The Dermott news., 1913-12-25
COPYRIGHT i9l2 BOBBS MERRILL co


 .pellbound
 The second woman-in fact che was little more than a girl-was slender. blonde and fragile-her quality was elin Rosale could spare her but glance.
 "I am Mrs. Hanska. widow of the man who was killed last night" said the taller woman. and she hesitated
 It was not the custom of Inspector Martin McGee to rise when women entered hts office in the role of the accused, or of witnesses A little bru- tality of attitude. he felt. put them in meek and humble mood fer the sub sequent Third Degree proceedings But this womaH-or was t the re spected presence of Kosalie Le Grange9-drew him 10 his feet
 Wont you sit down '' he said
 Thank you May introduce Miss Elizabeth Lane2 She Is here to verify what have to say. All this with perfect simplicity Her eyes travelled then. with quick glance of inquiry to Kosalte Le Grange.
 @Thls.e said the Inspector taking hls cue al a quick prod from Rosalie loot. is Mrs Le Grange. She Is the lady who came into the house right i after the accident and took the boarders over to her place for the night Shes kept them there ever since. She was just telling me what she knew May be you'd like to hear 1t"
 T should like very much to hear it." said Mrs Hanska earnestly.
 But maybe you want to be alone ] just at first" interposed Rosalie mak- Ing pretense of rising
 "No-there Is nothing secret, re piled Mrs Hanska T see no reason why you should not stay Indeed. you may be able to help us"
 Now Martin McGee summoned the police stenographer and ordered him to stay within call Gone from him was the heavy humor of his half-hour with Rosalle He was the Ghiet-sus ] picious and brutal.
 T must warn you" he said that If you are Implicated in this case, any thing you say Will ha used against 
 you at the trial" Generally that sud den statement made women trembie, drew from them food Of words cut of which McGee picked the fotsam and the ietsam of evidence But Mrs. Hanska did not give the preliminary Frightened start She only transferred her limpid level gaze from kosalte s : faCa to InsDector MCGees
 Tt would be impossible to impll- cate me" Dozens of people can testify that | was In Arden. q hundred miles north last night that have not left Arden for more than a month Per haps. " she continued. checking an un- formed sentence on the lips of In spector McGee. T had better start at the beginning and tell you all about 1t"
 She was talking fine Inspector McGea reflected Having got her started. his best course was to mollity her until she began to run down.
 That's always best" he said
 Quite simply Mrs Hanska began her talk
 T married Captain Hanska ten years ago-when I was nineteen He was nearly thirty-tive then, although he said that he was younger, and he had just come back from Alaska He sad that he got his title in the Bo' livian army have since had reason to doubt that He was an engineer by profession. realize now how little mother and I knew about him. But he wa. 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 l found out how he lived That. for mo was the beginning oi