THE CROOKED TRAIL

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 248, 18 October 1924, Page 68 (Supplement)

THE CROOKED TRAIL

By SILAS K. HOCKING

CHAPTER XX. The police Court was crowded lons 1 before the magistrates took their seats, and 6cores of people were unable to | pain admission. Jack surrendered to ] his bail in good time, and was accompanied by Xancarrow and Dr. Sleeman. i Among those present were Enid and Audrey Vonhale. Audrey had arrived i at the bungalow before Jack and Enid i had finished their breakfast, much to j the surprise of both. "You darling!" Enid exclaimed, jumping- up from her chair and kissing her "However did you get here so early!" "Came by the first train," she answered, wrinkling her nose and showing her white teeth. "1 was bound to come. If nobody else shows up that . sneak I shall do it myself." Jack's eyes mirrored his admiration, but he kept himself well in hand. He was by no means sure that evening would not find him in gaol, or else committed for trial. Tregelles had been by no means hopeful the last time he saw , him. As Jack stood in the dock, upright, clean-limbed, handsome, it was evident that he had the sympathy of nearly everyhody present. The Lawrences had , always been honest and upright people, and it semed incredible that Jack should have departed from the fam/ly tradition. The police inspector presented the case with commendable brevity, and then called upon Mark Trebiddy to give evidence. Mark stepped into the witness box with a smile of triumph on his face. He vas immaculately dressed, and wore a flower in his buttonhole. He bowed to the Mayor, who was the presiding magistrate, and then took the oath in the usual form. "On Tuesday afternoon of last week. he said, "I was ncaring Hendra when I saw the accused coming down the drive with a parcel under his arm. I drew back to a bend in the road so that ho should not see mc. \Ylien he reached the gate he slipped the parcel under his coat and walked rapidly away in the direction of Poldulo." "And what then"?" The inspector's voice was severely impressive. "When I got into the house I noticed that an e oak cabinet that contained a number of valuables had been slightly moved from its place.'' "You noticed that it had been slightly moved?" "Yes. This surprised mc a little, as the cabinet and its contents were not to be sold by auction, but if possible byprivate treaty." "You knew what the cabinet contained?" "Every article. Miss Cobbledick had often shown them to mc. Also after her death Mr. Penry and myself made an jnventry of them. "Mr. Penry is your co-executor?" "That is so." "Please go on." "On looking into the cabinet through the glass front I noticed that several articles -were missing, including a jade ornament of considerable value. On trying the door I found it locked. Then I discovered that the back had been prised open." "Yes?" "Of course I at onco informed tho police. I was very loth to do so, and, indeed, had the property been my own I should have said nothing about "it." "Why so?" the Mayor interposed. "For rather obvious reasons, sir." Mark smiled politely. "There was only one person who could have abstracted the articles, and for old times' sake, and the sake of those related to him. I would have refrained from taking action; but since I was in tho position of trusteo I vas compelled to eink my own feelings and inform the police." During the delivery of this little speech Jack's face madn an interesting study—it presented such a mingling of amusement, amazement andVontempt. At one moment it appeared as though he would laugh outright, then his lips twisted into a scornful curve. Sam Nancarrow twisted himself as if in pain, and put his hand over hie mouth so that he might not give public expression to what he felt. I Enid's face flamed, but she sat perfectly still. She did not even look at Audrey, whose eyes she knew were blazing with anger. Mark looked straight ahead of him at the Mayor, and appeared to be quite at his ease. He felt that he was making a good impression—a dash of altruism always goes down in any public assembly and he was anxious to pose as a martyr to public duty. "You have identified thn articles as those taken from the cabinet?" The* inspector's voice was clear and impressive. "Every one of them." "Were any other articles missing except those found in this parcel \" and he waved his hand towards the table. "None." Then followed a pause during which the Mayor cleared his throat. Then he i fixed his eye on Jack. "Have you anything to say to this?" ! he questioned. "Nothing, exrppt that Mark.Trebiddy is an infernal liar and hypocrite." The answer came sharp as this crack of a pistol, and produced what is usually described as "sensation in court." The Bench almost jumped. The Major frowned heavily. The room throbbed with a medley of sounds, excited whispers and suppressed laughter, above which rose the voices of the janitors calling "Silence." Mark Trebiddy winced, and his face became tho colour of beetroot. The Mayor was heard protesting '*against the use of such language, and warning the accused against the repetition of such an outburst. Then Tregelles rose slowly from his chair and intimated his intention of asking a few questions. ! " Mark Trebiddy started and looked uncomfortable. It.was the first intimation he got that Jack Lawrence had engaged a solicitor. He rather wondered why. What could a solicitor do? That Jack would deny the charge he expected, but denial was not evidence, and if it came to a question between his word and Jack's he had little doubt as to which would have the more weight with the Bench. He had reasoned it out in his own mind that Jack's poverty would be regarded as sufficient motive for the crime. Here was a young man who had , been reared'in affluance,.who, during the war, had held a commission in the army, who bad cultivated expensive, perhaps extravagant, tastes, who found himself in dire need of ready cash, and who suddenly saw his way out of pecuniary difficulties. The Bench, he reflected,, was bound to take that view of the case. He had been left alone in the room where the valuables were kept; these same valuables had been found in his possession, at least in his bedroom, which was practically the came tiling. Hence, ao far

