanted was to bring the Bebee in’ no gold bricks today.”
biography down to Silas and let tbe
But Mr. Graves didn’t pass. He
world know that the family was still showed the contracts entered into with
on tap and as eminent as in days of Silas and Reuben, and he added the
yore. He wanted to fill at least ten remark that it was too bad there were
pages of the gilt backed book he was only two eminent families of Bebees.
getting out with the sayings and do Then Salathiel struck tbe trunk of a
ings of Silas, while the eleventh page cherry tree with bis fist and exclaim
should be taken up with a full length ed:
portrait of the sturdy old farmer. The I "By John Rodgers, but the idea of
biography and the portrait would be them Bebees pausin’ themselves off
free, but in order to cover the cost of the smartest and best in America!
the glue and tbe stitching Silas would They do know how to farm, and I
have to come down with $25 in cash.
won’t go for to deny It, but as for be
"I don’t think I’ll trade,” was the re in’ big guns they ain’t knee high. I'm
ply when the caller had stated his case no hand tq brag, but if I don't lay over
Mr. Graves seemed to have prepared Sile and lteqbe every day in the week
himself for just such an answer, and then you xfii kick me clear across the
he turned away with:
barnyard."
“Very well, Mr. Bebee. As you are
The rest was easy, of course. There
the most prominent of the family, I wore Salathiel. his wife and two sons
naturally came to you first, but as you and two daughters, and all bad to go
don't care for tin- honors I shall go to Into that book regardless of space or
Reuben. 1 think he will jump at the cost. Mt. Graves was not an impetu
opportunity, being as he wants to be ous man, anil he took his time writing
elected county supervisor next yeur. out his notes and managed to get five
I
Good day, Mr. Bebee.’’
days’ free board and lodgings. Then
There wasn’t a feeling of brotherly he departed to “work” Moses, Abra
love between Silas and Reuben. Both ham, Joab, Peter, Paul and several
wanted to "run things,” and naturally other Bebees. securing victims in each
that brought about n clash. Silas had and every family and in one Instance
some thoughts of rtnining for county I taking la everything from the grand
supervisor himself, and it was news to mother down to tbe infant in tbe cra
him and news he did not like that Reu dle. Hq put in a full month at his
ben was planning to mix in. He did work, and he hud tlie best beds and
some rapid thinking, Mr. Graves bad the best meals. After his coming the
not climbed Into his buggy when he Bebees no louger neighbored, and they
was called back and a bargain conclud- I passed each otlier with their heads
held high and their noses turned up.
In one or two cases the young men
camo to blows, and lawsuits were
Started over old matters. Things were
edging along toward a grievous s tate
of affairs when Mr. Graves and his
notes and his money departed, and
three days later a detective arrived in
search of him and exposed him as a
swinaler. The Bebees didn’t want to
and couldn’t believe it at first, but the
evidence submitted was too strong for
them to stand against, and after a due
ar.-mnt of v»-en1pg uud wailing and
sweurmg a meeting ol' ail the families
was held, aril it was unanimously
“Resolved, ¡.'lint while the Bebees
date back to the year 900 this year
saw the whole durn caboodle making
fools of themselves without reason or
excuse, and we won't do it again.”
BIOGRAPHIES
WANTED
DBihetl to Flnrih Again.
Phil Tallman
••BY GUM, I AT,WAYS KS'KW SILAS BBBK1
WAS A SJtEAg.”
the
ley avenue, As the distance between
the two places could not be compassed
in that time, Mr. Jeffrey's alibi could
be regarded as established.
When we were all rising, glad of an
adjournment which restored free
movement and an open interchange of
speech, a sudden check in the general
rush called our attention back to Mr.
Jeffrey. He was standing faring Miss
Tuttle, who had fainted away, sitting
upright in her chair.
Conutined
“It’s real interesting to read about
these folks 1 that lived In mythological
times.” said Mr. Cobb as he put a slip
of paper in bls library book and shut
It carefully. “Seems as if 9 o’clock
came quicker than ever I knew It to
before."
