Show RID BUTTON A fY a j WILL IRWIN Mf m 1 Synopsis of or Preceding Chapters Miss Harding and miss Jones living ln Sf In Mis Ms Moore's Moores Moore s boarding house in New NewYork NewYork York are entertaining men friends In the boarding house parlor Professor Noll diet lIet Joins them thorn Captain Hanska 45 years year ears of or a age e of ot moody disposition disposition dis disposition dis- dis position lives JIves on the third floor across the tile hall from Crom NolL NOIL Mrs Moro goes to the tho room of Miss Estrilla who Is IlL HL Miss Mies l brother IB Is reading to her Mrs Moore passes Hanska as u ho ascends the Stairs Blairs Ho Ile does not speak eak Lawrence wrence Wade calls and asks for or Kanaka Hanska The Tho latt latter r says rays he le IE In bed but to sen send Wado Wade in in- descends the stairs Blairs to tho the parlor looks in and leaves the tha house Miss Harding goes upstairs vo minutes I later ter She hears hear high h t words in Hanska's room roon and believes she recognizes Wades wade s voice olee and that of ot Hanska Wade Wado leaves leave tho the house Tommy North 2 22 23 i years rears of ot age home homo drunk at 2 Z o 0 clock in inthe Inthe inthe the morning Mrs Moore hears him He stumbles on tho third floor landing landing- falling to the floor Ills His hands handa strike a pool of or blood which ho 10 wl wipes s on his shirt front He turns on the light in his room sees the tIle blood and nd gives the tIle alarm Enters Hanekan room and sees Bees the body which blocks block the door Noll Non rushes to the room and finds a a. knife In Sn Kanaka's Hanska's breast Es Es- trills enters He Hc says sas his slater sister has MS telephoned telephoned telephoned tele tele- phoned him of ot the murder Mrs rs Moore Moor denounces s North as the murderer when she sees see his bloodstained clothing Madam LeGran LeGrange e. e who has a boarding house across the thEl street is ts attracted by the com com- motion She notifies the police pollee and coroner coroner coroner coro coro- ner by bJ- telephone To a policeman she shown an order signed by toy Inspector that all matters concerning her be bo re referred ro- ro to him Suspicion is heavy upon Tommy North He becomes defiant and andIs andis Is bullied by the police The They try to make Mrs lira Moore say MY she sho did not hear him enter en enter enter en- en ter tho the house The detective sergeant then asks Mrs Moore a sneerIng question She tells teUs of or Wades Wade's visit All AU the boarders boarders boarders board board- ers are transferred to Madam s shouse house across the street The scene shifts shUts to police headquarters North produces an alibi Wade is missing miss miss- miMIng missing ing from his club He Is le traced to Boston Boa Bos ton wh whore where re he I Is arrested a as he Is boarding boardIng boarding board board- ing a steamer bound for tor Europe He refuse re refuses refuses re- re fuses fuse to answer questions Madam I range who was at once a medium medium medium me me- and who had helped Inspector Me- Me Gee Gee- on other cases calls upon him She tells tens of ot her experiences She had saved Robert H. H Norcross railroad king from the grip of ot a designing woman and he had rewarded her by leaving Jea her a comfortable comfortable comfortable com com- Income and a home She then abandoned and idled for a time but rout was dissatisfied ed for lack Jack of ot oc occupation oe- oe cU and end opened a boar boarding ing house hoese Again gain Madame tie I Grange ran down She Slie panted softly a moment Inspector r McGee cGee dropped a heavy fist fiat on n his hii mahogany desk It would take you yon to look upon a b boarding arding house houseas as tun funi I he chuckled TAn An I Iwas was lest est ready to begin to look look lookaround around an an advertise when when this this happened The idea struck me as soon BOon as asT I l saw the state of the tho people in in that house The police would put put it under guard ard an all t toe tIle e boarders boarders' would be put out of a llo home ne So I move moved 1 em over bodily all aU butt but the ono you pinched the pinched the si sick k little ittle dago woman from upstairs an anthe antho the tho two girls and that funny old Professor Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor Noll An Im I'm oven even putting up with the landlady landlady landlady-if if it was other p peo peoples people's o pIes ples troubles I was waB lookin for I got gotera gotem gotem era em em all aU U Gee Ge l ejaculated Martin I ul I c can can n use you you you- Yes you can interrupted Rosa Bosa- Rosalie lie lio but but you wont I know what you want You want me mo to go o to work an on help cinch this case Well I won wont t Im I'm Im I'm out of that business too What Im I'm here for Martin McGoe McGee beyond beyond the pleasure 1 I alwa always s 's took in your society so eo here here Rosalie let her dimples play and flash flash flash- flash is is I is to tell all I k know ow or saw sa so BO'S BOS s 's you won wan wont won't t t bo callin meat mo me moat moat at th j inquest an an gottin me a a. feature in lathe 0 the pl papers pers How about this man North asked the inspector tor Well in iri the first place lace I t like him said Rosalie II I I like that tha t boy Youre no different different from every other lady that