Loyal to the Last.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11581, 13 October 1900, Page 1 (Supplement)

Loyal to the Last.

By M. E. O MALF-N, Author of "A Fatal Silence," "A ] Daughter of the Philistines," "Neither Widow nor Wife," "'1 hoße Three," "Some Person or Persons ' Unknown," &c. I CHAPTER XXl.— Continued. i • There was no weapon to be seen, I 1 believe ?' , 3 •No ; for I searched the room tho- ' roughly. '"■ i • Where was the body lying?' 1 ' Close to the centre table and not v far from the door.* * •Did it strike yon from the murdered c woman's position that she had been attacked es 9he was trying to get to the 1 door to call for help?' 1 ' That did not strike me, bnfcifc might i have been bo— if she had turned back I afterwards.' ' c ' Was it possible she should have fal- o len and injured herself. s

'Quito impossible; first of ail from the nature of the blow, and secondly from the position of the body,' ' Why the position of the tiody V v She was lying on her back, and the' wound was on the forehead and fore-part of the head. • 4 Mightn't she have 9trnck the corner of the table ?' enquired Mr Lowrie, in cross-examination. i 'The wound would have been nar- v rower and more concentrated if so ; besideß, the body would have lain in a i different position. The blow came obviously from someone standing in front and above her — and she fell backward duad. ' But all thJ3 is conjecture, of course?' 'By co meaus. The position of the body, and the natare of the wound, enable me to be almost positive as to what I stace.' 'Almost only — you could not swear to it, I suppose ?' 'I should not like to do so, of course. Mr Lowrie glanced significantly towards the jury, to draw their attention to this fact. 'I think you ought to he able to swear to anything you put in as evidence against the prieoner,' he said with severity. 'You most remember that a human life hangs in the balance. ! The Court showed au inclination to appland ; and poor Dr. Lethbridge, who < was trying to be just and fair, looked disconcerted for a moment. Mr Lowrie ' went on with his eros —examination 1 pleasantly stimulated by the other's dis- j comfiiure. ' 'If we are to go by the position of i the body, and the nature of tha wound, 1 — another glance at the jurymen's box i — 'we may infer that the deceased lady I was struck down .by someone who was in the room with her at the time, and I was not therefore surprised and overcome suddenly. In tbat cast she would i have bad time to give an alarm.' 'Pos3ibly, ! replied Dr. Lethbridge < cautioasly. ■■""■ 'Therefore if she bad been attacked by anybody hidden behind the screen i her feet would have been to the door in 1 falling, not her head ?' 'I should say so ; but, of course, this ' is only conjecture,' answered the doctor, i with a certain malice, 'and conjectnre is < not evidence, as you said just now.' 'We take it for what it is worth — knowing its exact value now,' Mr Lowrie replied, andi dropped Dr. Leth bridge, ' being somewhat hampered by his own i limitations, it must be owned. As Dr. Letbbridge stepped down the nshor of the Court called P. C. Mills, £ who shambled into the witness-box, i saluting all round, as his wife had particularly impressed on him to mind bis manners. - ] What little he knew he was quite willing to tell, if he were let alone ; but < of course Mr Lowrie, seeing what malleable material he had in hand, did not i let him alone. Mills began by being certain it was the prisoner he bad seen t hanging round the Grange and had i pursued so dauntlessly several times ; but when Mr Lowrie bad had him in band for a minute, he was •sure of noth- v ing except that he was a miserable J mortal, and was making a corsnmmate fool of himself, •Now, you look at the prisoner well,' t said Mr Lowrie, with severity, 'and tell c us, on your oath, mind, if you ever saw him before.' j Mills hemmed and ha'ed, and hesi- j. tated, and having hesitated was lost. I He thought he was 'terrible like ' he said at last, but could not sweaf. !j 'Ju3t what I thought, 1 ,said Lowrie, with well-feigned indigation ; 'none of them can swear. It is simply disgracefoll 1 • M< When Mills stepped out of the wit- v oes9 box he felt as if he should never « bold up his woodon head again ; and yefc be had been so careful of his man- j ners too. He mopped his damp brow ] ( in the yard, and hoped he shculd never ], have that to go through again, but his c wife, who was the right sort, and de I 0 voted to her 'George,' comforted and I ancouraged him. ;, 'No one can be upsides with them lawyers,' she said. 'What does the t; Bible tell us ? After all, you an honest h man, George, and that is more than t< Lowrie can cay, for they do tell me he charges you six and eightponce if ho L 3nly say 3 'Good-morning' to yoa in the street. d

