Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-30

foot, Els Mrs. lie Grange. She 10 the
lady who came into the house right a.
tor the--accident-and took the
boarders over to her place for the
night. She's kept them there ever
since. She was Just telling me what
she knew. Maybe you'd like to hear
IT. AH%
With her beautiful seriousness, Mrs.
Hanska considered Inspector Mc0ee's
words, considered the situation. consid-
cred Rosalie Le Grange. Never had
RoaAlie presented moro convincinely
the appearance OF simple. placid, bour-
ssois responsibility. Not the CULVER OF
IN eyslAsh. not the fash Of q dimpls-
Qutet-dyed she gave Mrs. HAnska
glance for glanoa.
Il should hks very much to hear IT,"
ssid Mrs. Hansa2 earnestly.
"But maybe you want to be alone
just at flrst," intsrposed Rosalie. max
Ing pretense OF rising.
'No-thers 10 nothing secret" ~
piled Mrs. HanskA. Il ses no reason
why you should not stay. Indeed you
may be able to help us." She trained
her hook steadily upon Rosalie L.
Grange. Resale, with all the gravity
OF this world In her brows. looked
back. Something unseen OF Martin
McGse passed between them. Women
hsve With women their own ways, un-
perceived, investigated, unvalued, by
you or me or Martin MCGEE or any
other man who ever lived. In that
glance. two currents Of hne subconr
scious emotion had met and fused. Ro-
salie 10 Oranges mind had said:
"You marvel. you beauty" And Con
stance Hanska's mind had said: ~
trust this woman whoever she is,'
Now Martin MCGEE summoned the
police steno8rapher and ordered him
to stay within call. Gone from him
was the heavy humor Of his halfhou
with Resale. He was the chief-AaD-
picious and brutal.
II must warn YOU" he said, ''thatsif
you are implicated In this case. any
thing you say will be used against you
at the trial" Generally that sudden
statement made women trembbo, drew
from them q food of words out Of
which MCGEE picked the botsam and
the jetsam Of evidence. But Mrs.
Hanska did not give even the prelim.
mary frightened start She only trans
ferred her limpid level ga.e fyom Ro6-
allies face to Inspector MCOeo'A
"Oh, Of course" she said simply;
II know enough shout law to under
stand that"
But tho nttle blonde spoke now 1or
the first time; and for tho flrst time
Resale turned her attention from the
greater luminary to It's satellite. She
was child Of whimsy and the sun.
Her face ran to tiny points and peaks,
her coloring to twinkles of light. Her
blue eyes were swapping now % she
exclaimed:
Implicated! You'll have hard
time doing that" And she gained
truculently at Inspector MCGEE.
please don't Betsy-Barbara," said
Mrs. Hanska with no irritation
merely plain statement Of her de-
sires; tits this gentloman's duty to
warn me, you know"
(''Betsy- Baraba- that's 4 cut name
bet Mrs. Hanska gave 1t to her!''
said the mind Of Rosalie ~ Grange
ut would be- impossible to implicate
me-" pursued Mrs. Hanska. Dozens
OF people can testify that I was In
Arden, . hundred miles north. last
night-that have not left Arden for
more than month. Perhaps" she con
tinued, checking an uniformed sentence
on the lips of Inspector McGee, II had
better start at the beginning and. tell
you all about It,"
She was talking 'fine," Inspector
MCGEE reflected Having got shSr
started. his best course was to- mollify
her until she began to run down.
That's always best" he said.
$50 / should think" replied Mrs.
Hanska, hut will they use It all at the
trial?' $500.
Not necessarily" replied Inspector
MCGEE; I'VE must Judge Of that. mrs.
Hanska unused another space.
"And the newspapers--" ss
They'll get" said MCGEE. "just Whist
you tell them-no more"
Mrs. Hanska sighed as though one
great load, at least, had lifted from
her shoulders. And quite simply shs
began her talk.
IT married Captain Hanska ten years
|ago-when I was nineteen. He was
nearly thirty-flve then. although lie
said that he was younger: and he had
just come back from Alaska. He said
that he got his title in the Bolivian
army. have since had reason to
doubt that. He was an engineer by
profession. realize now how little
mother and knew about him. But
he was the kind OF person who carried
everything before him-you deferred
to him in those days in spite OF your
better Judgment. And my mother was
very trusting. Then, too. Captain
Hanska was very charming man.
Afterward, he changed perhaps need
not say anything more
During this statement, Betsy Barbara
Lane had been wriggling and bouncing
lin her chair. "Then I Wilt she burst
out Indignantly. "He was dreadful.
He was horrid. He was bad and he 81.
ways had been bad. And he treated
her shamefully. Everybody knows
that"
Martin MCGEE, rejecting that he was
making great progress toward estab-
fishing motive, forebore to check
Betsy Barbara. But Mrs. Hanska In,
terposed a firm, my dear, you must
not interrupt" Then she took up the