Show U RED A f- f STORY I 8 Y WILL IRWIN WIN J t. t The be 1 of Preceding Chapters Eio tIn Jones Jonea living U and VIM fill la Harding Moored in tn New M foore II boarding houa rL the entertaining men friends In Inthe u ar r. r thC iDe bouse house parlor Professor Protessor Noll Join them Captain Mk BIn 45 years yur of ot age of or moody moOd dill dl- lion tron lives J on 01 the tM third floor across hall hail hall from soil Noll Mr Ir Mrs Moore foore goes oes to toof Too room of ot Ml 11 who Is III Ill ui 1 iss brother 1 i III reading rending to her Mrs Irs rs r. raises Hanaka as is ho ascends the thelIe a. a He lIe does not Teak Lawrence calls caUs and azid asks uka for tor or Hanska The Thelara Ther r lara gays he U 1 In bed but to send flond W Wado Vado ado the stairs to ther theT the r T looks look In and I leaves en veil the house houle five minute minutes goes gou u vo Sh She Bhe hears hl high h words worda In Hanska s sand and nd b believes lIe she eho recognizes Va Waca ea and that of ot Hanaka Wade leave leaves house Tommy North orth 22 years tar of home drunk at 2 o o'clock clock In m Mr Moore loore hears him lie He ableS on the third floor noor landing falling the floor His hands strike a pool of ot CoiL which he wipes t on his shirt front a turns turn on the light In his room see sees MI l blood and gives give the alarm Enter nka nAi's room and ecea aces the bod body which k the door Noll rushes ruthes to the room finds U a knife In Kanaka's breast Ea- Ea J 1 ii enters eaten He 5 says say his sister eLter has hu tele tele- ned him of ot the murder Mrs Irs Moore ounces ounce North as as 41 the murderer when Madam I sees his bloo bloodstained clothing Grange range who ha hu a B. boa boarding ln house ero the street treet Is attracted b by the com corn Uon Lion She notifies the police pollee and coror coro- coro ir r r. r by telephone To a policeman sheWa she iwi Wa an order signed toy ty Inspector tor McGee uj at t all matters matter concerning her be re- re red to him Suspicion Is heavy upon omm North orth orth Ho becomes de defiant ant and bullied by the tho police The They Thol try to make maker r TI n. Moore foore ay say ah did die not hear him eni en en- i r th th house The detective o sergeant en asks Mrs Irl Moore a 1 sneering question V f She tells of ot Wades Wade's visit All the board- board n Ta are transferred to Madam Jadam LeGrange's louse ouse across the street The scene shifts to police headquarters headquarter North produces an alibi Wade Is missing miss J ing ng from his club He Is III traced to Boa Bos- ton ton where he is III arrested as u ho he Is board board- a steamer bound for tor Europe He re refuse re- re fuses fuse to answer questions M Vi Madam LeGrange who was wu once onee a a. medium me me- an and who had helped Inspector Mee Me Me- cea e e. e on other cases casell calls calla upon him She tells tella of her experiences She had saved caved obert H. H Norcross railroad king from th the th grip of ot a designing woman oman and he bad rewarded her by leaving leA her a com com- Income and a home She then abandoned and ind Idled for tor or a tIme but tut was for tor lack of oc occupation oc- oc and opened a Il boarding house houe r if She tella tells McGee cGee that Wade has an ath- ath record that he was a a. fencer In col- col and the wound that killed Hanska could fOUld have ha cn made ooh only by a fencer Effort has be bean n n made to find ind the origin of ct th the knife McGee and Rosalie Madame Madam Lc e s Gran Grange e discuss the personality of ot cb of the boarders and Inmates of ot the ruse jus UI of ot de death th Their suspicions are cen cen- ered erM upon Wade I And u. wh what t did you rou do ao next Rolie Ro Ro- lie ilie ie slipped clipped in her question before Mrs kanaka naka could rebuke Beh Betsy Barbara Barbara gain By this time Martin McGee McGeeI IB I B sitting fitting n back baek in his chair with a aeling eling that the third degree had got lean Hn out oat of his hands He Re was a a. a male thin thing In Th a session of ot women women women-a a piece of furniture L man that ho he was he let it take Its course Constance was talking to Rosalie now I J f resumed my mr maiden name I cd my Mrs rs Wharton Wharton and and I 1 got gota ot I fa a a- situation at the seminary at Arden Arden- here Miss Lana Lano teaches also Then my III mother died At tho the end cod she made flit me promise that r I would never neter go ba back k ito tt to Captain Hanska as lon long as he lie led that tat that kind of life Somehow he learned lerned thou though h that I was in J i 1 told toM my troubles to Miss Mis Lane and andi ande i she he e aw taw Captain Hanska for mo rae the tho et time ha bA came cameI cameI came came- I C II J I I told him said Betsy Bets tion surging i in iii II her oice voice ir it irever ever er he camo aino uno around again Id I'd fix if him himI f I 1 I told him Id I'd have ha him bim arrested for forFa Fa a 1 whole lot of thin things s t I knew he had done Oh Db I frightened him I tell I you I f The ferocity of Barbaras Barbara's taken with her fair fairy fra fragility lit brought into the situation its it's first hint of humor Rosalie Rowlie dimpled t Even Evon Constance let a ghost host of a smile play pIny about her het lips As for lor Inspector McGee he nearly strangled F