The state herald., 1916-04-28

l
body"
Inspector McGee was now playing
with flexible paper-knife. his down
cast eyes fixed upon it as he twisted 1t
back and forth.
"How?" he asked in voice from
which the bluster had gone.
Rosalie established herself comfort
ably In her chair.
well. it's funny thing for US to
do-you an me-tell the truth. Not
quite the truth. either; the truth fixed
up little, which is the best kind of a
lie that is. Give out what happened
but say your own smartness cleared
up the case, not mine. Get DR.. Cleary
to certify that he found apoplexy at
a more careful autopsy. made after
the Coroner's inquest, but that he sup
pressed the report at the request Of
the police. You can force him to do
that to save his skin; his work is get
tin careless enough SOS one more
slip would make his political hackers
drop him. Say the theory that man
died Of apoplexy Just when a knife
was held at his breast ready for him
to fall on It, was 80 strange an un-
usual that you couldn't believe It In
the beginnin So you held Lawrence
Wade until you made sure. Say you
suspected Miss Estrilla-Miss Perez
from the first. an learnin' that she
was superstitious, had her worked by
a police stool-pigeon who played at
bein' professional medium. Say
your men listened to the seances. an
broke in at the end an pulled the
whole story out Of her. An II that
amt awful near the truth. l never
made up a lie that was"
II fail to see how that excuses us
for letting Estrilla-Perez-go." said
Inspector McGee. with a stir Of sar-
casm.
THAT point" said Rosalie. "is the
best thing I've thought out-the very
best. Up to the confession-that's our
story-you hadn't the least idea but
Miss Estrilla done 1t all herself. We'd
never thought about their changin'
clothes An when you got the con-
fessioh. you sent out to arrest him.
but he was sone-probably tipped OF
somehow. How. search mel haven't
thought out a good lie there. Maybe
you1l have to invent that yourself.
Otherwise it'll Just be one OF the mys-
teries Of the New York Police De-
partment. Reprimand you! Why.
they'll give you a medal"
MCGEE still looked down at the
paper-knife.
THAT amt ALL" he said: you
fooled me. that's what you did. You
made fool out Of me-
At this Rosalie fred. A light came
into her eyes that rolled ten years
from her age-the light Of anger. A
color came into her cheeks that took
of another ten-the pink Of contempt
Make fool Of you, Martin McGee!
I only made fool Of one person.
That's me. Rosalie Le Grange. Who
took all the risks In this job1 You!
Not a bit OF II! Me. Rosalie. And
what's more. Martin"-she paused and
gulped: and something came into her
face that reduced her to a girl-"who
did I do II fort Me, Rosalief |
guess not. What was there In It for
met when this thing broke, ! was
independent and living my own life
an q clean. self.respecting life. Do
you think ! wanted 10 do It? Well,
you can bet not. started this job
mainly cause didn't want To see the
fine young fellow Wade 20 to tho chair
an because didn't want to see that
beautiful young thing broken for life
! mean Constance Hanska.
But after got into II. l realised
that was workin' more for somebody
else than ! was for them. And that
somebody else was you. Martin Mo
Geo. I'd 4 given Il up long ago II !
hadn't kept my mind on you. An I'd
become fond OF that sick Estrilla wou-
an and OF that little brother OF hers.
But went right on. Do you suppose
like to do what did to them1 Well.
you never made n bigger mistake. !
aint what I used to be. When ]
brought back her father and mother
to trick that poor Miss Ertrilla. I Just
gagged. but after I found that she
wasn't guilty. nor HMM manner
OF spcakins-i had to hand them =
square deal Just like the rest I'd
done everything could think Of. Mar
tin McGec-but I couldn't Kill n man
! liked and sympathized with, Just to
help your career. An 30 ! done the
mort best thing, nIod II 30 nobody
would be involved In II but mo.
could have told you. an persuaded you.
maybe. that the rish, thing was to
let Perez get away. But you'd have
been my acoomplice. You couldn't
have gone on tho stand an sworn
olean--as you can now-thh, you had
nothin' to do with H. kept you
out Of II. I'm sure to take my mcdi.
cine. never whimpcred yet. an !
won't now. An that. Martin Melee.
In why ! fooled you'll"
Never had words poured 40 fap,
from the lips OF Roralio 10 Grange
And M they poured. many express.
sions chased across Inspector Me.
1 ~ II a