New Britain herald., 1922-01-19

| Shaw"
 The footsteps had approached yer! near the door when Craig knocke, and almost at once the handle turned and young woman stood before them. With her small oval. color less face and pale hair clipped shor she seemed almost a girl at frs glance, but closer inspection revealed 1 faint but mature lines and certain boise In spite of her obvious agita tion that indicated woman nearer |30 than 20.
 I Were from police headquarters ma'am." Craig cleared his throat.
 Come in.' Her voice was quie and controlled, but Barry observed twitched slightly. She threw the dool wide, revealing a living room barely furnished almost to desolation, witl cheap mating rugs upon the uneven painted floor and the ugly, straigh'
 lines of few dull, fumed-oak mis, sion tables and chairs scattered about
 You are Miss Shaw" asked Craig seating himself gingerly upon tho edge of chair.
 Patricia Shaw, although occa. sionally sign my articles Patsy. The young woman nodded. II write fol the magazines, you know. I have lived here four years next October, am 27 years old, and came original, from Omaha"
 "1 have no relatives in New York that I know of but the editors o' several magazines published in the neighborhood can vouch for me- ant the agent of this building
 You stated that you did not heal a shot fired from below" said Craig Are you quite sure, Miss Shaw" 'I am sure that I heard nothing that sounded at the time like as shot" Her voice trembled little At least, it did not occur to me tha a shot had been fired. There were several sharp, crashing peals of thun der before the storm passed. Aftel that I heard heard rather loud knock ing upon some door below but l die not think anything of it, and l mus have fallen into a doze when some one rapped upon my door. It was { policeman and he told me what what had happened. At first l wa! horror stricken. I-I can scarcely re member what I said or did!
 T am--was--the only woman ten ant in the building besides Mrs. Vane and l suppose l must have been hys terical but it came to me- that sht might perhaps have been only wound ed in some accidental fashion; tha she might need the services of an other woman. l dressed as you set me now and descended to find the de | tectives there and all the other ten. ants except the old Russian gentle low me, and police doctor of some sort"
 She paused and Craig prompted her.
 You saw the body aso?' Miss Shaw inclined her head and seemed for a moment unable to con- tinue. When she spoke it was in a low, shaking voice scarcely above a whisper
 $. somehow that it must be true, but couldn't help going to her and touch ing her hand"
 With a sign to Sergeant Craig Barry intervened in a soothngly sym pathetic tone.
 You knew Mrs. Vane?"
 Not in formal sense. We had smiled at each other and nodded when we happened to meet on the stairs.'
 Where was little catch in her breath and then she hurried on: II was interested enough to go to one or two of the spring exhibitions which contained specimens of her work. Il admired her and l was curious to see her studio, although l am not a busybody, as rule. One day aoout three weeks ago I was passing her door just as it opened and one of her patrons came out: the lady whose nortrait is there now in the studio.'
 You mean the one on the easel, the lady standing on the staircase? asked Barry quickly.
 "Yes. I recognized it tonight at glance. Mrs. Vane stopped me that day as her visitor left; it was about a trivial matter, some mall o1 mine which she had received.' The young woman halted and passed one hand across her eyes We didn't talk about anything in particular, ana l only remained few minutes, but she was so nice and unaffected and-and beautiful, too, that my little call lelt a deep impression upon me"
 "You don't remember what you talked about?" There was lncredul- ity and a touch of sharpness Tn Bar rv's tones which made Miss shaw straighten in her chair.
 I do not, except in a general way, she replied with the first sign or re- sentiment which she had shown. am very sensitive to environment, 10 if by any chance you know what that means! The cohVer- sation was the inconsequential one o. two women, strangers yet nelghpors.
 "When did you see her again Barry persisted. Did she call upon YOU in return, Miss Shaw"
 "No. I didn't ask hers' the young woman responded with a note oi dogged defiance in her tones was A ashamed to do sol You've seen her apartment; look about you here! -Four years of failure haven't taken away all my pride and self-respect, and couldn't endure the thought of having her see-this!"
 The pale oval of her face iiamed ayen in shadow, and then as suddenly her color faded and she added, her roice sunk once more almost to