OUR NEW SERIAL THE YOUNG ARCHDUCHESS

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIII, 16 May 1922, Page 3

OUR NEW SERIAL THE YOUNG ARCHDUCHESS

(By

WILLIAM LE QUEUX

CHAPTER XVII. Colonel Ashdown’s solicitors were i very high-class, old-fashioned firm. Most of their clients were members of the aristocracy, whose estates they looked after, whose marriage settlements they arranged, whose wills they drew up. Litigation was not in their line. Except it was a big case involving some hundreds of thousands of pounds, they preferred a nice decorous Chancery action. The meaner sort of actions they handed over to other firms, actions with which they could not soil their respectable fingers. Mr Augustus Scrimble was the head of this eminent firm. A venerable, white-haired gentleman of some seventy years of age- But, although he was patriarchal in appearance, his intellect was very acute.

The terrible tragedy of his old client, Colonel Ashdown, had stirred him to the very depths. It had also moved his brother, John Scrimble, a comparative youth of sixty.

The two brothers sat in consultation. There were junior partners, promoted from managing clerks, for even the well established firm of Scrimble had to oe occasionally replenished with new blood There were junior Scrimbles, but they had no brains. They did what the intelligent clerks told them. The respective parents took little notice of them, they agreed between themselves that they were not very much blessed

in their offspring. The two brothers were sitting in consultation over the matter of Colonel Ashdown. Here was one of their most respected clients, the member of a most distinguished family, accused of the murder of his own son. And it looked a very clear case. Heaven alone knew what madness had been working in the brain of the dear old Colonel. But they knew Hugh’s record, and they could find extenuat-

ing circumstances. “He had got to the snapping point. He saw red,” said the head of the firm. His head shook a- little, agitating his snowy locks. John, almost as white as his brother, nodded in confirmation. Augustus, the elder, folded his hands over his waistcoat. “The question, my dear John, is this—the firm of Scrimbles has never been identified with regrettable incidents of this sort The dear old Colonel must be defended. Shall we hand it over to Grimwoods, who are intimately acquainted with criminal proceedings, and I daresay would handle the matter better than we could? ” John considered a. little before he spoke. It looks a little bit ike leaving him in the lurch, don’t you think? After all, it is only a matter of counsel. We can brief them as well as they, can’t we?” A clerk tapped at the door; fie brought in a card on which was inscribed the name of Mr Basil Long of the Middle Temple. Mr Long was shown in, and the senior Mr Scrimble, of the snowy locks, rose and greeted him with an old-world politeness. “ Delighted to see you, Mr Long. How can we be of service to you? Mr John, who had not quite the ready manners of his brother, beamed benignly on the youthful visitor. But he broke in with a compliment. ‘‘ I know you well by name, Mr Long—a distinguished son of a most distinguished father. From what I know of you, I am sure you will go far.”

Basil Long seated himself and gazed at these two dear old gentlemen, decaying types of the old order of legal practitioners.

“ I know, gentlemen, your time is very valuable and I do not want to trespass on it unduly. I take it you are looking after Colonel Ashdown, I mean, as regards his trial for the murder of his son? ” Augustus Scrimble fingered his sidewhiskers. “My brother and I were just discussing the very point, Mr Long. As you know, ours is a very steady, quiet busiess; we don’t often appear in the Courts, except occasionally in a big Chancery case. I was thinking of handing it over to Grimwoods.”

“Excellent people,” said Basil Long briskly. “Not quite of your standing, though, eh? I would like you to stick to the dear old Colonel. It is only a matter of counsel. Of course you will have Sir Richard Hawksley? ” John Scrimble looked up. He was ten years his brother’s junior in age.

say five years in intelligence. “ Ah, yes—Hawksley, I remember. Ten years ago he won us a very big case. A first-class man.’’ “ Quite,” agreed Basil Long readily. ‘‘He goes into every court. He is great with juries and he dominates every judge on the bench with one exception—my father. The two old gentlemen indulged in

an appreciative chuckle at this filial joke. Then the young man proceeded to explain. “ I have renewed my acquaintance with the Ashdowns quite recently. . 1 first knew them when I was a youngster. I was in the house on the night of the murder. I went down to the Colonel’s study with his wife and Miss Torella, and saw the dead body of Hugh Ashdown.” Continued in to-morrow’s Advertiser.