Mrs. Cobb was putting a large patch
on one elbow of her waist, and she
hejd It close to the lamp in what seem
ed to her husband an ostentatious way.
He turned sidewise In bls chair to avoid
the view.
“There was that feller Atlas,” be
said, musing. “He was strong beyond
anything that we have nowadays,
Why, be supported the heavens on his
bead and hands; held ’em up In place
till they got kind of set, I Judge. What
muscle such u man as that must have
had!" And Mr. Cobb doubled bis right
fist and brought it up to his shoulder
while the fingers of bls left hand felt
bls arm with apparent satisfaction.
____ ___
________
“What
an __ appetite
be _____
must have
.....
— Cobb
.. .. tartly, ..And
had!
” said . Mrs5
" “ " he was supporting the heavens—
wtilie
_________________________
work the Lord
could have done without
#ny of his help—I’ll risk but what his
Wife was supporting him! And tomor
row I guess your cold ’ll be well enough
so you can go over to the squire’s and
begin on that wood they want chopped
and piled.”
ed. The rest of tbe afternoon and all,
the evening were spent in listening to
Silas Bebee’s history, covering a period
of some fifty-six years. Mr. Graves
made copious notes and nodded his
bead from time to time, and all went
well with the story. Bedtime bad
come, and Silas had given In sufficient'
matter for his ten pages when his wife,
who had all along been doing a heap of
thinking, rose and inquired:
"Sllai, am I »0 be left out of tills '
thing a* If I didn’t amount to shucksl
If I haven’t helped you to be the big-'
gest toad In the puddle, who has?”
“They never say anything In books
about big women, do they?” he asked
of Mr. Graves.
“Well, very seldom,” was the reply.
“I believe they have mentioned Cleo
patra and one or two others, but those
were exceptional cases Still, pis your
wife says”—
Tbe result was that Mrs. Silas Bebee
A Salvlnl Incident.
was given three pages and a portrait
The late Alexander Salvlnl was once
In tbe book, all for the sum of $8 cash playing Hamlet in a small Wisconsin
tn advance, und tbe clock had struck town The theater was tbe crudest of
midnight before she got through tell Structures, and the stage bad been
ing bow often she had had rheuma contrived for the occasion by the sim
tism, hysterics and bronchitis and how ple device of elevating a platform on
many yards of rag carpet and barrels four posts. When the gravedigging
of soft soap she bad made during her scene was reached a dfaft of cold air
married life. There was a son in tlie blew up through the aperture In the
family named Joe. He bad nothing to stage and not only caused the grave-
•ay that evening, but be got up next diggers’ teeth to chatter, but played
morning to claim his rights. As the freaks with their garments.
sen of Bebee and the biggest Bebee rt
Salvlnl, entering with Horatio, heard
them all, he wanted to be known ot from the grave only a strange Jumbh
men. and It was finally decided that hr of words bitton in pieces by the first
phouid Lave two pages and a portrait clown’s clicking teeth. But when b-
for $5. It was d >g cheap, and Mr saw the loose garments of the work
Graves would lose uiouey on It but be men flapping jocularly In the breet,
bad started out to see tb<> Bebee fam! tb« irrelevant sight was too much for
ly through and must du it even If he him, and laughtar checked bis speech
went broke. It tc k I.im three day« He tried to say, "Has this fellow no
to get through with tbe family, durlrs feeling of his business that be sings
which tie bad free board and lodgings at gravemaking?” but he had to turn
•s n matter of course -nd then he bls face away from the audience and
headed for the house of Reuben. It laugh, while the grav.-dlggers carried
was understood that he must call there the scene along with much furs of oc
to ask Reuben his exact age. but h« cupation with pick ami spade till Ham-,
must out go beyond that Reuben w - j ’M bffil asoovared Bia gravity.