that's 3 looked into that terrier ter ter- terrier ter- ter rier face of his responded Martin McGee smiling heavily I Ive I've e been having his record trailed all 1111 d day y Seems ho he knows everybody except the s swells on his beat beat the the two cops the paper paperboy paperboy paperboy boy the bartenders bartenders hos ho's hos s 's strop strong here there the the bootblacks the on the fruit stand the kiko tailor the cabmen tho the thee thoc e c r emen and the fostman postman oven the chink laundrymen en lie Ie was best man last lut week a at the tho postman's postman 8 wedding and they do o say say everyone everyone who knows him sticks ticks to just dust one thing thing- whoever thing whoever done dont it t Tomm North That may roay sour Bom in his favor layor but lint theres there's two thin thiD things against ai st him ono ono Martin Martin McGee Me Me- Gee Geo lift lifted a L heavy heay pu purple plo finger finger- ito ho I he does most of his between een sleeping the tho hO hours rs of ot past half 2 and past half 7 i in the the morning and two two another another purple finger popped up to join th tho first first he its he he spends most of hn his extra money at pool parlors Austrian Vii vil lager lages and cabaret shows where where- he be has some reputation as asia a turkey trotter For a 11 boy that just come down froni from the country three years car ago I mus must t say ho ho's hos s 's been going some Bome and the only onh wonder to me is that ain ain aint fl flot t cot ot of hold of him long a ago o. o Do to you 0 u think he ha had anything to do o with i It I I aint myself as as t to e who done it did It-did did it It-I It I t ha have e t to o think about t that hat an any more now Ive I've Iv e stopped b bein n a lady said Rosalie sweeping into di digression You l 1 never nover know the tho fight I had with this thi s grammar thing after for fart v years jest like I wanted to Than Thank the bo l lord rl that's s over Well Wen anyhow i. i I r aint myself Looks Dooks like liko i an nn n alibi for tor air Mr North when tho land lady says ho came un no the stairs only a minute before lie hollered an nn tho doc tor says pays that this thi Kanaka Hanska had bad b been en dead rad t two or three hours hour Appeared ared toma to me ma like be he W was 8 jest jarred jarre 1 out of a n rurik too foo How about this Lawrence Wade 1 dc r a-r or whatever his hie name was the was wa the the n an who railed called with the hag bag ba Got h him l He lie was tS arrested this morning in tu Bohton B t Looks bad Has Ilan it occurred oc to you vou to in that young mans man's athletic record Inspector McGee jumped and ancl turned on on her Rosalie was always l letting tin elip slip im ome erne e of these extraordinary ary bits ol of knowledge e. e How now dirt did yon your know knon w. w inquired In life McGee Gee that h he was an ath ath- let Jet e ef Rosalie Rosalia very cra grave e e But sh slip answered his q question bv by another Ho IT wasn't a 8 fencer T For Tor answer McGee McGeo picked un tin a red hound bound college annual from his hie desk Weve W We Ve y e been following him up un you ee And in tho ehn ho he pointed out O one line f President fencing club chub 1898 Looks bad commented Rosalie Why Vb I How Ho would you stab a 11 man if you you ou were stabbing in in a hurry asked aske Ro o I salie Try Try Heres Here's a penholder Tho The point ant of t the fie pen on en is the point of the tho knife ifs Now Novel Inspector McGeo grasped rasped tho the penholder penholder pen pon- holder so BO that the point protruded from under his little linger inger So holding holding hold hold- in ing it ho made mado a downward sweep through b tho the air Of 0 course that's that'll how Id I'd go EO o at it said aid McGee I but libut f but a rc regular ular knife nife man mon mani i II Exactly interrupted Rosalie lio II And And your knife would go in from above now DOW wouldn't it Tho The wound would point down Now try it this way way way- Rosalie arranged the weapon which is mightier than the sword in such manner that the point extended from under nn un dor der her forefinger Or this now this now she ehe held the fencers fencer's s 's grip tho the shaft lying obliquely along alonE the palm controlled con I trolled and guided by tho the sensitive ve finer fin fin- ter er points pointy Now Now He was stabbed to In n tho the heart but from beneath The wound pointed upward With your grip you couldn't eta stab etab a standing man upward upward up ward not if he lot you With my grip ip I couldn't stab downward to save my life Ife Martin McGeo McGee went into heavy thou thought ht while he struggled tru glod for tor Suppose he was lying down he asked at lastOn last last- On On tho the floor door Ben Beggin in to be stabbed jabbed jabbed Rosalie f Maybe f he a was stabbed in bed and got ot out and Dd died on tho the floor An never made an any ony disturbance or loft an any blood behind Besides the bed ed wean wasn wasn't mussed at all It Iwas was just thrown back as thou though h hed he'd got ot up quiet and natural You s saw w all that that in in two minutes min- min utes exclaimed McGee I never could understand how you OU did it II If you'd If It you'd d spent your your whole whole life replied re reo replied plied Rosalie II slain up utters litters