Tombstone epitaph., 1916-02-27
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 spellbound.
 little more than a girl-was slender. blonde and fragile-her quality was elfin. Rosalie could spare her but a glance.
 .T am Mrs. Hanska widow of the man who was killed last night" said the taller woman; and she hes,tated.
 It was not the custom of Inspector Martin McGee to rise when women entered his office in the role of the accused. or of witnesses. A little bru- tality of attitude. he felt. put them In a 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 I 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, to Rosalie Le Grange.
 This" said the Inspector. taking his cue at quick prod from Rosalie's :oot. Ifs Mrs. Le 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 1t"
 "l should like very much to hear it," said Mrs Hanska earnestly.
 But maybe you want to be alone just at first" interposed Rosalie. mak- ing a pretense of rising.
 Mothers is nothing secret" re piled Mrs. Hanska. T see no reason why you should not stay. Indeed, you may be able to help us"
 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 Chiet-sus- picious and brutal
 T must warn you" he said, that if you are implicated in this case, any thing you say will be used against you st the trial" Generally that sud den statement made women tremble. drew from them a flood of words out of which McGee picked the iotsam and the jetsam of evidence. But Mrs. Hanska did not give the preliminary frightened start She only transferred her limpid level gaze from Rosalie's face to Inspector McGee's.
 Tt would be impossible to impli- cate me" Dozens of people can testify that l was in Arden. hundred miles north, last night-that I have not left Arden for more than a month. Per haps." she continued, checking an un- formed sentence on the lips Of h. spector McGee. 'I 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. Hanska began her talk.
 T married Captain Hanska ten years ago-when I was nineteen. He was nearly thirty-fve 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 Bo- livian army. have since had reason to doubt that. He was an engineer by profession. realize now how little mother and I 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 a very charming man Afterward I found out how he lived. That, for me, was the beginning of