"LORD VALLON'S DAUGHTER,"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXX, Issue 14579, 2 June 1916, Page 7

"LORD VALLON'S DAUGHTER,"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

(By AENOLD YOEKE.) , Author of "Brought to Judgment," "The Lord, the Lady, and the Ledger," "A Komance of the Stock Ex change," etc., etc. (COPYRIGHT.)

CHAPTER XXll.—Continued.

The- horses would have got away at the iirst attempt, but for the major's new purchase. Once at the post the horse bcluived like a mad thing, plunging and rearing. A vicious kick narrowly missed Bacchante's off-fore leg. His rider appeared incapable of controlling him. Only when the starter told him that, if ho didn't look out, he would lind himseli left at the post did he make any endeavour to keep his mount in hand.

They Averc off at .last, to a beautiful start. The Drummer was first to show in front, but -was pulled back. Then I'ii.mo Hopeful Boy. Mignou, wlio had drawn the outside berth, had lost a length at the start, through inexperience. But she was third now. Almost beside her, and not half a length behind, Avas Thunderbolt. She caught the vicious look on the face of the latter V jockey. In a second she divined his object. Ho edged his horse closer and closer, but she shook Bacchante up, and the mare answered her call. Halfway (loAvu the hill sho drew- to the front, and she took the inside berth before they reached the turn. She Avas cool. She felt that Bacchante Avas going faster than she had ever gone before. But she knew the pace avouUl tell on the heavy weights, and, even had she wished, she daved not take a "breather." For something, she could not tell Avhat, was close behind her as they came round Tatteuham Corner she saw that it was Thunderbolt, his jockey riding like a. demon. Nearer and nearer he came. She was only half a length ahead now. But the colt had shot his bolt. He began to tiro. With an oath Finder! pulled his near rain, hoping to send Bacchante over the rails. Even as he did so th'O mare shout out a. length ahead, and Thunderbolt came down with a crash, his rider falling under him. A great roar went up as

Bacchante came into the straight five lengths ahead of anything. Mignon couTd hear the mare's name borne down the wind from the stands. She turned her head to look at the rest of the Held. The action was almost fatal. Bacchante stumbled. Then, in a moment, as it seeme>l to Mignon, she was riiling as it' for her life Hopeful Boy was beside her on the whip hand, and The .Drummer had slipped up on the rails. She was only a quarter of a

length to the good now. Only a neck. The Drummer grew level. Gradually he forged ahead. For an instant Mignon hesitated. .Should she use the spurs? It might Avake Bacchante up—or —it might make her refuse to try another yard. She leant forward and laid her hand lovingly on her favourite's neck. Bacchante seemed to know what was being asked of her. Slowly but surely she drew up on the leader. The two were locked together as they came up the incline, The Drummer answering every call of his rider, like the. gallant horse he was. But the weight told its inevitable tale in the last hundred yards. Inch by inch Bacchante forced her head level. A dozen strides from the chair they were neck and neck. Under the whip the millionaire's horse commenced to roll. Before his jockey could pull him together Bacchante had won by a short head.

CHAL'TKR XXI IT

.V V.ILLAIX SPLKNIUI),

For three days Salix had been lighting for his life. He had conducted his own defence. Opposed to the greatest intellects at the Bar, he had contested every inch of ground with a skill, a daring and a coolness which had extorted the admiration even of his enemies. He had, for audience, all that was foremost in rank and fame hi England. Never had that blase throng listened to rhetoric more brilliant, hearkened to reasoning more cogent, witnessed courage more audacious. When the trial opened, hardly a man i.r woman in court but regarded the issue as a foregone conclusion. After the Atiornoy-0-."'iierar» speech it seemed ridiculous to suppose that any semblance of rational defence, could be raised. Yet tho prisoner achieved the apparently impossible. Public jopinion Liradiially came round to his side. He reiterated and again the old die--luiP. lately" brought into prominence by the Lord <.'hief Justice, that it was not for him to prove his innocoiico, but lor the prosecution to prove his guilt. Me did nor. go into the witness box; with coiiMimmate skill he availed himself of bis position as his mvn counsel. IK> never, for a moment, alluded fo him<r\'i except as "the prisoner. ■' .Much had boon made, he said, of his speculalion in Vnllon's (Dili's. Well, that might or tiiiu'ht not have been a reprehensible proceeding, but it was not murder, and minder was what the prisoner was boing tried for. A button had been discovered in the dead man's rooms, and a similar one had. boon found to be missing from the prisoner's waistcoat. Would the jury send a man to his doom on the Jlimsy suggestion that only the

