Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-03-26

the compression of ten emotional
years into ten minutes of life. Worse
for him, the hen-minded Mrs. Moore,
seeing the blood, cried, You muir
derer!" clutched at his coat, and fell
into a faint. Upon Professor NoII de-
yolved 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 weeping breast to breast; Mrs
Moore had recovered to say that she
Miss Estrilla, the invalid lady on the
top floor, had called from the head of
the stairs, What is it?" With the
brutality which impels US in crises to
confide unpalliated horrors, some one
shrieked, "Hanska's murdered"
There came from above some Spanish
calculations to which no one paid
much attention, and then a rafting of
the hook of the telephone, which hung
on a doorpost in that fourth-foor hall.
Professor Noll, his mind still on the
necessity for calling a 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.. EstrilIa
entering almost on the run.
There's been murder! Captain
Hanska's killed." Professor NoIl
called after him.
Il know-my seester lephone-she
Is frighten'" Estrilla called back
shrilly over his shoulder And he hur-
ried up the stairs.
By this time, the open door, the
1uttering lights, the screams and hys-
terics, had begun to attract the atten-
ton Of this and that late pedestrian
A milkman pulled up, hitched, and en-
tered; and then a night-faring printer.
Presently the little knot in the street
and the parlors was augmented by
woman, fully and rather over-luxuri-
ously dressed, as though for the the
ater-a big picture hat and a black
satin, fur-edged evening coat over a
light gown which showed here and
there the glitter of seQuins She was
a large but shapely woman of uncer-
tain age; yet so pleasing withaI that
the gathering loafers, even In the ex-
element of murder, spared a few
admiring glances at her face
I'm goin' up she eonfided to her
fellows. Il belong the:e-they need
sensible woman, frDm the way
they're screechin'. You better not fol-
low-youU do no good an it might
git you involved" With surprising
lghtness, considering her bulk, she
mounted the stairs.
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 a pair
of large serious eyes which took in
every detail. She bent her gaze on
the dead man, stopped, made quick ex-
animation, first of the wound and then
of his face. Both Mrs. Moore and Miss
Harding were about to ask this strang-
er to account for herself, when the
doctor, half-dressed but carrying his
bag, edged past the door. All turned
to him. He looked but an instant on
the face.
He's dead" he said calmly. Has
any one notified the police? Has any
one called up a Coroner"
'I'll attend to that" volunteered the
strange woman, with an air of perfect
competence and command; where's
the phone-ground floor and top floor
hall? All right; I'll use the top floor;
that's nearer. Any particular Coro-
ner, Doctor? Lipschutz? All right"
In the hall, she met the regular
patrolman, who had received the news
at last. The limb of the law had for
hidden the augmented crowd at the
door to follow him; he was ascending
alone. The sight Of this woman in