as he (Mark) could see, no denial and no amount of quibbling could counterbalance such direct- and positive evidence; and for the life of him he could not understand why Tragellee should take service for a man in such a position, and who would be unable to pay his fees. The clear but quiet voice of the lawyer brought him suddenly back from his reflections. "Would the witness who had just given evidence state a little more explicitly the time of day when he saw the accused coming down the drive with a parcel under his arm?" "Certainly,'' said Mark, briskly. The simplicity of the question gave him instant relief. "As nearly as I remember it would bo about half-past twelve." "And just outside the gate you saw him place the parcel under his coat?" "That is so." "What kind of coat was the accused wearing at the time?" , Mark lifted his head sharply and narrowed his eyes. For the fraction of a moment he hesitated, then he smiled. "I did not particularly notice the material," he said, and flattered himself that he had scored over the lawyer. "Perhaps you did not notice either whether he was wearing an ordinary jacket or whether he wore an overcoat?" Again Mark hesitated for a moment. For the life of him he could not see the relevancy of the question. Clearly the lawyer wanted to trip him up, and he did not intend to be tripped up if he could avoid it. He smiled again. "He was wearing an overcoat," he said. "Thank you," Tregelles said, quietly, and as he seemed inclined to ask no further questions Mark sat dowu with a feeling of profound relief. For several moments there was a tense silence in tho. room. Every one wondered, including tho Bench, what line the lawyer intended to pursue. Up to the present no hint had been given as to the nature of the defence. "I now propose," the lawyer said, presently, "to call two or three witnesses. My object in doing so will appear later on." I "You do not intend, to indicate your line of defence?" the Mayor questioned. "For the present, no. 1 will call my witnesses first." A moment lator Mrs. Trudgeon was bustled into the room. She looked scared and uncomfortable, but she managed to tell her story with commendable brevity. When she had finished the police inspector proceeded to cross-examine her. "What was the boy like? -. She could not remember. She was busy at the time making pasties. He was a big lump of a boy, but she took no particular notice. "Would you recognise him again if you saw him?" She was quite sure she would not. "He told you that Jlr. Jack Lawrence gave him the parcel and that you were to put it in a safe place in hid bedrooiu?." "Yes, that was what he Eaid." "You did not see what was in the parcel , ;" "Of course I didn't. I'm not in the 'abit of openin' parcels. I laid it on the table until 1 wa3 free to take it to his room." "Thank you. v "And you say," interposed the Mayor, "that Mr. Lawrence did not asK about tho parcel when ho returned?" "No, he didn't, an' I forgot to mention it to him." At this point Colonel Minvr-r, one ot the magistrates, suggested that they were wasting the time of the court. The evidence of the last witness, he submitted, was entirely irrelevant, and had no bearing on the case. They were not there to consider or decide how the valuables in question reached the bungalow; whether they were sent by some unknown boy, or by carrier, or through the post, did not in any way affect the question at issue. The question was, did the accused, who had the free run of Hendra for several days, prise open the cabinet and extract the articles, or did he not? This interruption threw the Bench into considerable confusion. Two or three of Colonel Minver'a brother magistrates were heard speaking at the same time. The Mayor turned from side to side and held up his hands appcalingly. Tregolles rose excitedly to his feet and addressed the Bench. A babel of voices rose all over the room. The janitors shouted "Silence in court." Finally, the Mayor decided that it was time to adjourn for lunch, and announced that the case would be resumed punctually at two o'clock. (To bo continued daily.)