THE THIRD DEGREE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 184, 6 August 1925, Page 18

THE THIRD DEGREE.

BY R. A. J. WALIiNG, Author of Fatal Glo-e," etc.

(■ -i SZNOPSIS. -John BelUver, a rising young lawyer, leaves his office gaily to meet tbe girl he ,lB 4n love with—Phyllis Lanson—the niece aod ward of tbe head of his firm. Phylliß is as charming as ever,, but to his dismay and Indignation j_e tells him' that her uncle has turned against him and will give no reason. Belliver ia amazed, because hitherto he had heeii encouraged and kindly treated by Lanson. Uis anger is increased by the appearance of a Mr. Baird, ,n rich merchant, who ignores Belliver and walks down the street with Phyllis, leaving him to console himself at his club, where he hears news of a -strike among Balrd's workmen. - ■'•-■•'■».' The next day is a Sunday, and Belliver attends the parish church in. the'hope of seeing Phyllis. He Is disappointed at not being able to speak to tier, and exasperated at the sight of Baird. He wanders down to the' quay and llnds a crowd of men round Baird's shods. Angry and rebellious, he Joins In the Arguments and impulsively makes a speech running down Baird. Belliver becomes the hero of the hour, and Is carried by the men shoulder high. Next day he Is calmer, and has an interview with Lanson, who tells him a report of the affair is ln the newspapers. Lanson tries to extract from him a promise not to see Phyllis again. Belliver refuses, and after being shown « -letter -rushes out of the office, saying: "I'll end. it once and for all!" On the steps he meets -Phyllis, «nd gets her to promise to meet him that night in the garden of Balrd's house, where she is dining. Baird and his wife live in a fine house, where everything movea on oiled wheels. After dinner Baird and Lanson go to play billiards, although the latter tries to persuade hip host to look at some important papers > first. Phyllis is just going to escape into the garden to meet Belliver, when she hears a strange sound from the garden. She and Mrs. Baird make their way to the billiard room, and are joined -by Baird, who had been to the library "to fetch cigars. Baird open* the door of the billiard Toom —and starts back in horror. He tries to prevent Phyllis entering, but she'pushes past him and sees her. uncle lying dead across the billiard table, blood flowing from bis head. She faints. A policeman appears with BeJUver, who he said he saw looking into the billiard room. window, with a revolver in his hand. Belliver is dazed, and seems as if he were turned to stone. He says nothing when arrested by the constable. CHAPTER IV.—(Continued.) The chief conat-ble' entered at that moment. Bo nodded to Fewings, called the inspector, and went through with him to his private room. Fewings waited, looking aimlessly at the notices on tbe office walla, proclaiming that So-and-So was "wanted" for . this or that crime; and waa Jjhia-or-that tall, with such-and-such colour hair; in some cases photographs adorned the notices— pictures of varying degrees of human depravity and villainy. His eyes turned from these things to the constable making entries in a book behind a tall desk, and to the festoon of handcuffs linked us a moral decoratipn above his head. Belliver! To-morrow Jack Belliver would be the object of the morbid curiosity of thousands of people,, just as the owners of these atrocious faces on the wall were! Belliver would have to stand in the dock in that very Court where he had recently secured so much IUMiNi at tba solicitors' table! It was unthinkable, overwhelming! i .

The inspector came out of the private room and beckoned to him. Mechanically Fewings went forward. In the room the chief constable sat at his desk with a frown of bewilderment on his face. Before him stood Jack Belliver, with a constable by bis side,.. ~.;., , „.__&. Fewings,?' said the chief, "you are a friend of Mr. Belliver.- Will you see if you can make anything of him ? We cannot get a word out of him." "Belliver!*' cried Fewings, and held out bis band. "What does it all mean?" y Belliver took his friend's band and grasped it, but be did not speak.

"He is. like a man stricken dumb," said the chief. "'The constable tells mc he has not opened his mouth, all the evening."

"I'm a little in the dark,", said Fewings. "Perhaps if ""you told, mc the facts " ' "

"They seem to be quite simple. Mr. Lanson. and his neice were dining tonight with Mr. and Mrs. Baird at Highhouse. After dinner tile ladies went to the drawing-room, and the ' gentlemen went to the billiard-room to play, Mr. Baird left" Mr. Lanson making a break and-went to his study to fetch, some cigars. While.he was away he heard a shot. The ladies heard it, too, and ran jllQwn,, They all met in the corridor. 'When they reached the billiard-room they saw Mr. Lanson stretched over the* table with his cue still in, his hand, dead, with a pistol tfhot in the back of his head. This constable was passing the grounds of Highhouse when he heard a shot. Ho went in. Qn the bank outside the open window of the billiardroom he found Mr- BelHveii with a revolver in his hand, looking through the wiindow. i He arrested him and took him into the house, and, after Dr. Andrew had examined the hody he charged htra with the murder. He has never said a word since. I have been trying to induce him to get somebody to take up hi* defence. He ought to have a lawyer at once. Can you do anything with him T"