I r want wanted d Constance proceeded p H a a separation I needed i it for or my own protection You Aon see there thero was the l mother property property mother had left a little money Captain Hanska wouldn't con con- tint 4 r 0 to n a divorce Xo No No said Betsy Barbara Barbara in a n tone of sapience of course COUISe not oU He ITo wanted that money moner II And And there were no real grounds that tb t I r know know Mrs had nad bv by this time given gl UP UD the tho with Barbaras Barbara's wilfulness wilfulness- fl 1 I had hadde de deserted sorted him not he ho me Aft Afterward he went Tent awa away away to to Holland I think At least he was wa In in Antwerp three months a o Then ho he returned to New York He sent me a letter He Ho aid s-aid that he be would never no give mo inc up Then I r put the tho whole matter maner into the tho hands bands of Air Mr Wade Wade- Wade Mr rr Lawrence Wade Ahl Ahi Tho The exclamation broke froID from the immobility of Inspector Martin McGee For the first time hmo since Binco Rosalie Rosalie Ro Ro- Ro salie took the reins rein Constance Hanska seemed aware of his bis existence Yea Yes she he said tho the young man whom you vou have havo arrested for this mur mur- der Inspector t r McGeo that mv rn y opinion will carr carry little weight with you JOU But I must pay cay ay this this she paused and seemed to struggle with an un emotion wh which which- hitherto carefully repressed no now beat itself to tho the surface sur cur face acc H Lawrence Wado Wade did not commit com corn mit that murder Ho couldn't have dono done it He isn't that kind of a man Meeting with no sympathetic response re reo re- re from irom Inspector McGeo's McGees look ot of 01 cunning gravity ra Mrs Hanska Hanaka turned to Ho aJie Mrs Le Gran Grange e. e you Ou understand dont don't vout and vout ou and and here her voice olce became became be be- came deep and with her con con- Sometimes women know things without having to be told and andI i I know that Mr Wade Wado is innocent I would stake my mJ life and my honor honor honor- everything I have on have on that And yet yetI et etI I am helpless about proving it He is innocent though Rosalie did not commit herself hero hore But eyes and dimples flashed their sympathy And it was the inspector who spoke first Well that's what were we're here to tos s settle and if be lie didn't do it the best way out is to tell teU the truth H As As if interpolated Rosalie you wasat wasn't going goins to do that Now tell the inspector about this Mr WadeI Wade Wade- I He Ho He is ray my friend and attorney replied re re- plied Mrs Irs Hanska He lives in Ar Ar- den aen en I r have known him ever cr sin since co I went there He lie visited New ow York three times to attempt some soma legal settlement set with mth Captain Hanska He I wanted me to get a divorce I wasn't i quito quite ready to do that even if I could have found grounds But I l' l Iwas was willing to have a a. legal separation something separation something which would have ha rid me of Captain Hanska and let me go my ray own way I authorized Mr Ir Wade Wado to offer part of ot my mothers mother's property if that would do any good The captain was tras living in ina a boarding house bouse I knew knew- w hi his ways well enough to realize that this meant extreme poverty He refused every overy thing He lie told Mr Wade ade that as u soon as ho he had bad arranged something something something-ho ho didn't say what what what-ne he would find me inc and compel me to go with him I realized that I must most get farther from New York I had a few possessions of Captain I wanted to return them and aDd close with him forever Mr Wade bad had an idea of making one last appeal and I asked him if he would deliver those things at the same time Yesterday morning Mr Wade came caine down to New York That's all I know until until I r saw law the newspapers She stopped here Her color faded her hands hands fell faU apart with a gesture of 1 despair I And And I 1 brou brought ht her strai straight ht to you said Betsy Barbara with a triumphant trio tri air as though her hr extraordinary nary cunning hail had settled tho the case for all time Now ow the inspector took up tho the a again ain for Rosalie sat Bat musing her eyes yes on Constance Hanska what hat were the tho things thin you JOU sent ho asked f Let Let me tee what see what were they Betsy Barbara you helped pack them An old miniature of the captain captain- And some family photographs photographs- Betsy Barbara put In m briskly And And an au old mahogany shaving mir mir- nor or which had belonged to his father father- It And And a Mexican hatband and two and an aD Irish blackthorn stick an and a ai silver ver cigarette case case case- A stethoscope upon Inspector McGees McGee's Mc Me- Gees Gee's ee's ees pulse would have jumped an aninch inch as Betsy Barbara rn pronounced the word knives kui But Hut his hi face betrayed ed no emotion He checked his interruption in fact through two more items and when ho returned to the subject ho he worked backward like a good attorn attorney e concealing his pertinent pertinent perti perti- nent question in a fo fog of impertinent on ones ones- s What What kind of ot a cigarette case case Chased silver sil and turquoises turquoises a a Russian design What was the stick like