Tombstone epitaph., 1916-03-26

btlne medium, you mean!
 Yes. The word was out of his lips before wonder entered his mind.
 Now, how did you eet that-wha 1 was thinking of? You make me won der if there ain't something in your mediumship.'
 Well" said Rosalie. When you're left an orphan at tweive-there ain't much choice. Professor Vango adopt ed me-my mother was in his circle Old fake! But he had mediumship. | too: an he thought an thought, he brought somethin' out of me. Anyhow. l saw things. So became a medium. like you became a cop-because it hap pened that way. Sometimes" added Rosalie. drawing all sting from her words by a flash of her dimples. "I think you're awful stupid. Martin Mo Gee. an sometimes l think you're . wonder. Its generally according to whether or no you agree with me. As you mostly do. generally call you a wonder. An you've got get-there be- sides. Slow. but you do get there" This bit of conversation fulfilled Ro- salie's purpose. IL turned the sub ject from herself to Inspector McGees self; and she knew from a life of ex- perience that no man lives who can re- siet that lure.
 How do you feel about me today!" be asked with heavy male coquetry.
 T haven't made up my mind today" she said. but it's veerin' toward the stupid" She crossed the room and fumbled with the catch of the south window. He rose heavily to help her.
 No. thank you!" she said. No. thank you. I want to look over this fire escape. I'm that old can't go up modest-like It's enough to have Sle stenographers rusberin' from these windows. without you"
 However. she managed with sur passing lightness the step from the window 10 the iron stairway. with ss- ! touishing grace the ascent. She threaded 1t to its top. viewing 1t all in general way. Then she stopped, ma king a picture of herself as she bal anced on the landing. and pulled out a wire hairpin. This universal imple- ment of the sex she twisted to suit her purpose. and began a slow descent picking at the interstices of the iron.
 So she worked downward nearly obe flight before she came to a cake of dirt in corner Of the iron steps. She brushed it away and discovered a little irregularity in the metal She picked at this with her twisted hairpin. IL proved to be loop of steel, somewha, I hr,s h-fo the pin into the loop. and pulled. Some thing gave way. Out of very small hollow in the iron step, which seemed like a bubble left in the process O, casting, came a little hard ball She rubbed 1t with her hands. and polished it with her handkerchief.
 1t was a red shoe button. Rosalie fingered 1t, and glanced up ward. mus!ng. Above. the iron stair way ran straight to the windows of the lumber room. And that WAS the only window from which it could have fall en in such fashion as to strike the fire escape. She knew from Mrs. Moore that this room had been used for stor age during all of the last year. If ( 1 previous tenant dropped It. the lac quer ould be gone or tarnished by now. The other windows on the fourtf floor were cut of from view of the frs escape by an irregularity of the wall From those windows. one could scarce ly have thrown the button and hit tha spot on the fire escape-"let alon, droppin' It," thought RosaIie.
 Rosalie wrapped the button in hel handkerchief and continued her search
 Nothing heavier than straws ant scraps of paper.
 Well. you never can tell" she eait to herself as she strengthened up or the landing before Captain Hanskai window; let's see-who in my hous. ever wears
 She stopped all motion here; ant since there was no need for conceal
 ment, her face showed the shocl which she felt Her eyes widened her jaw dropped.
 "Um-hum,' she buzzed with the ton of one who gathers the strsws of sus
 picion into sheaf of fact
 "Un-hum!"
 And jus, then the voice of Inspecto
 Niece boomed from within.
 Pretty near through" he asked.
 Much as l want" replied Rosalie e voice and face falling at once into IT i: difference. 'Is there a place to was 1. in this house? Water ain't turned oi b yet? All right"
 When. ten minutes later, she rt q turned from the lavatory. marveloIsl q freshered in appearance. the tn3pecto = awaited her in the lower hall. 'T may be wanting to come again. l. she said. will you let the cops know e Well. how do stack today?" aske e Martin McGee, smart or stupid?" s Kind Of between" jabbed Rosali' B. but edgin' toward stupid still" Sh l. smiled again over her shoulder; . din y pie played and then another: . loc q of hair fell from its fastening over he
 cheek
 e And suddenly something happened IT something which Martin McGee. bIusI e ing over if later in silence and secrec. r could not himself account for. Wit
 the notion of . dancing bear. e avl