OUR SERIAL STORY HER DEAREST WISH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 112, 26 April 1911, Page 9

OUR SERIAL STORY HER DEAREST WISH.

(Continued.)

‘‘And no one entered the drawingroom. as tar as you know, after the deceased? You must have heard them—” | Sir James rose. •■Really, that is scarcely a fair ■ question,’’ he .said.

) “We want all the information we • can g»t,” remarked Mr Boskett, j blandly.

The coroner nodded, and Jam* said : "No, no one had come in afterwards.” I “And now, die! you notice anything > peculiar in Ixn d (Jaunt’s manner when he passed you in the corridor on his way out?”

Jane hesitated. "His lordship looked upset and—and worried, sir.”

"Anything peculiar about his dress? Think!”

"He knows something.” whispered Mr Belford to Sir James. Sir James di<l not move a muscle. Jane hesitated. and looked distressed. "(.’<>nie. speak out,” put in Mr ’ Bfok, genii .- ami persuasively, j and Ja...-, with a kind of sob, said: | "There there was blood on his I wristband.” A thrill ran through the crowd. Mr Boskett glanced at the jury in a casual kind of way. “Tho porter was with . as Lord Haunt passed?” •Acs,” said Jane. And she wa ‘allowed to stand down. 1 The porter was next called, anti l;'av<« his evidence clearly. So far as ihe knew. no one had entered Lord ((Jaunt’s Hat. after the deceased. !<>', Lord (Jaunt had looked hag- . gaixl and upset ; and he, the porter, had noticed the blood-slain on the i wrist-band. j So also hud Wilkins. the butler prom Morlet’s. He carried the grim j story a jxiiiit further by telling how i he had sent, on the luggage to South- ! aniptoii, but hail heard la>rd (Jaunt, j when leaving in the morning, direct , the eabinaii to drive to (.'haring Cross. I Had remarked that land Gaunt did not wear his fur coat when he roll timed the preceding night, and had been informed by land Gaunt that he had left it at his club.

The crowd exchanged glances, and murmured significantly. Then Morgan Thorpe was called. He was a piteous spectacle. The usually pleasant ami youthful face was haggard and drawn; bis eyelids were swollen, and his lips tremulous and pale. He had been drinking, but not enough to steady his shaking hands and voice. As he raised his eyes and glanced round the court with a .shrinking look, Bobby could scarcely believe that it was the same man who only a few days ago had swaggered ami ruffled it with selfassurance. Evert answer had to be dragged out of him. Yes. the deceased was his sister. She was married. secretly, to laird (Jaunt, who married her under the name of Barnard. Had not, at the time, known Barnard's real name ami title. His sister and her husband had separated soon after tine marriage, anti she had lived‘with him, the brother, since then. Her husband had disappeared, quite disappeared. She had not seen him, to his. Morgan Thorjie’s knowledge. between the hour of their parting and the night of tine murder— Sir James looked up. “Do not use the word •murder.' Mt- Thorpe,” he said, sharply. “The jurv have not xet given their verdict.”

Thorpi! glanc< <1 at him re‘H’Htfullv.

"It- was innnlvr. find and cowardly ninnlor—”

! “Silence!" said the coroner, sternlv. “Confine yourself to a statement ’ of w hat yon actually know." i Sir .lames rose. “You sav, Mr Thorpe, that, so far as you are aware, your sister did not I know lh > u hereabouts ot Lord 1 Gaunt ?" j “She dal not ; T swear it." I “Yon knew she was going to I Prince's Mansions the night of the . ts th?" I Thorpe hesitated. Could he venI tine to deny it? As he paused. Sir I Janies carelessly picked up a blue i paper front the table, and -Morgan ! Tliorjx’s eyes dropped. i “1 knew it.” . Sir James handed him the bill. I “This was found in the pocket of I the deceased. It is a bill, unbacked, I for two hundred pounds. Can you explain it ?” ! Thorpe glanced at Bobby, and his face went white. i "Mymy poor sister was in want sof money. She— she thought Mr j Deane would lend it to her--" His j voice grow inaudible. Bobby hung ■ his head as every eye in court was j directed to hint. I “May I take it that you sent her Jon this errand?" asked Sir Janus. > Morgan Thorpe raised his head and | stared at him insolently. j “You may take it as you please," he said, defiantly. j “That is sufficient,’’ said Sir Janies. 1 gravely. i Mr Boskett rose. i “One moment, Mr Thorpe. Were ; you aware of the real name and rank (of the deceased's husband ? Oh. 'don't hesitate, please!" ho added, I with the first note of sharpness in i his voice ; ami Thorpe nodded. : “Yrs? And you kept your kttow- ; ledge from your sister?” Thorpe looked round like a hunted i anima! looking for some mea:>< of esj capo. I I d:d. I thought :: i Mr Bosk tt turned h; .Lt.'img [ eyes upon him. I “Did not Lord Gaunt undertake to pay you a sum of money to keep his identity secret? Answer, please."

