Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-06-09

acquired, 80 strangely used.
In that web struggled a half-blind,
half-distracted fly. toward which she.
the spider. was now creeping. Some
such comparison may have struck Ros-
allie, for she shuddered twice in her
slow progress. And these were not
the assumed shudders which an
nounced her false control"
Rosalie knocked at Miss Estrilla's
door.
Come inI" cried the invalid. more
eagerly than her wont. And as Rosa
lie entered. "oh, l was expecting you!
Can you-will you-todayf"
1--WE been putin all the power
have into this thing" said Rosalie Le
Grange: you've no idea how I've
tried. l was awake half the night, Just
gettin' into touch. This is my last sit
tin with you for ever so long. Miss
Estrilla. can feel 1t goin. When
I'm playin' for all my power. as I've
got to now. conditions must be right
You wouldn't mind. would you, II !
darkened this room complete? An
let's have little more air."
There was a window. which opened
upon the fire escape, at the foot OF
Miss Estrilla's bed. This window Ro-
sale darkened last Of all: but first she
raised the sash foot.
THAT curtain will blow an disturb
me-" she said. I'm goin' to pin It
down"
Had Miss Estrilla's soul held any
emotions. in that moment, but grief
and eagerness-had she been capable
Just then of suspicion-she might have
noted tiny but significant sound. The
fire escape had creaked a little. as
though a weight had been imposed at
the bottom. 1t creaked again at inter
walls for the next flve minutes. but aft
erward. usually. when the roar of a
passing elevated train drowned all
| slighter sounds,
Now I'm ready to try" said Rosa
lie. settling down at the foot Of the
couch. Dear. you do look anxious!
Don't try to crowd the spirits-that's
always the best way-but remember
again-this is about the last control
that's in me for a month. Be quiet,
dearie." Her eyes sought the dis
tances, her body shook. Then came
the change which Miss Estrilla had
watched so often, and with such fas-
cinated eagerness. Rosalie's body re-
laxed and fell backward in the Norris
chair. Her lids gradually closed. She
breathed as though asleep.
"Oh, sad lady again!" babbled
Laughing Eyes. quite suddenly. She
could hear Miss Estrilla shift eagerly
on her couch. 'I can't stay long. John
speaks. He says he wants you click.
John is big and strong. Good-by. sad
lady"
Rosalie's breath came hard: her
body wrenched: masculine voice fol-
lowed-the voice which Rosalie always
assumed when she impersonated Cap
tain John H. Hanska.
'T am here again, Margaret: love
you. l am ready to forgive"
"Oh. John. thank you-thank God
you will when you know. For. John,
you have 80 little to forgive. beside
what l have already forgiven" AS
usual Miss Estrilla made reply.
| 81 know. And / suffer. But l un.
derstand. First have told you how
little l saw that night. My flesh still
clung to me"
Rosalie stopped here and seemed to
gather her body together. as though
the thing which controlled her was
struggling to assert more power.
so I do not know what happened
even before l passed Quit came SO
suddenly-eay to me again that you
loved me-"
$50 much. John dear. that cannot
tell you all"
And put aside such a love as that
for jewels!"
"Yes, John. And when l searched
your room-the night found you there
ii would have given them all to you
II you had walked and spoken kindly
to me. But you were married-and
you would have died soon at the best.
Oh. why not before this happened to
Juan"
WAS it Juan? l have told you that
l could not see clearly at that time-it
is all confused"
Yes. dearest. You could not under
stand because of the clothes-but
dearest, It was Juan who held the
knife which went into your body. oh,
forgive him more than me. He is my
brother-he did 1t for me-John. I
can't forget his remorse when he came
to me-were you watching? Did you
seer"
"No-I was not awake in spirit yet
quick"-the voice was growing weak.
"He himself did not understand,
then. how you died. He thought the
knife killed you. He worked it all out
afterward-when l told him about your
condition. But then, he said to me:
My God. have run knife into Cap
tain Hanska!' What is it-what is it!"
For Rosalie had leaped from her
chair. run up the window shade at the
foot Of the bed. thrown the sash wide
open. Into the room leaped two men.
They ranged themselves beside the
| couch