liko Very Ver hea heavy an and dark brown as 1 remember And I think the ferrule was loose Hero here Rosalie sitting impassive quite out of the conversation con saw tho the corners corners cor cor- ners aera of the ins inspectors inspector's s 's mouth twitch She sat holding bolding herself er very tight lost lest she betra betray tIme the psychological moment And i tho the knives t J Let Let me see one ee oue was a little dag dag- I ger per that he nee used need for a paper knife and the other Was as a n Malay Mala km knis B with ith a long wavy blade lIe He lie got ot it in the tho Philippines lea esl exclaimed the inspector And then with tho the sudden sodden brutality which was a part pant of his third dc degree eo method And An it was as with that knife knite that Lawrence Wade stabbed your our husband husban Inspector McGee might have hae thrown that very instead of hi his words word so o sudden was as the effect upon Constance Constance Con Con- stance Hanska Th The color left her face faco HOT Her pye eves eves- grew hi big and wild She Sha flashed to her feet t trembling violently Oh no she he ho pleaded oh ob o no 0 Oh h that will hurt him liin sol fool Ho couldn't have havo used it it someone someone used it after he loft left Lawrence Wade could no more marc have havo uwe stabbed an unarmed man Sho She stopped wrestled herself back t tp to sonic semblance of compo composure Dont DoDt you VOlt un understand ho bo was a gentleman She ho turned from McGees McGee's triumphant stare to Rosalie's softened face Why Mrs Irs Le Lo Grange Granke gentlemen dont don't ox do such thin things s. s He Ho was vas an athlete he athlete he played every game amo honorably honorably honorably-do do you think he w would uld have put me in BUG sucha such uch n a position oven even if t ho he thought of aoth oth ing lug else else else-be ho would have havo had to br break breal every ever instinct instinct he he he II Look here Mrs Hanska Hanka said Inspector Martin McGeo McGee ing log upon his advantage as ox ex had tall taught ht him ti tc to d O there ther was vas what hat you call an affair between you and this Mr Wade wasn't s there 1 Here Rosalie swung in again Inspector she he said if it you go c that wa way Ill I'll iso advise this this this' young woman to get tel a n real al lawyer before she ehe talks talk to you jou Olt an any mor more Ko Now my ray dear yo you just answer what you please I II Well ell I should say so put i in Betsy Con Constance why t don dont 1 you leave leavo this place at once You Yoi didn't come to be insulted But Dut Constance was mistress of ot herself herself her her- self attain again All AU this will come out in the tho trial Betsy Betsy Barbara I mf might ht as well fe hIl everything now When ho he put him him- seI self elf in this position he be was trying to help heIr me There Thero was no affair as all you call cal all it But when he first met me he thought bought I was a widow And nd before h L J know my mr cir circumstances he be proposed marriage He never spoke poke of ot it after I told him Turn He was a gentleman He Henly only tried to serve servo me as a It gentleman circumstances would under the Has Has it struck yon you asked the inspector in in- that this might be used as a motive This i is perfectly perfect dreadful cried Betsy Barbara Constance you shall not stay star here bere another aDother minute You with me to II come ome me rae a lawyer right I said raid Rosalie Le LeGrange LeGrange LeGrange Grange shortly Inspector McGee McGeo ye you u can an excuse us I Not for while said a a. Inspector Inspect McGee shortly II Madam radam I must have your official statement a as to te what You rou have hae just told m me before me-before before I let you lea kave cave e II Now Constance had risen and Betsy- Betsy Barbara Barbara in a state of ot suppressed fury stood tood beside her flashing sparks spanks from her golden hair and her blue clue eyes and her ier little white teeth Inspector tor McGee McGee Mc Mc- Gee stepped to to- the door to summon a stenographer And Rosalie Roalie quick as thought nought slipped up beside Constance Not I Not a word more than you can help about this proposing to you you not not a word I she sho whispered Stop Step into this room ladies ladles said Mid McGee Ill join ye you u in a minute We wont won't need you Mrs rs Lo Le Grange Alone with the inspector Rosalie LaGrange Le La LeGrange Grange stood regarding him from top topo to o toe He faced her in a R little em em- which he covered with bluff Well WeH you IOU carried your pretend off nicely ho said 41 have thought bought you OU were se sore re on me For or answer ans Rosalie drew up a corner cor con ner ncr of her finet fine firm firm- upper lip Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Some times she he said stud I hate a a. a copl op Martin McGee McGeo laughed uneasily Well ven We wo got tho the good goods t he said established motives all right You got the goo goods s not we replied re- re plied Rosalie dont count me in on that hat game Third degree I On the likes of her I But Inspector McGee more interested i just then in his bis professional problem than ban in what any woman thought of him dm was pursuing his o own n train of re reo re- re In In love lote with Hanska's Hanaka's wife Wife and and mistreated |