Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-31

killed justihably, to save. she thought. an
others life.
Rosa shrugged. at does not matter"
"It does matter" cried Alayne. If you
stay here-then I must stay, too. You can
not run the risk--here!" Upon the woman
she pressed the money that she had brought
for Halsey. Have you no bag?" she asked.
Alphabetically Rosa replied: 1T is on the
steps-outside. threw it there. never
expected meant to kill myself" Her voice
suddenly rose. AZ shall do that now"
Alayne seized her by the shoulders. Once
again. by the sheer force Of her own per-
sonality, she conquered the hysteria Inn.
minent in Rosa You will do as say" she
said, harshly.
Mcekly Rosa nodded. For years she had
yielded to a stronger will; she could not
resist one now.
The eye for detail that had been one of
her fathers great assets came to Allayns
now. She forced herself to look upon the
body Of Halsey. He was lying upon his
right SIDE his left hand curled beneath him
and his right hand reaching forward. from
the table Allayne took the pistol that Rosa
had fired; she placed it on the floor few
inches from the dead mans fingers. Then
she rose to her feet and confronted Rosa.
You are young woman" she said. You
have years Of life before you. You have
right to live them, to be happy. II you
stay" Her own future rose backly, awe
somely before her. She, Allayne, had done no
wrong. Should this man be permitted from
the grave to reach forth and deile her?
Should his malign spirit be allowed to wreck
the happiness of Bourke? Must he, who had
done nothing, bear the shame Of murder
trial in which his wife must testify, from
which her own, personality must emerge al
ways vaguely smrched?
Hadn't person right to fight for Sc
curity, Of mind as we'll as of body? There
was the law-yes. The law was uncompro-
missing. jury should decide whether or not
Rosa had justly slain. So the law maintained.
would maintain. But were there not higher
things than the man made law? If it was
inevitable that Rosa should be set free-and
commonsense told Allayne that 1t was
then the law would exact no recompense from
Rosa for her deed. Rosa then, In the eyes Of
the law, was an innocent person.
Why then, should an innocent person be
harassed. tortured? Why should another
innocent person-hersef-be stained, humil-
lated, shamed? What good would it do for
her to summon the employees Of the Inn,
await the arrival OF the police? No good
whatsoever. Then why do it?
There were things that superseded the
law. The law was a generality; justice was
a specific thing. The law, after all, was an
instrument made by man for the creation
and preservation Of justice. Like all man
made instruments, it worked imperfectly.
To admit the law into this room now meant
to admit injustice. Injustice to Rosa. njus-
tice to herself
She would not admit.
Go down those steps. Get to the road
wait for me-" she commanded.
Meekly Rosa arose. She adjusted her hat
and Alayne opened the window. Silently
Rosa passed through.
Now that action had been taken, Allayne
found herself strung to pitch that she
had never known before. She could visualize
the life Of a criminal, ever alert fearful lest
around the corner be a waiting officer OF
the law. She felt that if Rosa fall
tered, even for moment. the tension to
her nerves would kill her. In the msment
that Rosa disappeared on the steps Allayne
suffered thousand torments. But then
and now carrying in her hand her bag
Rosa reappeared. Allayne saw her cross tho
turf, reach the driveway, turn down it, turn
a. h. r;<-l.k .J>
the hedge hid her.