THE FATAL GLOVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 26

THE FATAL GLOVE.

By R. A J. WALLING.

Author of "A Silver ' Dagger," "A Bed Dog vf Devon," eto. CHAPTER XVin.—Continued. Then Lysons in the dock raised his head and looked around him. The eyes of tho crowd wavered between him and the girl in the witness-box. "Tell mc now, Miss Playfair," said Pinson, "why you did not communicate these facts to mc at that time." "I proposed to go to Buck.aat the next day and see you. That tight, shortly after I had gone to my room, I hear! a noise of someNiing falling against my , window. I looked out, aud saw a man on the lawn. It was so dark that I could distinguish no features, not even a form clearly. I rushed to a conclusion " "What did yon think 1 Tell ns what your conclusion was." "Well, I thought it possible that Mr. P Irysons might have sought either by (i himself or through some third person [■ to communicate with mc." ,s "But the prisoner had then been i arrested and was locked up in the cells." ■j "I did not know that for certain. At j any rate, I could not think of anything else. I went down and opened the ; drawirg-room window. The man who S wa c .landing outside on the lawn tip- ■; toed in. Then he put his arms around mc, and I felt „ sharp pricking sensation at the back of my head. I just remember being picked up and carried, and that is aIL" "You mean that for some reason or other you became unconscious?" asked Pinson. 'Yes. I do not remember anything else till the morning." "And then where were you?" "I was locked up in a sort of pantry j or scullery —a place I had never seen '■ before.' J "How long were you there?" "I cannot remember how the days went; it was so horrible. Some days a , woman came and gave mc food. . I ' attempted to get out, but she forced mc back. I appealed to her; I think she believed mc mad. I could not make any impression on her. And I got spiritless and weak." "Well," said Pinson, "you were there some days. How did you get out?" "It was Mr. Grainger who released i I mc." "Who is Mr. Grainger?" said his lord-1 ship. I "Mr. Grainger, my lord, is a witness I I shall call presently," Baid Pinson. "And i then, Miss Playfair?" I "Mr. Grainger and yon took mc in a t taxi-cab to London." I "Did you gather from the journey that the place where you had been im- j ' prisoned was in South London 1" "Yes." , -•--: "And Bines that time you have been in- 1 the care of friends, I believe. Now, Miss Playfair,, have you told the court every- ] -" thing yon know that is material to this j ease!" "I think so,"c. said Marjorie.;,. "You realise that but for your evidence about the gloves. What you have , said as to his presence in Hanging Wood that night would be fatal to the prisoner!" "Yes, I see that" "Do you think the prisoner committed this murder!" "I am certain that he did not. He ia quite incapable of a crime 1" And aa (he spoke Marjories brave, eyes sought those of Lynns, who earnestly returned her look. "One more question only, Miss Playfair," said Pinson. "Do yon know who committed this murder!" "No, 1 do not know," she replied. Then Pinson tat down. Sir William Apps rose with a very grave face. "If I ask yon questions which may aeem to you rough. Miss Playfair, you will understand, will you not, that we are here with a solemn duty to perform, and that my questions are directed only to one object, and that is to get out the truth!" "I will answer any questions yon ask," said she. ''They will be few. Yon were in love with the prisoner!" "I was fond of him. I eared for him," she said. Then, raising her head, and looking the counsel deep in the eyes, she said, "Yes; I loved him!" "And you love him still!" Sir William asked. "Yes. I love him still," said Marjorie. ■■-' "I respect you for the candour yon display. Miss Playfair," said Sir' William, with a grave bow. "But now I have to put to you this: that a woman who loves a man will not stick at much to save his life." Marjories colour heightened, bat she did not answer. . *_ will put it more directly. You are very anxious to secure .the acquittal of the prisoner!" "Very anxious indeed." "You admit that he was In this wood on the night when Sir Richard .allofleld died? And that he left yon before 'one in the morningf And that Sir' Richard Fallofleld's body, from which the life had departed between midnight and two a-m., was found close to ' the spot where the prisoner left you! And you have heard that at two o'clock the prisoner was in the corridor of the inn where the skylight had been broken, with a wound in his leg!" To all these questions Marjorie gave assent. "You realise that the whole value of your evidence to the prisoner rests on the single point about the gloves!" "Yes." "And yon said nothing to anybody •bout the gloves until yon told my learned friend, sime weeks after?" ■ "No. How could I?" "Well, you did not. And you ask the jury to believe that an , unknown man, whom you had never, seen before, came into the room that morning and stole those gloves. You do not produce them. Nobody saw the man but ' you!" ' "That is so," said Marjorie. , "If your evidence is true. Miss Play- : fair, it goes to prove that the prisoner was not the man who dropped the ' glove on tho spot where the murder ' was done. And you were deeply- in I' love with him, and are in love with * him still?" ' "Yes," said Marjorie, * "I will not trouble yon with any l more questions, Miss Playfair," said « Sir William Apps, with a shrug of the shoulders, as he sat down and folded J his arms. I Marjorie left the box, and walked to '' ____£' p E ,ted out r to her b y a «*«•- '' stable. She gave Lysons a little smile D as she passed. •.... I «« ._ ,B .?_!_ e,n _ l to bo tb * onl y pw-son a In the Court who was riot disturbed and puezled by the turn of events. The 1 Jury whispered among themselves. The 1 Judge looked -hia wonderment at th. I

