South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-15
%IHERED J.
~ IA MYSTERY EOW oFNEW iORK
" Nyy WlLLLRMZN


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. 1 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
ject from herself 10 Inspector Nc
of experience that no man lives who
can resist that lure.
How do you feel about me today?"
he asked with heavy male coquetry.
Il haven't made up my mind to-
day." she said, but it's veerin' to-
ward the stupid" She crossed the
room and fumbled with the catch of
the south window. He rose heavily
to help her.
NO, thank youl" she said. mo.
thank you. l want to look over this
fire escape. I'm that old | can't go
up modest-like. It's enough to have
the stenographers rubberin' from
those windows, without you"
However, she managed with sur
passing lightness the step from the
window TO the iron stairway. with as
tonishing grace the ascent She
threaded it to its top, viewing it all
making a picture of herself as she
balanced on the landing, and pulled
out a wire hairpin. This universal
implement of the sex she twisted 10
suit her purpose, and began a slow
descent picking at the interstices of
the iron. Nothing but dust, with
here and there a straw, a bit of
clothin, or a scrap Of paper blown
thither by the wind.
IL
soto voice, but I'll try everythin'-
UGH it's sweeper's job"
So she worked downward nearly
one flight before she came to a cake
Of dirt in a corner of the iron steps.
She brushed it away and discovered
a little irregularity in the metal. She
picked at this with her twisted hair
pin. 1t proved to be a loop Of steel,
somewhat spotted, but still bright.
She hooked the pin into the loop, and
pulled. Something gave way. Out
of a very small hollow in the iron
step, which seemed like a bubble
left in the process of casting, came
a little hard bail. She rubbed It with
her hands, and polished il with her
handkerchief.
IT was a red shoe button.
Rosalie fingered it, and glazed up
ward, musing. Above, the iron stair
way ran straight TO the WINDOWS or
the lumber room. And that was the
only window rom which II could have
fallen in such 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.
1t a previous tenant dropped II, 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 es-
cape-'1et alone droppin' it," thought
Resale.
Rosalie wrapped the button in her
handkerchief and continued her
search. Nothing heavier than straws
and scraps of paper.
well, you never can tell" she
said TO herself as she Strengthened up
on the landing before Capt. Hanska s
window; let's see-who in my house
ever wears"
She stopped all motion here; and
since there was no need for conceal
ment. her face showed the shock
which she felt. Her eyes widened:
her jaw dropped.
"Um-hum." she buZzed with the
tone of one who gathers the straws
of suspicion into sheaf of fact.
"Um-hum!"
Ito be Continued.)