THE ONE GIRL IN A MILLION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19799, 21 November 1927, Page 16

THE ONE GIRL IN A MILLION.

FASCINATING STORY BY A LEADING WRITER.

BY LOUIS TRACY

CHAPTER V.—(Continued). At the outset Soames' evidence was negative. That is to say, he was definite enough as to Mr Anthony's unexpected arrival from London shortly before lunch on the Wednesday, and was able to guess Miss Joan's movements in Ilvcrton so accurately that her brother had no difficulty in communicating with her by telephone. As it "happened, Sir Robert •was absent all day, having gone to a sale of Devon cattle at Taunton. Mr. Burke was not at all surprised at this—indeed, he said he rather expected it as the dispersal of a noted herd had been announced in the newspapers, and Sir Robert could hardly fail to attend. So the young man occupied the room an which he had always resided at ilie Court, and lunched with 1 is sister. At 2.30 p.m. Mr. Anthony was called to the telephone to answer a trunk call from London. Soames, of course, did not know from whence it emanated. " It was I," broke in Mrs. in the well modulated voice which penetrated so distinctly through the court. "I rang up my husband. L was anxious—" Mr. Hopkinson smiled and the coroner held up a restraining hand. " Please don't interrupt the witness," he said. "We are obliged to you for the information, but anything you may want to say should lie conyeyed to Superintendent Grainger, who will bring it forward at the right moment." " Sorry," murmured Mrs. Burke, sweetly. " I was only trying to help." Mr. Matthews nodded his acceptance of Ihe apology. V There is no harm done. You will tell ns later why you got in touch with Mr. Burke. Go on, Soames." " Well, sir, there was nothink much happened during the afternoon. As an old servant in the house, I couldn't avoid noticing that Mr. Anthony looked a bit vexed-like at tea-time, and Miss Joan was flustered, too. I thought that there had been a tiff, but that was nothing new." Hopkinson rose. " Really, sir—" he began, but the coroner anticipated his objection. " Let me explain, Soames," he said, mildly, " that we are not enquiring into the family affairs of the people of Cedar Pari:. We want a brief account of actual events as you saw them on Wednesday." "Right you are, sir!" agreed Soames, looking rather relieved than otherwise that his personal reminiscences should be thus ruthlessly say nothink about wot happened at dinner?" " Certainly—if it has any bearing on the subsequent tragedy." " Well it's this way. Sir Robert came i home about six and was quite surprised | ■when I told him that Mr. Anthony was present. I asked him if I should call Mr. Anthony from the gardens,■» and he said, ' No, I'll see him at dinner.' Then he went straight to his own suite. Mr. Anthony was quite put out about it, a few minutes later, and waited in the hall ■while I went to answer Sir John's bell, thinking, as he said, he might be wanted. But Sir Robert gemme a letter, which was to be sealed, and registered. ' There must be no delay," he said. 1 I have bought some cattle to-day and am sending a cheque in payment.' I have the post office receipt, sir. The letter was addressed to a firm of auctioneers in Taunton, and the cattle were delivered yesterday—a score of as fine Devons as I've ever clapped eyes on." A ripple of interest passed through the jury and most others piesent. They all knew those Devons, and some were planning to buy them if they came into the market again, because the dead man was an exceptionally skilled judge of stock, and any animals he selected would surely be worth the money paid for them. Even the coroner was interested,- but be had to conceal the fact. " You have not forgotten what I