i The reply was scarcely audible. | “Good. Now, Mr Thorpe, you re- [ member a eehtain scandal rn Paris iti the summer of 18—? A scandal in whifch a lady was concerned. Mas not that lady yoiur sister?” “Yes,” sadd Morgan Thorpe; and Mr Boskett turned to the jury. “I regret to have to allude to this matter, but I desire to show the cause of lx>rd Giaunt’s desert ion of his wife.” “Noit desertion !” put in Str James, quickly. “Separation, if you like!” said Mr Boskett. ‘‘ln a word, Mr Thorpe, did not Lxwd Gaunt separate from his wife because he discovered certain facts in couneotion with her life before her marriage?” Morgan Thorpe moistened his lips. “If any one has been saying—” lie began; but tflie coroner interrupted him. “Painful as the question may be to you, Mr Thoriie, you must answer it.”

“Well, yes—so he said,” replied Thorpe. “And these facts you concealed from him ? Did you conceal from him this other fact, that you had suffered three months’ imprisonment for fraud committed two years before you made his acquaintance ?’ ’ “Where did you get a<ll this?” asked Sir James, testily, of Mr Belford, while the court was waiting on Thorpe’s reply. “If 1 am to submit to having all! my past life raked up for the amusement of a crowd—” panted Morgan Thorpe. “Answer, sir!” said tJic coroner, sternly; and Morgan Thonpe’s lips formed the “Yes.”

“Did you conceal the identity of her husband, and his whereabouts, from the deceased because you feared his violence if they should meet?” asked Mt B.jskett, in gentle tones. It was scarcely a permissible question and Sir James was on his feet in a moment; but Thorpe had got out his answer before lie could be stopped. "Yes. 1 did!” he answered, with a suppressed eagerness. “Gaunt is a violent man, one of t'lie hottest-tem-jiered men J lia.ve ever met. 1 wanted to protect my poor sister—” The coroner stopped him; but it was too late. The jury had got the impression Mr Boskett had desired to give them. “I have finished with you,” he said, with that air of satisfaction which a clever eomwl can make so telling.

Ono or two other witnesses were calk’d, and the two doctors who had been summoned after the discovery of the body were recalled by Mr Boskett.

“1 wish to asik these gentlemen a question, .sir.” he said to the coroner. “The young lady, .Miss Dea.ne, who is now, 1 regret to say. lying unconscious a.nd seriously ill, is uinfortimir•ately connected with this case by one of tlnise accidents to which, we are all liable. .1 do not think that the slightest suspicion has been directed towards her; but nevertheless—perhaps because I feel it my duty to protect her from any future suspicion—l desiie to ask a question in her belnalf. I ask you, sir”—-he turned to the first doctor —“if in your opinion it would h- vos- ’bV* P-r a young girl to have t< ! u’ 1 rthe body un the Ct.iv. :i a - .u :s ■•/-< ~v. r; J ? ; “.No; < i .... i...y . 01. ' wir.-; the ropy; arid the cm id do.'tor repeated the anfwer. Then the coroner wound up ; and, as with the .-kill of experience he linked tire evidence together. Bright a.nd Bobby felt as if a chain were being wound round Gaunt. 'J'he crowd listened with breathless iattention to every word, and when he liad finished turned their eyes upon the jury with hungry impatience, 'ih.e jury did not h'ave the box, but gathered together for a. few minutes, chon pronounced the verdict. They found Edward Barnard Gamut, Earl of Gaunt, guilty of the ■wiifiil murder of his wife, Jja-ttra. Mr Bright rose white and trembling. Bobby let his head ialil in h.is hands. Some one touched hmm on the arm. and looking up. he saw Mershoii beside him. He was pale, save for a red spot on each cheek, and his wmnll cyl’s fibone vindictively. “A. clear case,” he said, with a note of satisfaction in his thin voice. “He did it, light enough. And they’ll have him presently. They’ve cabled to stop the ship at the Canaries.''

Bobby .shrunk from him with a look of horror. “I—l don’t WHove it,” he said, ‘his voice breakiing. “Gauait is as iniiorent a.s —as J am!"

Mershon shru!gg«l hiis shoulders. “All right! Le him come home aaid provc it !” ho retorted, sullenly. He went over to Air Gilsby, who was talking to Mr Boskett—Mr Bosikett cheerfully trmmiphant — an<l t-lutehed him nervously by the arm. “Thev’tl get him, eh, Gilsiby? He ca-n’t escape, can he?” Mr Gilsby .smiled assuringly. “Oh. no; certainly not. Quite impossible! You can make your mind easy on that point. Air Mersiiio-.il. They'll bring him back in a few days.” Mershon drew a breath of satisfaction. and hurried out of court. Mr Boskett glanced after him. and, raised his eyebrows quest ion ingly. Mr Giisbv smiled.

“Both bond <rf this Miss Deane,” he said, a-’is-vering Ihe unspoken question. "Ycii’H biiierly disappoint my client if you fad to >i“t a conviction, Mr Boskett. Bui that’s a certainty, I suppose ?’’ Mr B»'.<-kett o-idy smil-ed ini reply.

(To be Continued.)