The state herald., 1916-02-11
AUTHOR OF THE CITY THAT WAS, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED BY HarryR. .Grissin9er


seur of her sex. sat regarding her
spellbound.
The second woman-in fact she was
little more than girl-was slender.
blonde and fragile-her quality was
elfln. Rosalie could spare her but a
glance.
II am Mrs. Hanska, widow of the
man who was killed last night" said
tho taller woman; and she hesitated.
It was not the custom of Inspector
Martin MCGEE to rise when women
entered his once In the role of the
accused. or Of witnesses. A little bru.
tality Of attitude, he felt. put them In
meek and humble mood for the sub.
seQuent Third Degree proceedings.
But this woman-or was 1t the re-
spected presence Of Rosalie Ls
Grange?-drew him to his feet.
Wont you sit DOWN." he said.
Thank you. May ! introduce Miss
Elizabeth Lane? She is here to verify
what l have to say" All this with
perfect simplicity. Her eyes travelled
then. with a quick glance Of inquiry,
10 hoSalle Le SranBe.
This" said the Inspector. taking
his cue at a quick prod from Rosalie's
loot. "is Mrs. lie Grange. She is the
lady who came into the house right
after 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."
II should like very much to hear It."
said Mrs. Hanska earnestly.
But maybe you want to be alone
Just at first." interposed Rosalie. max
ing pretense Of rising.
"No-there ia nothing secret" re-
piled Mrs. Hanska. IL see no reason
why you should not stay. Indeed. you
may be able to help u.s."
Now Martin MCGEE summoned the
police stenographer and ordered him
to stay within call. Gone from him
was the heavy humor OF his halfhour
with Rosalie. He was the Chief-sus-
picious and brutal.
Il must warn you." he said. that
II you are implicated in this case. any.
thing you say will be used against
you at the trial" Generally that sud.
den statement made women tremble.
drew from them n flood Of words out
Of which McGee picked the fotsam
and the jetsam OF evidence. But Mrs.
Hanska did not give the preliminary
frightened start She only transferred
her iimpid level gaze from Rosalie's
face to Inspector McGee's.
TT would be impossible to impli.
cate me-" Dozens Of people can testify
that was In Arden. a hundred miles
north, last night-that have not left
Arden for more than a month. Per
haps." she continued. checking IN un.
formed sentence on the lips OF In.
spector MCGEE. II had better start at
the beginning and tell you all about
IT,"
She was talking fine" Inspector
McGee reflected. Having got her
started. his best course was to mollify
her until she began to run down.
That's always best" he said.
Quite simply Mrs. Hsnska began
her talk
Il married Captain Hanska ten
years ago-when was nineteen. lie
was nearly thirty.hve then. although
he said that he was younger. and he
had Just come back from Alaska. He
said that he got his title In the DO.
livian army. have since had reason
to doubt that. lie was nm 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 found out how he lived
That. for me. was the beginning Of