Silas Bennington's Money,

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10673, 20 July 1912, Page 2

Silas Bennington's Money,

OUR SERIAL.)

BY F. L. DACRE.

CHAPTER XXIII Continued

At five -o'clock Rosamund taf'peti on bis door, calling softly: "Aro you awake, dad ? Shall I bring you a cup of tea?" "S'n —no, I'll wash ar.d come downstairs. Ono look at your own bright face, girlie. There. _ you seo jvv.r !duca better I am. and 1 feel ashamed to look nt you. Arc tboic any newspapers yet?" "\ T .->h till six o'clock, dad. -The hackman who drives us promised to brin'z one. I'll have the tea. ready in t'dv minutes." She (lew downstairs again, amd was talking merrily to the landlady when ■to came .a knock ia>t the front, doo-r. Jfc v,as the man with the evening pa--,)?r. A special edition had beon semt the newsagents; the paper was brimming over with news. Tho great bank .smash, awl tho banning ton murd?r rase. Tho detectives had tracked i.bp. murderer <lowi:i ot last, and arrestp(| ,bim that day. He wa,s locked ur> a.j- Bow Street, and would be brought before the Magistrate the -nest morning. The police-court . was the. merest farce,,.and h:.-i trial would be a. short cut to the hangman. Ho Iliad inlready boon proved guilty right up to tho hilt, and had been hiding away disguised, using tho name of Ca-?tlemaiii>9.

All ibis ill© hackmari blurted out, and Rosamund was standing stockstill as though turned to stone, the naner clutched in her nerveless fingers.

CHAPTER XXIV

A DRAMATIC SURPRISE.

The nowspaper mcin were having a busv time, and under the strict surveillance of the police. OTne of the.m wore (permitted to talk to Jack D-en-nington. Jack was quite agreeable —indeed, he invited it. They had already unearthed a good deal of bisromantic life, mtul it was just -as well to be on perfectly good 'terms withthein. He didn't want Bosamund Grant's name dragged into the afi'ai; and left this to thei- , sense of honour. He wa.s one nf their own craft, .too, and the instinct of brotherhood warmed in their heart s. "Jt's a muddled ca.se altogether,"' he told them. "There never was any murder, and I was miles awav at the time." "You can prove this?" "Absolutely." "But you ran away, fearing ar- 1 rest." "Nothing of the kind. I didn't know that the man who professed to be my cousin was dead until I came back to London." "Why did you go into hiding, knowing that there was a reward for your •'apprehension?" asked the .spokesman doubtfully. "To -shield somebody very dear to me, who was too ill at the time to face tiio music. T won't sav who that person is, it will all come out in Court tomorrow. Don't make any guesses Wait, and see. My legal advisers have urged that there need not be an hour's delay in threshing it out before the examining magistrate. Wo •won't; have an adjournment, if we can prevent 'it. I j).m a busy man, and I wa-nt to be a free man to-morrow." The leading reporter .smiled, .and shook hia head. "The counsel for the prosecution is cocksure of your conviction. He'll press for your committal." "We shall knock his logs from under him," smiled Jack. "I hone so. Mr Dennimrton !*' He licaitn.tp.cl. "Your no.v business is flourishing?" "Just a healthy youngster." "There's been some talk cf a romantic'lovo. story in which you have lately figured."- . "Cut that out." Jack eyes glinted. "It's true enough, and there will Ive p, wedding soon, but you understand — for the lady's sake."

That was late in the evening, and the news was flashed to every corner of the civilised world. Among Jack's visitors was Tom Wayman. His heart was almost too full for speech, lmt he managed to abstract a pocket handkerchief from the policeman's coat before going out, and restore it to the sergeant in the office.

A letter came for Jack the next morning—just a few words :

"I shall be in court 110 matter what happens. Father is too unwell to come. Eternal love. ROSAMUND."

Jack pressed his lips to this precious little missive, and vowed that it should never leavo him while life lasted. Another interview with his lawyer, and on tine strike of twelve he was standing in the dock, in a court crowded to its utmost capacity. For one minute there was a peculiar terse silence, then a wave of sound stirred the air, as though; every person there had taken a long, deep breath at 'the same time. The magistrate was turning over a pile of motes and other .papers ; the lawyers were whispering hurriedly, one to the other, or pondering in silence isoino knotty (problem, their eyes,,half closed, their brows wrinkled. The officials .moved about with swift noiseless feet. Hundreds of eyes were fixed upon the prisoner—pitiful, curious, but none wholly indifferent. Jack glanced from one. to the other until lie saw Rosamund's pale but