said just now?" he commented rather severely. " No, sir," said Soames, well aware of Mr. Hornby's close attention to his statements. " Them there beasts started off a bit of a flare-up at the dinner-table. Sir Robert was talkin' about his purchase. mut Mr. Anthony showed that he wasn't listenin'—said so, he did, plain out when Sir Robert put the question to him. After that no one spoke for some time, and Sir Robert hardly answered ■when Miss Joan tried to liven things up by tellin' how she had nearly run over Mr. North that afternoon." At that all eyes in court were iocussed on the foreman of the jury, and every knob on North's screwed-up face became alarmingly purple. The coroner and Mr. Hopkinson exchanged glances which revealed the same unspoken thought—that it was better to allow some degree of laxity in the proceedings than to upset the witness by frightening him. But Soames was no fooi. In his own ■way he had succeeded in creating the right atmosphere, and meant to stick more closely to his text thenceforth. " You can understand now, sir," he went on, "why I had no wish to dawdle in the dinin" room. There was trouble brewing'. As soon as the coffee was served t and the footman went out. Before long I heard Miss Joan playin' the piano in the drawin' room—" " Did you see Miss Joan at the piano ? " " No, sir." • " Ah!" and Mr, Matthews seized the opportunity for educative purposes, " now I can make my meaning clearer. You ought to have said "I--heard - someone playing the piano.' You do not know it was Miss Joan. Yon only believe so, and that is not evidence." " But neither Sir Robert nor Mr. Anthony ever touched the piano," came the astonished reply. " Miss Joan herself will tell us in dne course, whether or not she played- Please do not argue. And tell ss only what you saw or heard," " I certainly heard the piano, sir, but I never*heard any shot fired." The coroner sighed, and Soames was evidently worried, because he could not imagine wherein he had erred. However, warming to his task, he described how ho was puzzled by the reported departure of Miss Burke and her brother on the motor-bicycle, and, after a considerable interval, decided to enter the <lining room in case Sir Robert had already gone to his own apartments. He found his master lying awkwardly in an armchair with his back to the table, and was so struck by his listless attitude that he hurried nearer without speaking. Then he saw that Sir Robert had been shot. " To be candid, sir," said Soames, " 1 thought at first his injuries were not caused by a bullet. The smash was sometbink terrible. It, seemed as though P; hammer had been driven right into his head." " And what did you do?" inquired tho coroner. " I spoke to him, though I saw it was no use. I didn't touch a thing, as I had read that in cases of murder one ought not to interfere wifh the body. So I rang the bell, an' the footman came, an' he stood fast while I ran to find Mr. Parker, our village policeman." "Why didn't, you telephone?" " Mr. Parker is not on the 'phone, sir?" " Never mind Parker for tho moment. IWhv not send for a doctor first?" " What was the use, sir? Sir Robert was stone dead-" Were you qualified to judge in such r vital matter ? " , " I certainly thought so. Why, I was sure of it!" " You speak of ' cases of murder.' Why did you assume that Sir Robert had not been killed by accident, to say nothing of another possible alternative, suicide?" Soames was becoming restive. For the life of him he could not see why he should not tell his story as it presented itself to his own mind. Well, sir," he said, " I could hardly »ssume any think of that sort, because Sir Robert was shot in the back of the neck, •nd Mr. Parker soon found the very pistol that did it."

