South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-11

Not quite the truth, either; the truth
fixed up a little. which is the best
kind Of a lie that is. Give us what
happened-but say your own smart
ness cleared up the case. not mine
Get Or. CIeary TO certify that he
found apoplexy at more careful
autopsy. made after the cOroner's in
quest, but that he suppressed the re-
port at the request Of the police. You
can force him 10 do that TO save his
skin; his work is gittin' careless
enough SOS one more slip would make
his political hackers drop him. Say
the theory that a man died Of apo
plexy, just when a knife was held at
his breast ready for him TO fall on
it. was so strange an unusual that
you couldn't believe 1t in the begin
min. SO YOU held Lawrence Wade
until you made sure. Say you sus-
pected Miss Estrilla-AIiss Perez
from the first, an learniu' that she
was superstitious, had her worked
by a police stocl-pigeon who played
at bein' a professional medium Say
your men listened 20 the seances. an
broke in at the end an pulled the
whole story out Of her. An if that
amt awful near the truth, L never
made up lie that was"
Il fail TO see how that excuses us
for letting Estrilla-Perez-go said
Inspector MCGEE, with stir Of sar-
casm.
That point" said Rosalie. "is the
best thing I've thought out-the very
best. Up TO the cOnfession-that's
our story-you hadn't the least idea
but Miss Estrilla done il all herself.
We'd never thought about their
changin' clothes. An when you got
the confession, you sent out 10 arrest
him, but he was gone-probably tip
ped off somehow How. search me,
/ haven't thought out a good lie
there. Maybe yOu'll have TO invent
that yourself. Otherwise it'll just be
one Of the mysteries Of the New York
police department. Reprimand you,
Why they'll give you a medal"
MCGEE still looked down at the
paper-knife.
THAT amt ALL" he said: "you
fooled me, that's what you did. You
made fool cut Of me-"
At this ROsalie fired. A light came
into her eyes that rolled ten years
from her age-the light of anger A
color came into her cheeks that took
off another ten-the pink of contempt
Make a fool of you, Martin MCGEE,
only made a fool of one person.
That's me, ROsalie lie Grange Who
took all the risks in this job? You2
Not bit OF II! Me, ROsalie. And
what's more, Martin'-she paused
and gulped; and something came into
her face that reduced her TO n girl
who did / do il fOr2 Me. Resale?
guess not. What was there in il
for me? When this thing broke. l
was Independent and living my own
life-an' a clean, self-respectng life.
Do you think / wanted to do it?
Well. you can bet not. I started this
job mainly cause 1 didn't want to
see the fine young fellow Wade go to
the chair an because 1 didn't want
TO see that beautiful young thing
broken for life-I mean Constance
Hanska
But after l got into it, I realized
that / was workin' more for some
body else than ] was for them And
that somebody else was you Martin
MCGEE. I'd a given it up long ago if
j hadn't kept my mind on you. An
I'd become fond of that sick Estrilla
woman and OF that little brother of
hers. But / went right on. Do YOU
suppose I like 10 do what 7 did 10
them? Well, you never made a big
ger mistake / amt what I used to
be. When 1 brought back her father
and mother to trick that poor Miss
Estrilla. 1 just gagged. But after
found that she wasn't guilty. nor him
in a manner Of speaking had TO
hand them a square deal just like
the rest. I'd done everything I could
think Of. Martin McGee-but
couldn't Kill a man I liked and SYM
pathized with. just to help your ca
reer. An so I done the next best
thing. l fixed TX so nobody would be
involved in IL but me. / could have
told you, an persuaded you, maybe,
that the right thing was to let this
Perez get away. But you'd have been
my accOmplice. You couldn't have
gone on the stand an sworn clean
as you can nOw-that you had nothin
70 do with it2 1 kept YOU out of IT,
I'm here to take my medicine.
never whimpered yet. an / won't now.
An that, Martin MCGEE. is why
fooled you"
Never had words poured so fast
from the lips of Rosal;e lie Grange.
And as they poured, macy expressions
chased across Inspector McGee's
clean-shaven police face
rs this the truth. Rose" he said
and gulped. us il the truth %"
It's the truth If anybody ever told
it." she replied.
He was on his feet now: she rose
also.
You're wonder of the world" he
said
I've always maintained that" she
replied. her old self dancing in her
dimples
Martin McGee who had never per
Ceived that an intelligent woman may
look 90 and 40 in successive hours
whose heavy police mind. in short
had little skill 90 weigh finer values
knew not that love goes by contrasts
that the Lord Archer smites never so
surely anC certainly as i'm the mo-
ment when jealousy or suspicion are
departing. tie never understood why
his defenses fell all al once. why his
arms. working as though in defiance
OF his WILL encircle Resale lie
Grange.
When a month before. Martin SO
exploded in her presence. Resale had
WrenChed herself away. II she lay
unresisting IN his arms now. il was
because she had seen his face. And
Rosalie lie Grange knew above all
things how 20 read faces. She Welded
her waist. but not vet her lips
Martin" she asked softly lis this
on the leyol2"
-LLa On -ha la-.l E.-- ~ I