Author of "Held in Bondage," "A Pliar.to.'r of the 1 Joka's Ueiress," "I'he Shadow of Ehair&. fdaughter of My it-ery," etc.

| ramaacniis fare „. t t-lio far end of ilio j court, and for a breif moment his «>rnm reeled: then |, O .waved his hand ami smiled almost joyously, and tn:no r.f the women sjun-tatora were wrought to a tremendous pitch of excitement "Order! Order ! M rang through ihp court, and after the indictment h«ul been read the counsel for the prosecution re- •, the omibodiment of pon.derousJen ruing, and absolute satisfaction v/itli .himself and all that he i„Presented. He ?tn,ted his ease in telling language, subtle emphasis, B .„d studied Retires. .Tack Pennington had inherited a million pounds from his iiinc!o in Nevada. Soon after a. claimant had turned up—the son of tho millionaire, who was believed to he dfwl. This man's claim was in con testable, and <he- had been discovered foully murdered. A pistol belonging to .Tack Ponningfcon had been ..found near the. scene of the crime. .TackPen nington had fled ; 'he had a.-.sumed another name, and dyed his hair and bearff. I lie motive wus plain, and in counsel's opinion there was not a of doubt that the murderer | stood.'in the dock. He asked tho magistrate to committ him to take hj", t i , yil nt the Canfcral-Criminal Court, j The public prosecutor sat down. TTe felt that his work had been effectively done. , He. did not 'even glance at the prisoner. -Tho magistrate asked a few questions, then Jack's counsel replied. His client wins not guilty : he would swear that he had .never seen his cowboy cousin on the date of his death. He explained his movements until his return .to London very .recently—the reason why lie did not wish to be recognised, find ether vital points, at all of wilrch tho prosecuting counsel sadly smiled. "Who is this mysterious some- J body!-" the magistrate asked. '/ He was a-mazed that eminent counsel thould talk such nonsense. Still it was the way with eminent counsel when they had something 'up their sleeves. "His own brother, sir, Grantley Renmington, the famous king's counsel." "Oh," said the -magistrate, surprised. The public prosecutor wagged h:r; head.' "Is Mr Grantley Pennington in court?" asked the magistrate. "No, 'sir; but I have a letter from his wife." "Not evidence,"• remarked tho public prosecutor. Jack's coni:-!;?] handed up Madge Pennington's letter, adding: "Grantley Pennington is at this moment on .his way to England, to stand his trial. Ho 'has with him an eye-witness ol the fight wherein Jake Murdoch lost his life. Jake Murdeek | was the aggressor, and in the struggle wins killed by a bullet intended -for Grantley Pennington. The shock .nearly cost Grantley ftemiington liis life. He- lost his memory, his nerve—everything. His doctor will give evidence, if needful." "Jake Mnrd' -k? The dead man is described as Silas Pennington—flirt cousin to Gr;v>tley and Jack Pennington," the magistrate observed. "Wrongly described, sir. Nothing bnfc a fraud from beginning to end. . We have a enhle from the New York police of yesterday's date exploding [the who': thing, .'lack Murdnck v.t.s the nephew of the rascal, Spider Webh, who engineered the villainy. The Webbs• had % previously stolen tho real child of olrj. Sila*. Penningtnn, and it died. He was induced to resurrect it, with, the idea of plunder, in the person r.f his own nephe v. By a freak of r-'ituri Jikc M-urdock had a mole on his ehoek similar to the Pcnningtens. ai'.d tliis nrat'M'ia'lv in the deception. The New York police desciibe .Take Murdoek as a. fir perado wanted for at leont two murders. ».nd a bad man through and through. Here is the cablegram. ; The magistrate rciul it, and passed it on t"> the counsel for the prosecution. He did not permit himself to appear to be interested. .Neventhelesn ho read, it through. "I /must ask for the lirisonKi-V. committal," he said wearily. "Tim is undoubtedly a case for the higher*-.; tribunal. No r>?al evidence brs hren adduced, nnd the fact of the cousin being somekedv else doesn't do ar/ay with the crime." Then ensued the inevitable wrangling between counsel, .and tho prisoner was plied with a number of questions. Following this there was a. terse silence —agonizing to almost all. The iuaai?-tra.t? was considering, w.hen a sudden stir at one of the doors disturbed him. Tie gk'tvfl across the room. Tho officer'guarding the dcor was talking .to so.me insistent poiro't. Then the insistent person was admitted, hat in hand, and fret'ly perspiring. He was breathing hard. He walked tin to th cfrort benches and apologised to the court, "Mv name is Stanley—T am Mr Grantley Pennington's lawyer." "I know yon—T know yon," snapped the magistrate. "What do you want —what have you to do with the present case?" J (To "be Cortinucci).