THE HANDKERCHIEF

Grey River Argus, 22 April 1925, Page 3

THE HANDKERCHIEF

AS EVIDENCE. (By K.-.thice-. GTHin, in the “Daily (’broeicle. ’) Tim evidence o* ih«* dloOped llUlldk'-r < hief. dear to atisis and novelwriters, has always seemed to mo of a v cry frail rat ure ind ’cd. For imd; i.er, <od;v, takim.- i hr first hai dkes I. - f that c:i • •• from my hai .* k- I - ' hr I I. IX I :.w ;| ’if w;:s narked Aor ;i - < ' I i.-oley, \\ i •. A . a L mdry : ay ;.t ; have not i h • - ■■ idea. 1 1 ssii y , 'iding r rv.in the . ith < i‘ Cng:r. rd, \ . •.••.!><•: I umley ’« »♦ her 1- uidki rehief . tin- house ol an aunt in I.•••Is, who dropped i< in the flat of a daughter in Harsh m, who mislaid it in the house < f ;; friend in I’tmirr, who lost ii in Hi- rooms of jpy <0’1? in Ever'dl at Lam aster Hate. who I'd it fill ir . y apartment, when sin came Io see mo n week ago. For Annabel Lumley, therefore, to he convicted of tile murder of. say, my solicitor, <«n the .evidence of a hr. ml kerchief I had c.ireles'lv left among hi- documents while extra- ting the one I wanted, would be hard link, to say the least of it. on \r:nab«d 1 uni lex . I :;ni thus quite ready to I cl’cve 'ho story that was told to mo - about Henry <'ragg and his wife. Lorna. j It appears that H<nrv <'r-ig'j. . nJ otherwise estimable fellow, had two strongly marked stains upon hi' < h' r a<ter. One was an unconquerable r.spec! for the feminine virtues of in noi-eii'' and mtdes’y. the other was a fierce and deep seated passion of joa lousy. It would be hard to <;iy which of tbea' bis wife Lorna, a fascinating young woman to which he was de voted, found the most tiresome. When, therefore, Henry Cragg found a handkerchief rlearlyi marked with his wife's name in the rooms of his friend. Robert Legrand, his ungoverned fury may be imagined. Facing his wife with the handkerchief, whose ownership she could not deny, he heaped upon her all the obloquy of which he was capable. Then lie took divorce proceedings. AftSr tb.e d.ocreo hud been made absolute, Henry Cragg found himself extremely jonely. Resolving to run no further risk of deception by :• wo man of Lorna’s worldly brilliance, ho married her quiet Ftt'e friend, Hetty Maybrick. But he could not forget Lorna. Often, not thinking that his wife observed him. fie <ml 1 go to the casket where he still kept the handkerchief and tenderly press his lips upon the laundry mark. At last Hettv could stand it no longer. Finding him one day gazing at Ih.laundry mark, not knowing she was near, Hetty went impulsively to hei own handkerchief box'. 'xtra'-te-! band kerchieft and thrust it undm , Henrv’s nose. “ Hopeless chump!' -he m-'ed ‘ ‘ Look!’’ Henry looked. The laumb'l were identical! Before IT'—- ’ fied gaze the room swam. “G ;.j n ” }••« •■lu-ne •• “Tlu”— then — : 1 " •'* y-u ’'ho d’-e: ••rd the handkerchief in Robert’s rooms, e • I I oi’iia ! ’ ’ < • ‘ < t c-ur e ;t v . s. ’ !m r-•: .11 ••■ I • fl•• • n <l:.m \ end f made/ i him take me 1<» hi ; Tif and m x u-e kl-iil before Im tnok me !;om<-- , Lorna had left, the liandkeichief at on- ~ I <.ii ;:• weeks before; but when I w-e'-i ed to come forward and say so, she v ” ouldn’t lot me because she ws- so fed v

up with you she xvas only too jolly •jl-i<] f o be off. . . .’ * M(*-. ,, :l to i'l’lou husbands: Restrain your idealising tendencies, and know your wif o ’s lanndry-mark.