Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-04-07
AUTHOR OF THE CITY THAT WAS, ETc.
ILLUSTRATED By erT1arryR. .GrisSin&er

CITY THAT WAS, ETC


was Of no use in this crisis, what with
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 Noll de-
volved 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
always expected 1t Of Mr.. North. and
Miss Estrilla. the invalid lady on the
top floor. had called from the head Of
the stairs. What is 1T" With the
brutality which impels us in crises to
conflde 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 rattling of
the hook of the telephone. which hung
on door-post 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.. Estrilla
entering almost on the run.
There's been a murder! Captain
Hanska's killed." Professor Noll
called after him
81 know-my seester lephone-she
Is frishten'." Estrilla called back
shrilly over his shoulder. And he hur-
ried up the stairs.
BY this time. the open door. the
nuttering 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 night-faring printer.
Presently the little knot in the street
and the parlors was augmented by a
woman. fully and rather over.luxuri.
ously dressed. as though for the the
ater-a big picture hat and a black
satin. furedged 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 withal that
the gathering loafers. even in the ex-
element Of a murder. spared few
admiring glances at her face.
I'm soin' up" she confided to her
fellows. II belong there-they need
a sensible woman. from the way
they're screechin' You better not fol-
low-you1l do no good an 1t might
git you involved" With surprising
lightness, 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. halfdressed but carrying his
bag. edged past the door. All turned
to him. He looked but an instant on
the face.
Hes dead" he said calmly. HAS
any one notified the police? Has any
one called up a Coroner7"
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