. At this stage of the proceedings the Cuirt adjourned for luncheon, and Dick, who It-lt thnfc he needed some tiling more supporting than prison fans at this trying juncture, fortified himself with mutum chops and a pint of ■ ale, and found himself all the better for his- modest indulgence. His father ha«.) been in Court all the morning, and i had felt, a certain pride in his son, in "spile of all, he bore himself so finely. Then he heard people whispering all i around him that they. belitjv«d the prisoner was innocent, and this was balm to ais troubled soul. He felt iuclined to say, 'He is innocent ; he told me so,' bat restrained himself. After all, why should they believe him ? And theu it might be embarrassing if his relationship to the prisoner were known. He sat as near tho dock as ho could, and assumed a canftfent air in order to encourage Dick, but bis heart was trembling within him all the time, and when the Court reassemhled, and Hannah Wilson was j called, every vestige of. colour left his face, and ho watched her with fascinated, imploring eyes. For he knew, as every one elae knw, that unless Mr Lowrie could sueceoi in discrediting her evidence it must needs fjang the unfortunate prisoner. Hannah was flustered and rather overcome, as D.ck had been, unJer the fire of so mmv curious eyes, hut she tried to pull herself together, and took the proper oath with suffioeut composure. •Do you remember the night of the murder?' 'Yes, my lord, sir,' — Hannah was doubtful a 9 to the rank of the counsel for the prosecution — 'I do indeed.' 'At what time did you see your mistress last ? •At half-past eight, sir, when I took np her grael.' •Was she then in her usual health' and spirits ?' 'About the same, as far as I noticed." •Take a good look at the prisoner, and tell U9 if yon have ever seen him before ?' Hannah turned her eyes upon Dick, who stood immovable, facing her, courting scrutiny rather than evading it, and said determinedly : 'Vps, I have.* 'Where?' ', 'I saw him for the first coming down the stairs at the Grange the night of t c murder.' 'At what time ?' 'About \twenty minutes past nine, I should say. It had struck the hour some little time before. 1 'Was there a lamp on the stairs ?' 'Yes, sir ; and as he passed under it I had a good view of bis face.' 'And you will swear the prisoner is the man yon saw then ?' 'Yes, I will. I remember bis light moustache.' 'And nothing else?' put in Mr Low- ' rie, with an insinuating smile which misled Hannah entirely. 'Well, there was his height.' 'But there are such heaps of tall men with light moustaches in the world, you know.' 'But some's different to anothers.' 'Of coarse. Bufc if you only went to the height, and moustache you~.might easily be misled.' 'I don't know only by that,' answered Hannah, rather testily. 'What do you take me for? 'Well, for a good sort, but rather Bet in your notions,* answered Mr Lowrie, quizzically. «A lot of us are like that.' •Speak for yourself,' said Hannah, loosening her block bonnet string, and wiping her face exhaustively. 'You do not know ever/thing.' There was a general laugh, in which Mr Lowrie joined good-naturedly. He lost his cause occasionally, but he never i lost hi*B temper. Mr Eliot and Dick Exchanged troubled glances. It seemed 1 odd to both that people should laugh when one of their fellow-creatures was ; in bucli diro suspense aud danger, 'Of course, I do not know everything.' returned Mr Lowrie, when the laughter had subsided, 'but I manage to sco a good deal. 1 'Yon did not see that,' retorted Hannah. 'No, and I am lather doubtful if you lid either, madam.'..

