Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-24
THE PFD ri TTTON By WILL IRWIN
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tering golden successes, was a kind of
an ideal. That she should work" a.
doddering millionaire-as Noreross
had been in his last years-for the
tainted coin of aged folly, was a blow
to what idealism an inspector of de-
tectives may hope still to cherish.
Rosalie. skilled from youth to catch
and interpret the unconsidered ex-
preston of the human countenance,
read his emotion at once.
Now, l don't mean at all what you
mean, Martin MCGEE" she said. Lis
ten. 1t don't matter what l did, or
how l did it-but l saved this Robert
H. Norcross from maxim about the
biggest kind of a fool out of himself.
There's more things get by the po-
lice than get to 'em, Inspector Mar
tin MCGEE. Especially in the medium
game. Norcross was caught, 1 tell
you. Ever hear of Mrs. Paula Mark
ham,"
1.-THE woman who skipped to Paris
after the Warheld AFFAIR."" asked
MCGEE. Rosalie nodded.
And a great medium, too" she
said. but also a great crook Well
she had Robert Norcross, I tell YOU"
Rosalie extended one of her creamed-
and-polished hands. She closed the
fingers gradually, into one pink.
adorable, tight fist. Just like that"
she said. He was the right age to
be worked by a medium. And think
of the stakei The newspapers said
when he died that his estate was
smaller than anybody thought. But
1t was seventy-five million Mrs.
Markham had him-and them An
broke that grip. 1t amt necessary
for me to say how. Funny thing was
didn't do it for Norcross at all.
but just for a little blue-eyed fool of
a girl in love. Well, anyhow, when
he woke up and realized the narrow
shave he had, Mr. Norcross began to
investigate. an found what I'd done.
Do you remember she asked sud-
denly, that they probated the Nor
cross will secret? Nobody ever knew
exactly what he did with his money.
except his nephew got most of it."
II remember" said Inspector Me-
Gee. And then, on a sudden burst of
laughter. Gee! Wouldn't the news
papers give a heap to get this story
you're going to tell"
"They would" responded Rosalie
LIE Grange, "and that's why you'll
never breathe a word to a soul. But
therel always knew. who could
trust-an' you're one of 'em. The
reason was codicil or whatever you
call it. He left me--'in token of serv-
ice and friendship it said-an old
house he owned over by North river,
an stocks-well six thousands a year
to make one bite of it'
Good lord! He did," cried Martin
McGee.
Rosalie nodded solemnly, but her
eyes shone.
Now I played that medium game
on the square, you understand" she
said, "again and again. 1 passed up
chances to hook just such old dopes
as Norcross. My rule was always
straight sittings at two dollars
a head, an no extras. faxed
em, of course. But l heart
ened 'em up. 1 handed 'em good adj
vice. I kept silly fool girls from goin'
to the bad. I gave weepy old widows
the only real recreation they ever
had. An here, right at the end,
CDlIicS dn HOficSl pi6SS VI HiOnCy SO
big that could have played crooked
all my life, an never even got a
chance at anythin' like 1t. Makes mo
wonder" she added, 'if the goody-
goody stuff 1 used to line out in my
inspirational platform talks wasn't
true. after all.
And never a noise from the law
yers?" inquired Martin MCGEE.
Didn't they squeal?"
Like stuck pigs!" replied Rosalie,
but they didn't bother me. I was
my own lawyer All right says I,
sue and get it into the papers that
Robert H. Norcross was runnin' to
mediums. Do a lot for your rail-
road system. Look nice in red head
lines That fixed 'em. An last
March I came into my money. I
closed up shop an sold my test books
an stopped this medium business, an
started to be a lady Six thousand
year amt too much to do that job
in New York, even when you don't
have to pay house rent.
There was six months, income
waiting for me when the lawyers
settled everything up, an put that
| into things that / wanted all my life.
bought some stuff that 1 needed,
too, but l bought the things that
wanted first--a Duchess-lace hand
kerchief that put me back fifty dol
lars, a gold chair, an some diamond
rings an a gold-mesh bag-but
| guess this is neither here nor there.
I spread myself on clothes, had my
| face overhauled and renovated until
l hardly knew it myself, and then
I fixed UP the house. And that house
you can believe me-is some house
| it's got chintz bedrooms, an con-
servatory an a smoking den an a
coy corner an sun parlor.
"After that l started out to be a
lady. 1 went to the opera an the
theatre an tea at the Deidrich.
hired landau from a livery-stable,
an every day drove up Fifth ave-
nue.. The rest of the time, I shopped.
An, Inspector Martin MCGEE, believe
me, l begun to feel wrong, some.
how" .AIel Al
Ito Be Continued Tomorrow