Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-08
BY WILL IRWIN
Copyright by BObbs-MerFili cOmPan'

I md Le1d. what mind!
| The sigh did not escape 4fosai,e ns
Craree: little in her surrotsha.hts
eyer escaped her. She appeared -
come out of her thoughtful mood, ana
her dinlpies flashed.
"Gest.ng tired?" she asSed
'No." he said. And thea suddenly.
"Pese. why did you ever start
Yes" The word was out OF Us
lius bc,cre wonder entered Ills nii''u.
Nov. how did you sst tilat.-Whae
I Was thinking of? You maze me
S-cLder if there amt something III
your mediumship."
"Weil," said Rosalie, "ieachln' OUT
and getiin' things that say IS oil lhe
edge of the spirit, 1 guess. Tod you
before, the more you know about this
thing tho more you don't know.
She mounted chair to peer ATOMS
the closet shelf. "In this case, Whsh
gentleman sits still ,ookin' at a
lady like he really saw her, hes
thinkin of the past among otheI
things. An when he signs like tnat
it's probably because she amt what
he'd like her to be--if has got any
respect for her, which | hope you
have, Inspector Martin McGeen'
Eyes, I have that" responded the
inspector.
81 kinder guessed you had replied
Resale, smelling of two old bottles
which she had found on he shelf.
How did I come to take II
up? Well, when you're left an
orphan at twelve--there amt much
choice. Professor vango adopted me
my mother was in his circle. Old
fake! But he had mediumship, too;
an he thought, an ! thought, he
brought somethin' out of me. any
how, / saw things. So | became
medium, like you became cop-be-
cause it happened that way. II 1t
had happened another way you
might have been boss bricklayef
and contractor--you wouldn't
stayed journeyman, I'll say that for
you. Sometimes added Rosalie,
drawing all sting from her words by
a flash of her dimples, II think you're
awful stupid, Martin MCGEE, an
sometimes / think you're a wonder
It's generally according to whether
or no you agree with me. As you
mostly do, l generally call you a
wonder. An you've got get-there, be-
sides. Slow, but you do get there.
This bit of conversation fulfilled
Rosalie's purpose. 1t turned the sub
1ect from herself to Inspector Nc
Gees self: and she knew from life
of experience that no man lives who
can resist that lure.
How do you feel about me today?"
he asked with heavy male coquetry.
81 haven't made up my mind to-
day. she said, but it's veerin'
toward the stupid" She crossed the
room and fumbled with the catch of
the south window. He rose heavily
to help her.
mo, thank you'' she said. ! want
to look over this free escape I'm
that old l can't go up modest-like.
It's enough to have the stenographers
rubberin' from those windows, with
out you"
However, she managed with sur
prising lightness the step from the
window to the iron stairway, with
astonishing grace the ascent. She
threaded 1t to it's top, viewing it all
in a general way. Then she stopped.
making a picture of herself as she
balanced on the landing, and pulled
out wire hairpin. This universal
implement of the sex she twisted to
suit her purpose, and began slow
descent, picking at the interstices of
the iron. Nothing but dust, with here
and there a straw. bit of cloth or
scrap of paper blown thither by the
wind.
''Unpromisin," she said to herself
soto voce, "but I'll try everythin'--
ugh! it's sweeper's job"
So she worked downward nearly one
fight before she came to a cake of
dirt in corner of the iron steps
She brushed it away and discovered
little irregularity in the metal. She
picked at this with her twisted hair
somewhat spotted, but still bright.
She hooked the pin into the loop ana
pulled. Something gave way. Out of
very small hollow in the iron step,
which seemed like bubble left in the
process of casting, came a little hard
ball. She rubbed it with her hands
and polished it with her handkerchief.
1t was a red shoe-button.
Resale fingered it, and glanced up
ward, musing. Above, the iron STAIR
way ran straight to the windows of
the lumber-room. And that was the
only window from which it could have
fallen in such a fashion as to strike
the fire-escape. She knew from Mrs.
Moore that this room had been used
for storage during all of the last year.
If previous tenant dropped it, the
lacquer would be gone or furnished by
now. The other windows on the
fourth floor were cut off from view
of the fire-escape by an irregularity
of the wall. From those windows one
could scarcely have thrown the but
ton and hit that spot on the fire.
escape-"1et alone droppin' it."
thought Rosalie.
Rosalie wrapped the button in her
and continued her
search. Nothing heavier than straws
and scraps of paper.
ITO BE Continued Tomorrow