j.nM.i)ier hiul lost'ii. lmttun of tiiat p:iriicul;ir |iutt.<.'i'ii .' -Icwi-lrf ;<n-l uio;ioy, which li:ul bueu previously in the ueiul iiKiti "s {ioss''.-sion. !i;nl licoii irnced to tin; prisoiHT. \Vcii, whut Ihoii / The |.ri:-uiior and tin; -le:"! m;.m li:ui In-cr well known to on.';h other, thoy hf-d lui-i iiKiiiy dealings together. It was for the prosecution to prove tlj;ifc the I'i'isn.Mc; h:nl luiiic 'dv : ' H - I , " , ;"' 1 ' I .'' I-"■•■ otisly. He. siici:e';'lo(l ia yreutly shaking iiie nie'lical tesfuuoJiy. He displayed 11 l-i!.n-.-i(.«l.L;'j of poisons an i their results auilaii acquaintaiicc with anatomy that ; [i.:« c I .he exjicrts. Vet ho ue\-er lost his temper; never bullied a, wituesß; was ever courteous and smiling. He gained friends hourly. Hero was a man at bay, with his back to the wall, struggling for his existence. To one so circumstanced, much license might have l>ooll allowed, many liberties forgiven. But he took no advantage of his position. He was throughout, sereffcly calm.

Kavell. lit was the first time she had attended the trial. Only an virgent message from the prisoner, begging her to lie present, had ensured her attendance. She was not one to turn a deaf ear to the appeal of the unfortunate.

Lord Vallon sat by his wife. He had been in terror of the revelations that might be made; lest Salix should give some hint that the peer had known of liie attempt on Kavell's life and had ]<ept silent. If the fact came to light, he knew that the forgiveness which -he had sought and received from Judith would, not be extended so far. He was old berore his time, broken. Deserted by his friends, shunned by his Order, he had turned to the Avoman whom, for years, ho had treated with insult and neglect. She had not refused the pardon lie had implored.

Salix had read what was passing in Lord Vullon's mind. It would have boon easy for him to have wrecked, with a few words, the other's newfound peace. Jle disdained such ignoble vengeance. A villain he might be. He was not a- petty one. The word rang out through the dim court —'' Guilty! '' The deathlike silence which followed was broken by the Judge. lie asked if the prisoner hSRI any reason to advance why sentence should not be passed upon him. l/nrufflcd as ever the Greek stepped forward and began to speak. '■• f. have neither hope nor desire/ lie said, "that anything I may say will prevent your lordship passing upon me the sentence which, according to your law, is undoubtedly a just one. Ido not intend even to take advantage of the Criminal Appeal Act. It would be easy for me to point out many mistakes and errors made by the prosecution, particularly as regards the medical evidence. Kven. however, if I were successful in :in appeal, and allowed to go free, my life would be, from henceforth, quite useless to me. I do not feel the slightest amount of remorse, for 1 wa.s the victim of necessity. But. because 1 have killed a, man, I' should be shunned anions all so-called respectable communities. To drag out a miserable existence, while debarred from using such remarkable gifts as Mature has bestowed upon me. I take my leave of this world, then, with a smile. But it is only courteous hi a departing guest, {o leave some memento behind him, that his former hosts may oc.-.-asior.alJy think kindly of liiiu. And i'la*, the world •nay sometimes do so, [. intend to accept the opportunity offered by your lordship, to throw light on so-, oral matters how obscure. ■' ! hare been described by counsel for the prosecution as "an a r.-iuzl.ag 'ilv'euturer.' Amazing in;.' life lias certainty been, but the appivibrions epithet ' adventurer" by no means tits me. UhVss to be the last member of a family hundreds of years old; to have been bom in poverty, to have raised myself by industry and courage to a position of wealth entitles me to ihe term I shall enter into no tedious dota'ls. of my career. 1 will come to the period when I. arrived in Kngland. I had spent many of my previous years in .LV'i'sia. I had explored the country thoroughly. I hnd satisfied myself of its vast, and hitherto unsuspected wealth in minerals. \. was aide, during my residence in Teheran, to be of great service, not only to the Shah, but; to his tin/'Gvf.iinnte people. [ had fully earned the concession which was subsequently promised me, even if I had not had to pay ~a

vast sums of money, before That eouces siori was Jen'.'tlly confirmed.

(To be Continued.)

The Judge summed, up against him. His cool legal mind saw through many of the sophistries with which Salix h;ul endeavoured to surround, the issue. But even "my lord' , had been struck by the defence, and referred, in terms of highest compliment, to the prisoner's ability. And now Ainadco Salix had been led back to hear the verdict. 11 o glanced round the court, not a shade of anxiety on his face. Within a few yards of him sat Millicent, haggard and hollow-eyed. Not once had sho faltered in her attitude to the man she loved. Morning and evening, when he entered and left the dock, she had gone up to him and pressed his hand. The most callous had been touched by the devotion of this girl; Mignon was accompanied by