» 'Don't call me inadara,' returned I Hannah, irritably. 'I never was married in my life.' > 'Then the men at Lynside must be ; quite blind,' said the lawyer, gallantly. 'I ana sure vod mast have bejn very good-looking when jou were young. You are a very fine figure of a woman ev«"n now/ • ■ . Was there ever a daughter of Evo whom the serpent could not bpguile by fla'tery? Hannah smiled and bridled, hut seeing that everyone was tittering she tried to look severe. Mr Lo*rie continued affably : 'I am sore you would not tell us anything you did not believe to ba true ; but people make great mistakes sometimes, and you know what the Trent* proverb says— 'All cats , are grey at uight.' 'There was no cats about,' Hannah said, aqd wondered why everybody roared. ♦You would not have seen them, I suppose, if there had been, 1 observed Mr Lowrie, cunningly. 'It was too j dark, you know.* i 'No, it ~svas not ; I had just turned he lamp up.' 'I thought your mistress was so careful about her expenditure V •'So she was ; but I did not want to break my neck.' •Naturally.' ,Mr Lowrie left her alone for a while after this, but he lay in' wait to pounce upon her, as a cat does upon a mouse, and the Court, seeing this, wa3 in a pleasant state of expectancy. The opportunity occurred presently, and he profited by it to the fall, making Hannah so ridiculous that nothing she had to say weighed much with the jury afterwards. Still there was one piece of evidence tie could not dispose of, for Hannah would not be jeered or coaxed or argued out of her conviction that she had seen the prisoner come downstairs holding her mistress's watch and chain in her hand, and as these have been found amongst his belongings her assertion was corroborated. Dick's presence could be accounted for, his engagement to Margaret being referred to as a natural reason for his visit to the Grange : but nothing could account for his having the property of the murdered woman, and he gave no explanation himself. Mr Lowrie brought forth several witnesses from the village to prove that the late Miss Moore was always supposed, from her economical way of living, to be poor, although some thought she was foigning poverty only, and Mr Lawson, her lawyer, declared on his oath that uo living creaturo besides himself and his partner was aware of her large fortune, she having sworn them to secrecy in o^der that Bhe might the better indulge her miserly habits, >He laid great stress on this evidence to prove that Dick had no motive for murdering Miss Moore, indeed, a good motive rather for, keeping her alive ; as his fiancee's home was with her, and he being stationed at Barnwell, could eeo her every day if he liked. The last witness, called was Margaret, and as the usher of the Court called out her name you might have heard a- pin drop, so silent was the crowd. The prisoner, who was very white, shivered slightly, but he did not lift his eyes — perhaps he knew that he could not iooK upon her and keep up any semblance of composure. Once, twice, thrice the usher called, and still there was no sign of her — .to Dick's intense relicf — but presently Dr. Lethbridge stepped forward and asked to be allowed to say a few words. At the same moment he handed a paper to the judge, which was understood to be a certificate signed by himself and another doctor to the effect that Margaret was unable to appear — could not leave her bed even, without risk to her life. 'Indeed, so critical is her conditioL,' added Dr. Lothbridge, 'that we have not allowed her to know of the prisoner's arrest,' A wonderful smile broke over Dick's , white face at this, and he straightened himself like a man who was rising out of the slough of despond to the light of day again. 'Thank God !' he murmured deep down in hia heart. 'But she was subioeaaed as a wit- -