with put past ast present an an future in the two minutes that you yon was fakin trance tance you'd see things thing in a hurry 1 tool toot Well how on earth did dia d you know th that 1 about fencers t t f Easy Euy as Win lVin 1 an wimple simple aa ns women women wom Worn en en replied Rosalie osalie I ill I used to roo room with a little actress that fenced the fenced the theone one I was havin supper upper with last ni night ht But now inspector nt to close thin things 5 up Im I'm m out of this case ease Ive I've jl given en you all I know Your pollee police will b be he my my boarders a lot with guest questions on nn an an so 10 will win the tho re report ort ort- ers era Just trust me m. to steer that You out 7 keep seep me Martin McGee MoGe sighed II All AU ri right ht Rosalie but Id I'd Uke Mke your help Still I. I we you ou lots Jots of ot good flood turns urns and the case dont don't look as a. m mys- mys I erious after all aU I T guess it itt it i that follow fol zol- low ow Wade Wad a. a 11 Dont get et too madden with your t Rosalie How w guesses replied does your dope go 10 anyway Have you OU looked up everybody that slept in the house louse last night Id I'd like to know pretty retty well if iff Im I'm cherishing a mur murderer rear rear- derer dorer in my midst e being looked up r replied McGee McGe Ive taken ken personal charge o of this thill but but the cap captain commanding ho tho precinct detectives detective is to helping with the he le leg work The house wasn't en en- ered Wade or maybe North did this unless it was Tva an inside job ob re's Th the he landlady landlady troll it might have havo been her ler as well well as as' anybody of course ex course ex except x she's a kind hind of an old fool tool She just dont don't look likely likely likely- Rosalie nodded Yo You can count her ber out That Professor Noll i Is iI a ft harmless old crank BUll the they're ro the people that do such thin things sometimes Now youve you've brought u up that point about fencers fencers- he lie was educated in a German nD ver- ver sit sity Held Held well well whatever yon you call can it They hey practice same gome kind of l Dutch sword game ame over there dont don't they There wasn't any servant in the house Mrs Moores Moore's 8 maids and aDd furnace man were and ni ers sometimes use knives The furnace man is named Tremont Taylor Ho gambles ambles s and when a a. coon Man gambles he he's hes s 15 likely to do worse That gets Rob u un us down to the tile wom en Miss Estrilla i is up hero from Caracas which is in Venezuela for her eves ees eyes Her brothers brother's here with her bor Ro Ito Ho's Hos s 's 8 1 the agent Jont in tn New York for an independent asphalt company or y of Ca He lives live in some Borne apartment hotel hotel hotel ho ho- tel over on on Thirty seventh street street street-I've Ive I've forgotten ri tho the name He called last Jast night but he was out of the house be bc before fore this Wade before came came before they heard Wade and Hanska quarreling quarreling- and ho didn't come ome in again until they ther discovered the body He a was in his rooms all aU that time too too weyo weve we've talked to tho the elevator lovator man in his apartment hot hotel t Getting ba back k to the women except ex ex- except except Mrs Moore who's bl big and husk husky theres there's not one of em om has the strength to hit a 8 blow like that that sad and women's dont don't use knives anyhow Miss Mis Estrilla Es Es- trilla weak as a cat Those two stenographers ste no he he referred to hi his notes Miss Miss Mis Harding and Miss Jones Tonee are arc just little cit city girls with no great muscle le Besides where heros the motive motivo I cant ant get a line tiDe yet let ou on Hanska Hanska th tho bod body hasn't been claimed He Hes He's ft boarded bOl there three weeks Nobody ob dy liked him hire much but 1 I cant can't find tind that an any of the theother theother vother other boarders boarder know knew him wolf enough nou h 0 to hate bate him T I forgot tc to say sap wo weve we've wove ve over everybody and everything for blood and cant can't find a drop drop- drop You Yon dont don't dont don't have to tell me that responded Rosalie with some ome asperity a a set of your Jour bull headed beaded detectives 8 has hu been the suit Butt case ease In mv my- house all morn mornin in Nearly s scared ared the life out ant of ot Miss Mies Harding b by to prove provo to her that tho the fruit stains stain on h her hor r shirt waist were blood If Well Welt I guess they were wore fruit stains all 1111 ri right ht replied McGee McGeo If Cant Can't find tind any blood on Wades Wade's things thinS either either Which is natural A wound like that dont don't begin dont be begin in to blood ri right ht off No necessity 1 for gettin gottin blo blood d if it f the murderer murderer mur mur- derer only kept his head bead which generally gen gon- en thor thov dont Of course youve you've ou 0 tried to find where the knife came from f McG McGee e smiled on her Have I caught CR you asleep at last he ho asked Nope cope r T replied plied Rosalie prom promptly and cheerfully since you put it that way nay I 1 saw saw the pile of of junk on the table an table an there was an another knife in n it What do you yon find about that stuff stuff I J 1 To Tn it c |