Tombstone epitaph., 1916-03-12
CHAPTER VI.
Twin Stars.


 police still report no progress" on the Wade-Hanska murder case. now a back number with the newspapers-a story laid aside. The week has been equally quiet at the select boarding house mainni:@ss ss= Rosalie Le Grange-a quiet overlain ,,tth gloom and get illuminated with human sym pr.hy and even gaiety.
 Out of the shadows twlnkla two stars-Betsy- Barbara and Tommy North. Rosalis in jest. and Professor Noll In earnest. call Betsy-BarbasS the little household fairy" Engaged though she is in a tragic guardianship. she Is also young and sprightly and . village girl fresh to the wonder = Few York. Rosalie Is the on!S; force, but bei.y n--s-. .. ,,ns visible focus. which draws them all together She asks counsel of Miss Harding and Miss Jones on her autumn clothes. In her spare moments she sevs industriously with Rosslie De Grange-dropping meantime those confdences which flow at sewing bees. The orphan of a country clergyman and a schoolmis- tress. she has at her fnger-tips all the arts of play. Whenever the household ! stays In of nights. she gathers them together over hearts or bridge: when cards grow stale. che is capable Of getting contagious fun out O; charades or anagrams.
 More and more the boarders take to staying at home. This charming life domestic is novelty in New York. it seems: they revel in the fad. Mfr Es- trilla has developed a way of joining them after hls evening visits to his l sister; and he brings such a spirit of Latin gaiety that they quit their for nal games. and take always to music and conversation when he enters. Ro- salie especially delights in him. He has a quick turn Of the tongue which matches her own; and they fence with gooc-natured repsrtee. Whenever Els trilla enters the room his eyes travel to Betsy Barbara and they two play in a boy-and-girl spirit very charming and amusing-to every one but Tom my North. All speak well of Estrilla T guess he's a regular man all right, ! if he is wop." says even Tommy.
 Miss Estrilla alone never joins the group downstairs. Though her eyes are better, though she can bear some light. she shove a state of debility pug zling to her physician and alarming to her watcher and attendant. Rosalie Le Grange. The doctor advises her to re- turn to . warmer climate before the E fn- trsnspiaated Latins. she is very shiyery person. She answers that she cannot; her brothers business lies in New York. and she would be unhappy away from him
 
 The time came when Rosalie Le Grange determined to visit Inspector ! EcGee: she wished to unload some . theories of her own concerning the Hanska case. Such visits must be made with all due precaution of se- crecy. She chose an evening when. as happened seldom nowadays, nearly all the boarders had engagements else where. As step preliminary to her diplonacies, she telephoned to McGee and made with him an appointment far from the ofIice. Then she approached Betsy Barbara.
 Its asking lot of you. my dear" she said. but I've been so busy settin' this place shook together that haven't had time to mind my own af- fairs. I've a cousin in town an jest haven't had time to pay her any at tention. Miss Estriila Is kind of nerv- ous tonight. an I hate to leave her alone until her brother comes-any- how. he misses some evenings. Just sit by her-an' if he shows up you don't have to do even that"
 BetsyBarbara accepted the new re- sponsibility.
 "rd love it." she said almost cheer fully. Constance is going to try to get some sleep tonight. and I'll put her to bed right after dinner. And I've been dying to meet Mss Estrilla."
 Miss Estrilla's appearance appealed at once te Betsy -Barbara's quick sym pathies. Her eyes were shaded; further she wore heavy colored glass- es. She was . rather tall and slender woman. Betsy Barbara decided. There vas kind of sxonisits shynsss absut