way in which the defence was being conducted. The public were full of new and conflicting ideas introduced into their minds by the sudden reap pearance of Miss Playfair on the scene and the Bt art ling evidence Bhe had ! given. _ It was true, then, that Lysons was out of the inn that night, that he was in Hanging Wood about the time of the crime. Everything turned upon the story of the gloves. Was that B I true 7 Or was the suggestion of the s prosecution right that the girl had in--11 vented this tale to save her lover? "Annie Irene James," said Pinson, 1 standing again, with his brief in his c hand. j This was a new name. Nobody had t heard before of Annie Irene James. r, ' The witness was called. A slight girl j | entered the bo_. r' "Miss Annie Trene James," said Tini j son, "you are nineteen years of age; I' you live at 24, Albert Road. Ealing. 3 and you are employed at stenographer - and typist at-the Grandison Club. Do you know tho prisoner?" t "No, sir." "Have you ever seen him before?" "No, sir; I do not remember to have ■ seeD him before." ' ' "1 wish, my lord," said Pinson, addressing the judge, "to put to this witness the letter, or portion of a i letter, that has been handed in as i evidence." t j Sir William Apps passed the sheet to r | Pinson, who handed it on to the girl. a "Now, Mi/_. James, did yon type that j letter ?" "No, sir." 1 "I believe the typewrite! l —l mean . ! the typewriting machine—at the club t, is open to the use of members when you are not in attendance ?" "Yes, «ir; that is so, but it is not r nmch used." j I'Now, look at tho letter. Do you I think that was writtra on the machine , at the Grandison Club?" "It was written on a similar machine." "Was it written on the club ' machine t" i "No; it could not have been." "Will you be kind enough to explain to the jury why it could not have ' been?" i j "Yes. The capital letter _» in this ■ sheet is imperfect. The foot of the letter is broken off on the right-hand ; side. The letter T occurs several times, and in every case it is the same. This sheet was written on a machine with a damaged 'I.'" ' "It is written on club paper t" "Yes; there is the club address on ' it." j 'Tlave you brought a sheet of typeI writing done on the club machine?" ( "Yes. Here it is." ! "Are the Ts' perfect in this sheet?" ! | quite perfect." ,1 | "Has the machine been repaired or ' altered in any way since this letter ,! was written—l mean since the date I j given at the top?" | | "No, sir, not at all." ! f "Will you hand the two sheets in 1 J together so that the jury can compare them? That is aIL" ■Sir William Apps intimated that he aid not wish to cross-examine this witness and while the jury were peering at the two sheets of typewriting. Mr. Pinson went on to call another dame. Agam it was a new name, and tbe ! spectators looked eagerly at the door to see who "George William Manning" might be. * George William Manning was thirtyeight, he told Mr. Pinson? He mhrht hay. been anything between thirty Ind fifty. He had a sallow complexion and a crooked nose, and he wa. Lift-man at Maidstone Mansions, W. "Lift-attond-ant" he called himself. "Do yon know the prisoner r~ Mr Pmeou asked him. "Yum; I know. _n quit, wafl, •» ad a flat. *E used to go op an" dahn every dye." r "How lonjj have yon been at Maidstone Mansions _• "Five years." "Did the prisoner reside there prior ibroSdr 7ea " T» WUa to ™* •;Yuss.» "So that you were an old acquaintance of his. Did you know his habits T" "Some of -em," said Mr. Manning with an elaborate wipk, which broughtacrosa the faces of counsel and the jury the first smile during the trial. "What did you think of themr Pinson continued. »m»v_ "Oh, 1 fought they waa wot you might call <_,__.'—thet ia Jo say, careless." "Give mc an example of this dashing carelessness, .will your said PirtSOEu "Fr_ista_ce, Mr. Lyeona was a gent as would go aht an' leave "is key h, the door very offing," said Mr. Manning. "Do you remember any particular occasion recently when he did this?" "Yuss, I do." "Why do you particularly remember that occasion!" "Cos I 'ad my attention drorn to It by a gent." • 'What gentleman was that? Did yon know him?" "I seen' im twice. You can't mistyke 'im. There . is—that gent sitting dahn at the end of ypur seat," and Mr. Manning pointed to where Mr. Brewster lay back listening with closed eyes to the evidence.. "Yes, it wis that gentleman. Did you know his name?" asked Pinson. "No," said Mr. Manning. " _ came two or free days after Mr. Loysins settled in, and asked for 'im. I sent 'im along to Number Sixty-free on the fiff* floor. An' presently 'c came back an' said as Mr. Loysins was not at 'ome, but 'ad lefP 'is key in the door. An* the gent brort the key along an' 'anded it to mc. I gave it to Mr. Loysins when 'c returned." "Well, Mr. Manning," <__d Pinson, "have you seen the same gentleman at Maidstone Mansions since 7" "Yuss, . 'as. 'E name the same dye • Mr. Loysins goes awye to the country." , "When was that?" - "Oh, that waa at the commencement of ' October." j "How do you know that it waa the same day Mr. Lysons went away into the countryl" " *OwT W*y, this gent "c comes after Mr. Loysins is gone—to the Beak, I flnk 'c said 'c was going—an* jus* as I'm loadin' Mr. Loysin'a kit-beg enter a texi- j keb. ' 'Oh,' says 'c, when 'c seen the libil . on the kit-beg, 'so Mr. Liysina is going i to Devingsher? Is 'c in!' 'No,' aays I, ' 'c is goin* to meet 'is beggidge at Paddington.' 'Oh,' says 'c, 'then it ain't no, use for mc to go up.' Thet's what the gent says." j When did the prisoner come back, Mr.; Manning. i "'E came back most unexpected the very nex* day. I remawks it to 'im, an' 'c says 'c's chynged 'is mind. That's all." "Thank yon, Mr. Manning; that will dp." . _ The lift-attendant left the box. 8. WH_SS_____i 0 *5 ,de v Bi f lß to cross-examine him. ,■'*•; ;*«• lPdge hent forward to Pinson. j * V_To fc. continued daily.)