I ness for the prosecution,* the ridge i said. . ■ 'Yes, I know, my lord; bat her life i was hanging on a threa:, an } as her . doctor I was bound to forbid their de- ' livening tbe subpoena.' ' ' 'Then her evidence will have to be > taken on commission.' 'The shock would kill her, my lord.' > 'But her evidence may be of conseq uence." , '1 do not think it is. Hannah Wilson has told you that Miss Margaret Moore went into ~ the drawing-room after dn hour's absence and found the deceased lady lying there dead, and immediately .fetched the only person she could fetch—her cousin's faithful old servant.' - 'Nevertheless we shall require to take her deposition, said the judge. 'It has to be done, nnd is done in the most critical cases The young lady mast have known this would have to be, and prepared herself for tha ordeal.' 'I told yon, my lord, that the fact of the arrest bas been carefully kept from my patient, therefore she is not in any way prepared for the ordeal. 1 'It is very hnfortnnate, and I regret the necessity, Dr. Lethbridge, bnt Miss Moore is an important witness, and we can only get at some evidence through her.' •May I ask what evidence, my lord. I was present at the coroner's inquest, and I heard her distinctly swear that she saw and heard no one in the btmse the night of the murder. Surely that is sufficient.' ■ 'Sufficient for yon, I daresay,* replied the Jadgp, who thought he was being dictated to, and resented it, 'but it does not satisfy me. We are bound to have Mi«s Margaret Moore's evidence between this and the opening of the Court to-morrow.' 'On commission, my lord ?' 'Exactly, since she cannot come here herself.' / 'Then I will go back at once, and prepare her,' said Dr. Lethbridge, resignedly. 'It is a great risk, but I will do my best to minimise it.' And he bowed and stepped down.' It was too late for the Counsel for the prosecution to begin bis addresf, and so tbe Court adjourned until teu o'clock the next day, and Dr. Lethbridge rode home 'ventre a terre,' as the French say. : • He got down at his own door, gave up his horse to the groom, and went into tbe surgery, shotting- the door. 'My dear,' said his wife, putting her head in presently, 'I ordered dinner half-an-hdur earlier, I thought yon would have had such a poor lunch in Barnwei. I .' 'My love, I had a wonderful luncheon — all the luxuries of the seasoD," he answered, cheerfully. 'I shall not ke able to eat a mouthful for the next three hours, and shall not be home either. Put dinner off instead of on, ' that is a dear 1' She looked disappointed at first, but a doctor's wife is accustomed to erratic meal;', as well as a doctor's cook, and the matter was arranged. Dr. Lethbridge stayed about kn minutes in hie surgery, and then he walked briskly to tbe Graoge. Helen met him id the hall, and motioned him silently to shut the door. Then she Baid : •In spite of all our precautions, I am sure my sister knows the trial is going on, doctor.' 'What makes you think so?' 'She has talked of nothing else all day ; and just now she called me to her bedside, and said emphatically, 'He is not guilty. Cannot you make them understand that ?' 'What, did jon answer?' 'I soothed her as well as I could, and told a good many stories. I am afraid ; but I do not believe I convinced her for a moment, for just now, when I fancied she was asleep, she sat up in bed, and called out three times at the top of her voice, as if she were addressing a orowded court, 'Not guilty ! Not guilty! Not guilty!' I honestly believe that she and Dick are so entirely one that each knows what is happening to the other.' x Dr. Lothbridg", baing a rather oldfasbioned'man, Inked incredulous. 'It is not at ii| probable,' he said. •No, bnt it i-i possible,' she replied, •because it has happened. Once, when

my bioter v/a* -ia trouble, she called upon him, anil he came.' 'I expect she wrote, too,' said the matter of fact doctor. 'Not a line. You do not believe in telepathy, I suppose V *Uo, I do not,' he answered decidedly, •There are bo many strange theories and ideas prevalent nowadays, and I have rot time to look into them, so I just ignore them.' 'Bat yon do not know they are not trap.' 'I know nothing about them, 1 he arpwered frankly. 'Bat if you had time to look into them, doctor? 1 'I cannot tell what might happen tlien ; but I have not time now, even io talk.' And to explained to Helen in a few biief sentences what was impending. 'It will kill Madge,' said the girl, breaking into tears. *She shall not know,' Dr. Lethbridge ''said. 'When you have to choose between two evils you take the lesser.' 'Naturally, 1 she answered, drying her tean. 'What are you going to do ?' i 'Corae and see, 1 he said , and they j went upstairs together. ( • * » Helen returned to the drawing-room a little later and when they arrived to take Margaret's depositions she conducted them at once upstairs. Dr. , Lethbridge was sitting by the bedside, with his fingers on his patient's pulse, And motioned them to be quiet. 'Perhaps I had better question her,' | ha said. 'She ia tr ore accustomed to my voic-e,' and he bent down close to the pillow. 'What do you want to know V 'We should like her to tell us all she knows about the marder.' 'What do you know about the murder V demanded Dr. Lethbridge, in a distinct voice. There was no woid or sign from Hie pale lips. 'In she conscious V asked the inspector of police. Dr. Lethbridge shook his head. j •How long has she been like this?' 'I can hardly say. I told them in Court, if you remember, it would be useless to question her. *Yoa did not say she was unconscious, I think V 'I led them to infer that surely. But envhow it is better you should see for yourself. Doctors are snppo3ed to be too careful sometimes.' The inspector went quite close and spoke to Margaret himself, but she might have been dead for all the notice she took. He turned away impatiently. 'We might just as well have been saved the trouble of coming,' he asked, 'as she is so far gone as that.' 'It was better you should Fee for yourself,' Dr. Lethbridge responded coldly, as he conducted them to the door. When people know your business better t.han you do yourself there is only one way of convincing them, ana that is by ocolar demonstration.' TO BE CONTINUED.