A LOST CHORD

NZ Truth, Issue 1173, 24 May 1928, Page 5

A LOST CHORD

Melody Trio Change Their Tune (From "N.Z. Truth's"' Dunedin ,Rep.), Frank Allan Cotton, McDonald Stuart McKenzie and Leslie Charles Cotter have aristocratic tastes. They like music with their meals, be they ever so frugal, and when the host of. paid musicians are long abed they are not above supplying the accompaniment • themselves. A HAVEN for hungry midnight revel- ™ lers adorns the Triangle m the hub of Dunedin, and to this cosy shelter the three young men repaired early one morning last week to appease their youthful hungers which had been stimulated by a night's swot. To the plaintive strumming- of a ukelele, played by Cotton, the three approached' from North Dunedin, and while mine host was serving the savory pie and peas the three revellers treated the neighborhood to an instrumental and vocal trio. But the hour was well past midnight and the strains of their lullaby reached the ears of Constable' Round, who quickly figured that music was not generally included m the menu at the sign of the old Pot and Pan. Six times did the constable remonstrate with the carollers, beseeching them to observe the peace, but Cotton, being a persistent bird, urged the trio into again fracturing the silence of that still May morning. . Cotton had been worshipping at another shrine and was just m the form to inspire his colleagues to greater effort, unheeded by advice or remonstrance. . ■ , THE TWITCHING HOUR Thus again did their unharmonious ■warblings echo around the Triangle and the constable rudely interrupted the concert with the intimation that the performers would be heading for the Central Police Station m a few minutes. • ... It was then found that earlier m the evening the trio had been behaving m a similar manner ;in North Dunedin, where the police had advised them to cease the questionable attempts at melody-making. ■.-, .. - . The sergeant at North Dunedin let them go, Intending to bring them, up on summons. . '• But their youthful minds were unable to appreciate the value of a warning and they persisted, entertaining the residents en route until they arrived at the midnight Mecca of the hungry. \ _ Brazen and unabashed, Cotton wandered nonchalantly .: into the police, court later m the . morning, while the case was being heard against him. With a self-satisfied air he strolled across to the dock where neither the senior sergeant ; nor the magistrate could get a sensible answer from him; "Have you anything to say?" asked the magistrate, impatiently. "That's all right," rejoined Cotton. "Don't ..address the court m that fashion," bobnied the Bench. "Al-. though you seem to be of some education, you apparently have not had an education m manners." Suddenly, adopting a more penitent air, Cotton muttered that he had never been m a court before..., , .-/• For the pleasure of entertaining the neighborhood of the pie-cart, or as the police described it,, "m a disorderly manner," Cotton. was ordered to forfeit £2 to the Crown.. .-■■•■. } McKenzie and Cotter were each fined £1. . '„■/:■ ■: . ■ ' • ■•■'■• .-.

said he wasn't, as lie wasn't the father of them.

"Yes, I had another baby about twelve months ago.

"No, I haven't been with anyone else but Haley since then."

Lawyer Ongley asked many, many questions of her, hut the replies were either very vague or mere childish repetition of the suggestion contained m counsel's cross-examination. ' •

He said: "I, suppose you -knew, after your first experience, ; what would happen to you?" ,

She replied, rather ..wearily, and with an air of • absolute resignation: "ph, yes." . ■ ...- ..' ; „-..

But you were; still very fond of men? — Not very fond of them.

Do you remember a man named Lamb, who went to board at your place the same time as Haley? — Yes. .

Do you remember the afternoon they came there? — No.

Do you remember the first afternoon Lamb went into the house, you followed him into the bathroom and put your arms around him?— No, I didn't.

And if he came here and said that, it wouldn't be true? — No.

Don't you remember that shortly after they came to the house, your mother went away for three days and you spent the night with Highsted? — I didn't. •".».,

Do you remember Lamb sayingsomething to your mother about it?— He said something about it.

What did you toll your mother? — I told her I wasn't m the room.

When Haley spoke to you about it, didn't you tell him you always stayed with Highsted whilst your mother was away? — No, I didn't. In fact, we didn't' have very much to do with the gentlemen around our place.

Where were you when he called you into his room? — In the kitchen, getting the baby's bottle.

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•-■ ■ ■ . condition. Some time m April he came back to the house, saying he had lost a razor.

"I" told him to look for it and then he abused me, saying the loss of the razor was something like the loss of the ring. In the end I had to get police protection. "Infantile paralysis is the chief cause of .May's mental disposition. -"She has never been to the normal school, although for a few weeks she attended a kindergarten, but, that was ail, . . She cannot do very much for herself, except a little sewing m her own way."' t . ; . George Haley, who appeared m court to deny the charge of pater* nity, said he was a widower with three children, his wife having died . some seven years ago. -i With a man named L»amty he had secured employment on the railway deviation works at Palmerston North last year; as Mrs. Highsted's house was close to the works,- they had decided to board there. It was absolutely untrue to say that he had committed misconduct with the girl on "the first night tney arrived at the, house.

"Both Lamb and I had the wind up," declared Haley, "and neither of us would stay m the house with the gity unless somebody else was there. . •..

"The first nififht we -were-there Lamb told me that. while he was m the bathroom the girl Curtis came m very suddenly and put her arms around -his neck . . . and tried to make love to him. , We were pretty careful after that. "The -mother was home only one night a week, as she used: to go to euchre parties five nights out of the sevens ' "I know she went that often because I went with her. "Twice I saw the girl Curtis go into her father's room arid when I spoke