(COPWIGHT.)

Mr. Matthews looked again at Mr. Hopkinson. " Oh, very well," he almost growled, after writing industriously for a few minutes. "I am trying to put" your evidence into legal form, and 1 shall react the text to you afterwards. Then, before you sign, you may make any corrections I you think fit, provided, that is, they are f permissible. However, as you have menj tioned a weapon, it will save time if I ask whether you recognised it?" " 1 did, sir straight off." " You had seem it previously ? " " Yes. sir. 1 cleaned it for Miss Joan nearly twelve months ago." " Did shf, seek your assistance?" " Well. I oftere.l to help. She bought it, among some other odds and ends, at ft sale in Ilvoitoji. Itv was very dirty, and no one dreamed that it could be so valuable. The gold inlay was black with grease antl soot — ' " Soot 9 ' "Yes, sir. It must have been hidden in a chimnev for years an' years." "Ah ! A pistol with a history, perhaps. Do you know what became of it? Was it put away in the court out of sight? " No, sir. Miss Joan gave it, to her brother He wouldn't handle any ordinary gun, but he took a fancy to this thing as an antique, and because of the fine work it showed." " Tho gift was made quite openly, then ?" "Oh, yes, sir. I packed it for Mr. Anthony." " Was he going away ?" " Only to Oxford, for his last term, S ' r " Was it tested at that time—loaded and fired, I mean ?" " No, sir." The witness hesitated perceptibly over this denial, but the coroner seemed to pay no heed. Did you ever see the pistol again until Wednesday night?" " No, sir.' r "You said a little while ago that you heard nothing in the nature of a gunshot during the evening. Do you repeat that ?" "Of course, sir. If I had heard anything of the sort I would have run to the dining room, and then—" " That will do. One more question. When did you next see Miss Burke aftor her uncle's death ?" " When she came back in Mr. Hornby's car, at a few minutes past ten." " That is as far as I purpose taking this witness to-day," saifl the coroner, addressing Mr. Hopkinson. " I suggest that, unless absolutely necessary to prevent public misapprehension in some important particular, there should be nothing now in tho way of cross-examination." Joan's solicitor was not quite in agreement. "Miss Burke's name has been stressed, I shall not say intentionally, by Soames in his evidence"," he explained. " May I ask the witness if he was present when Miss Burke saw the pistol after her return to the house on Wednesday night?" " No, sir," put in Soames instantly, " but I heard that she told all she knew about it, just, as I did." A ripple of amusement ran through the Court. Even the coroner unbent. " You have scored your point, Mr. Hopkinson," he said, with a professional smile. Then Soames left the witness-box, wondering, perhaps, why his testimony had been cut short, but by no means displeased by the showing he had made. " Joan Burke," was called. Joan walked steadily to the stand, a small railed platform, took the oath and faced the court with composure. Mr. Matthews tried at once to render the ordeal a. simple one. "I think," he said, "that if you repeat substantially what you told Mr. Grainger on Wednesday night it will cover the ground sufficiently for tho time being." Joan began at once. Evidently the superintendent was comparing her statement with a written version prepared in his office. Rut there was no variation. The girl was sure of her facts, and gave them now in the same form, though with greater clearness. She alluded to Mr. North, and smiled-at him. She expressed her gratitude to Lawson, and smiled at him She said that Mr. Grainger and Dr. Yates had been most kind and considerate, and added her great indebtednses to Mr. Hornby for his support at a very trying moment. She accepted the butler's version of the pistol incident, and had virtually forgotten its existence until it was shown to her by the police. When she had made an end, the coroner explained matters to the jury. " You know now why I am holding this inquiry into the two deaths jointly to-day," he said. " This witness' evidence connects them. Tho * sequence of events is unbroken. Pray do not misunderstand mo. We have no knowledge yet as to where, the responsibility for Sir Robert Manning's death lies. A witness, Mr, Richard de Courcy Lawson, a London estate agent, who "happened to be in Ilverton on business that day, will tell you how . Mr. Anthony Burke met with a fatal accident, and Dr. Yates will describe "the injuries sustained by both men. That will complete the record until tho adjourned inquest. Will Mr.—" Superintendent Grainger sprang up. He was in such a hurry that nis great bulk shook tlie table around which the persons mainly concerned in the tragedy were grouped. " Beg pardon, sir," he said officially gruff, but really somewhat excited. " I want particularly to ask the witness a few questions now." " Certainly, if you think it advisable," agreed tho coroner, though it was plain enough that he was not in accord with the request. Grainger did not hesitate at all. " Casting your mind hack to the time when you gave the pistol-to your brother, Miss Burke,' did you then form any opinion as to why he wanted it ?" he inquired. " Oh, yes. Tony was always hard up. I imagined he thought ho could sell it in Oxford or London for a good, round sum." That was by no means tho desired answer, but the superintendent was a doeped fellow. " Did he ever mention it to you again ?" " No." " You were with him in the drawing room before dinner on Wednesday, I believe ?" ' Yes. We all met there. I mean that , my uncle and Tony shook hands there, not having seen each other earlier." "They were quite friendly?" " Well, in a way. Tony was nervous, und uncle was a trifle stiff. I am sure he believed that Tony had come down from London to borrow money." Your brother was in evening dress?" " Yes— a dinner jacket." You three went into the dining room locether ?" " Yes." And sat down at. once?" " Naturally." " Now, Miss Burke, was it possible, or reasonably practicable, let us say, that your brother could have concealed so large a weapon in his clothing?" It was quite impossible." " Would you have noticed it if it were hidden in some way under an arm inside the jacket?" " f could hardly have failed. Now that you mention it, Tony searched his breast pocket during dinner for a theatre programme, which he thought was there. We were discussing the cost of a play produced on Tuesday. You remember that, don't you, Soames?" , " Yes, miss, perfectly," grinned the butler. " Dear, dear!" muttered Mr. Matthews. . " Why are not young people taught in school some of thfe underlying principles of law and legal procedure ? Please, Miss Burke, listen to the questions and answer briefly, without reference to any other person's recollection in the matter." (To be continued daily.)