During this recital Fewings had staggered to a chair, and sat looking from the "chief to Belliver and back again. At the end he rose and took Belliver's band again. "Jack! For God's sake say some•tbingV What's the matter with you?" -'■',Btelliver's. eyes were strange and strained, as if he looked through his friend to space outside and saw a horror. He grasped the proffered hand in a' nervous grip; bat, be didf not speak. Suddenly Fewings cried: "-And, Miss Lanson?" „ "Ah!" said the chief. "I forgot. Unfortunately Miss Lanson was with Mr. and Mrs. "Baird when they went to the billiard-room, and saw her uncle's body where it lay on the table. She fainted, and the' doctor was attending to her when the constable left with his prisoner." Fewings. made one more effort'to induce. Belliver to' speak. It did not avail anything- Then he said; "Thank you* Mx-. Sandys, for your' courtesy. The thing will have to, take its course. Leaye mc to get a solicitor clear I can •...dp nothing more, for h'ra to-night; ,ana" there :: is something elsO; to,- be done. You say, Miss Lanson was still: at Highhouse when you left?" i esr, I suppose), fhey. wSI keep her, thejre :to-night^''/; , — ■ :' *Then good-night?' said Fewings, and went out. From the charge-room he telephoned to his office, called to a taxi, and drove to Highhouse. He found a policeman on guard at the gate, and a knot of, people talking in whispers out- . - ■ .'.-.,-.--'

Mr. Baird received him in the study, where he was seated, doctor* They also talked in whispers. TheJ>ody ot >hft« dead, ftieM ~a*. iw&ia* away.

UndeK Dr. Andrews' directions it had been lifted from the table and placed lor the night on one of the benches at the side of the room. . "It looks deliberate, .inexplicable as it is," said Dr. Andrew. "Else why should he be found in the garden? Why should he be armed with a revolver?'' The discussion of the details nauseated Fewings. He confirmed all the facts he had heard at the police station. Then he said 'to Mr. Baird: "Mies Lanson is still here?" , "Yes; she is upstairs with Mrs, Baird." "Do you think I might see her, doctor?" he asked. "She is quieter now, but in a frightful state of nervous disturbance. You are a friend' of hers, eh? Perhaps she would be glad to see you." "One thing," said Fewings, "it is necessary to know. Is she aware of—" "You mean," said the doctor, ""does she know that' Belliver has been arrested? Kb. . When she saw her uncle's body she seems to have fainted, and she did not recover consciousness till she had been taken upstairs. I forbade anybody to tell her anything." "It was well," Fewings replied. "I am a friend of them both, and I happen to know that she and Belliver are madly in love with each other." "What?" cried the doctor. "Baird, you never told mc that. What a tragedy!" "Mr.- Baird was possibly unaware ot it," said Fewings. "Mr. Lanson did " He checked himself and bit his lip. "Do you think it is possible to get her away, doctor, so that this news shall not break in on her* till she is stronger?" "What's the use? Everybody will know it to-morrow. And I should not be surprised if the police insisted on calling her." "Yes, I suppose." Fewings mused. "Then, I think, if you'll allow mc, 1 should like to see her now—and see her alone." . The doctor glanced at Mr. Baird. who sat behind his table in a state of extreme trouble and dejection. Mr. Baird -nodded. The doctor left the room, saying that he would return with a message. "Fewings," said Mr. Baird, when they were alone, "this is a shocking business. It will be terrible enough in any case. You can make it Ism terrible if you will refrain from treating it in the most sensational manner." "Of course," he answered, "we cannot avoid giving the whole story. But you may rely on mc not to let our men worry you, Mr. Baird. I quite understand. And I think you have told mc all tho facts." "Yes, all," said Mr. Baird. They eat in silence till the' doctor returned. "She will be glad to see you, Fewings," he said. ''Come with mc." He followed the doctor upstairs to *the drawing-room. Mrs. Baird bowed to him and passed out. " Hers is Mr. Fewings to see you, Miss Lanson," said the doctor. " I'll give him ten minutes with^you." She was lying on a sofa near the open window. She raised herself and sat up to shake hands with the visitor. - " Have you seen him ?" she asked, in a husky voice strangely unlike h/r own. Fewings shuddered. "Ifo, Miss Lanson. I believe every, thing has been arranged and darkened for the night t" I came simply to see you and assure you of my sympathy." "What do you mean?" she asked. "What is darkened for the night?" "I mean—the room," stumbled, "the room downstairs—" , "Yes, yes, I know/ she said, closing her eyes and shivering. " But have you seen him—have you seen Jack?" .Fewings jumped involuntarily. " Why! I was told />u knew nothing, Miss Lanson—nothing about Belliver I mean." ' She looked around the room as if she' feared listeners might be there. She whispered: "They told mc nothing but I know. Oh, ifs terrible—terrible! ' Where is he? What have; they done with him?" Fewings felt his heart wrung by her tones of agony. "He is—all right," he stammered. "It IS better for you not to think of it. If you were not told, how did you know?" She shook her head. "I am his friend," said Fewings. "I am going to get a'lawyer for him. If you know anything it is best to say it— to his friends." "No," said she; "I have nothing to Sty. He is in prison?" Fewings nodded. "You will help him; you will get him a lawyer; you will stand by him, Mr; Fewings? Oh, it's terrible—terrible!" Fewings regretted that he had yielded to the impulse to see her: his visit seemed only to have disturbed her. He went away promising all she asked, but with his mind full of wonderment. "What agitated Miss Lanson most seemed to him to be not the frightful fate that had overtaken herf uncle, but the fate that was about to overtake Jack Belliver. (To be continued daily.)

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