Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-26

clutched At his coat. and fell into .
faint. Upon Professor Noll devolved
the masculine guidance OF this affair.
And he thought first, not OF the police,
but of doctor. BY this time. Miss
Harding and Miss Jones were weep
ing breast to breast: Mrs. Moore had
recovered to say that she always ex-
pected It OF Mr.. North. and Miss
Hstrilla. the invalid lady on the top
floor. had called from the head Of the
stairs. What 10 IT." With the brutality
which impele IN in crises to confide
unpalliated horrors. some on shrieked.
"HAnska's murdered" There came
from above some Spanish calculations
to which no one paid much attention,
and then rafting Of the hook OF the
telephone, which hung on . door-post
in that fourth-floor hall.
Professor Noll, his mind still on the
necessity for calling doctor, slipped
into ulster and bed-shoes and rushed
across the street to rouse the house
physician In the apartment hotel. He
was some time making himself known
and understood. As he neared his own
door again, he saw Mr.. Estrilla enter
Ing almost on the run.
~There's been q murder! Captain
Hanskas killed." Professor Noil called
after him. tt
II know--my seester telephone shs
ID frighten,," Estrilla called back
shrilly over his shoulder. And he hur.
ried up the stairs.
BY this time, the open door, the flut-
tering lights, the screams and hys-
terics. had begun to attract tho sttsn.
ton Of this and that late pedestrian. u
milkman pulled up, hitched. and en-
tered; and then nightfa1ing printer.
Presently the little knot In the street
and the parlOrs was augmented BY q
woman, fully and rather over-luxufi.
ously dressed, AZ though for the
theater--a big picture hat and q black
satin fur-edged evening coat over 4
light gown which showed here and
there the glitter Of sequins. She was
q large but shapely woman Of uncSr
tain age; yet so pleasing withai that
the gathering 1oafers, even In the ex-
element of murder, spared few nd
miring glances at her face Her ex.
preston changed momentarily With
each sound from above: and with
these changes the ghost of line Of
dimples played about her generous,
mobile mouth. The mouth, the dimplGs.
the peaked chin, the rather small
straight nose all appeared In strange
contrast to her large light eyes. which
arrested attention at once through "A
curious appearance of looking fte.9
away. .
The printer and the milkman hast.
ened to tell her their news. Some row
was on up there; they'd overheard
something about murder. At that
word, the strange woman, with quick
efficient gestures, drew off her long
evening gloves, straightened out the
fingers, rolled them into neat ball
and put them away In her mutt
I'm goin' up she confided TO her
fellows IT belong there--they need 4
sensible woman, from the way they're
:screechin'. You better not follow -
you'll do no good an 1t might cit you
involved. with surprising lightness.
considering her bulk, che mounted the
stairs. Is s Il -
The noise guided her TO, the focus OF
interest; she pushed her way into the
room Of the late Captain Hanska, and
stood looking about with q pair Of
large. serious eyes which took In every
detail. She bent her gaze on the dead
man, stopped, made quick exanina-
ton. first Of the wound and then OF
his face Both Mrs. Moore and Miss
Harding were about to ask this
stranger to account for herself, when
the doctor, half-dressed, but carrying
his bag, edged past the door. All
turned to him. He looked but anrin.
stant on the face.
Hes dead" he said calmly and
briefly. n. if
At this confirmation OF what every
one already knew, Mrs. Moore tainted
again-tumbled into the arms OF Mits
Harding. Miss Jones, with a feeling
that she must do the right thing now
that the doctor was looking, rushed
over and opened both windows. IL
Mrs. Moore expected attention from
the doctor, she was baked. He was
making more careful examination
and that lady gradually revived Of her
own motion.
"He has been dead for some time-4
not long enough for rigor nortis to. set
In, but he's cold and the blood has be.
gun to CONCEAL" he said Mt length.
HAS anyone notified the police? Has
anyone called up q coroner?'
(TO BE CoNTINUED).
gt ID S--.--