Young My Lord

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18041, 9 June 1930, Page 4

Young My Lord

CHAPTER LI In Court.

Ilis Lordship had taken his seat on the Bench some time before, lie was a very punctual man, and the list was a heavy one. The usher had already called “Starnthwaite versus. Maxton,” but the Judge appeared busy with some papers dealing, apparently, with cases which had been heard or—he expected or knew that something was wrong, .and was giving all the •time he could before calling on counsel to address the. Court; the Court consisting of himself, for it was a trial without a jury. : Tlie two leaders put their heads together. „,?• "What has become of your man, Middlehurst?” Lord Starnthwaite’s counsel asked. "Haven’t a notion,’’,was the reply. “He' certainly isn’t here, and we’ve hunted for him all over London." “But he is to be married to-mor-row, isn’t he” the other asked "to Lady Stella Charlton?" "I suppose so," Middlehurst, K.C., answered.' “We have made inquiries of the Marquis of Callanbrowen, Lady Stella’s father, and lie feels no alarm about it. He says they have heard from him, and that is all we could get out of him.”

■The Judge finished the papers he was dealing with and put them aside; he looked across to Mr Rupera, K.C., who was leading for the Earl of Starnthwaite, and Mr Rupert rose and at once commenced to open the case for the Earl. He went into the whole matter of the association of the latter with James Maxton; the Earl’s desire to make money for his son; the cutting of the entail; and Maxton’s advances at enormous interest. “This action is brought, my lord,” he concluded, “in order that the matter of these advances and the exorbitant interest charged may be inquired into.” The Earl was called and bore out the statements of his counsel. Maxton’s books were produced in Court, and showed that an exorbitant interest of 60 per cent, had been charged, and even more in some cases. 'lt was shown that advances charged against the Earl had never been paid him, while Maxton’s charges for "services rendered" were enormous. It disclosed a scheme of wholesale rob-, bery of the Earl. As Mr Rupert sat down the defendant’s counsel, Mr Middlehurst, whispered to him: “If Maxton had only turned up, I should never have allowed the case to go as far as this, I should have insisted on ills settling." 'Mr Middlehurst rose and addressed the Judge. “I regret I am unable to crossexamine the plaintiff, my Lord," he said. “The defendant is not present in Court, and cannot be found.” The Judge looked up from his notes. “Is he ill?” he asked.

“We can obtain no news of him whatever, my lord," was the answer; “inquiries have been made in every direction. He seems to have entirely disappeared.” Mr Rupert, K.C., the plaintiff’s counsel, rose, and said that which he had thought ail along was inevitable.: “I ask for judgment for the plaintiff, my lord, with costs." The Judge put down his pen and turned to Maxton’s counsel. “This places me in a very awkward position," he said. “Have you anything more to add, Mr Middlehurst?” ' “Nothing, unfortunately, my Lord,” the latter answered. “I am not prepared under the circumstances to carry the case any further.” There was silence for a minute or two while the Judge seemed to be making up his mind. At last he took up his pen again. “Judgment for the plaintiff with oosts," he said, “with a stay of execution for a week, to give time-for an appeal.” Mr Custance left his seat and went to Lord Starnthwaite. “I congratulate you," he said. CHAPTER LII. St. George’s, Hanover Square. For weeks past the great event of the early season, the wedding of Lady Stella Charlton to Mr. James Maxton, the millionaire financier, had been looked forward to with the keenest interest by those fortunate enough to have been invited. It was well-known that the old Marquis of Cailanbrowen’s finances, formerly in a shaky condition, had been set in order by his future son-in-law, whose generosity up to that time could never have been said to be magnificent. Now he had scattered money like water. Jewels of enormous value had been purchased for his future wife, whom he simply idolized. Nothing was too expensive or too good for her, and rumour stated that the wedding ceremony was to be on a princely scale. The old Marquis made himself a nuisance at his club by continually expatiating on James Maxton’s magnificence. “He’s cleared me up beautifully, bless him,” ,, he continually remarked, “and in return I’ve made him a present of my moors for life..” Tlise who knew those moors thought it 'providential that Maxton was no sportsman, and pitied his friends. Lady Stella was perfectly cool and collected. She had heard from Maxton on the morning after the trial, and she knew he was very busy with the law matters. The arrival of a superb string of pearls from the jeweller’s, where they had been altered to suit her whim, had put all thoughts of 'Maxton’s absence out of her mind. 'lt did not even occur to her that he had given them to her.

Nobody had lime on the morning of the wedding to read the law reports, except a junior footman who had been in the law himself in his early.years as an office boy. He read the law reports habitually, generally during breakfast. He noticed that judgment had been entered for plaintiff in “Starnthwaitc versus Maxton’ ,by default, but. considered It was no business of his, and “above his station” to mention it to “the family.”

Lady Stella moved calmly through all the maze of preparations; everything had been arranged to her satisfaction. ' The settlements had been signed;. Her father's encumbrances paid off. Siie had some of the finest pearls that money could buy. What more could a girl want? The morning slipped by and nobody in the house, had a moment’s rest from the perpetual preparations. The reception was to -be held at Ihe house in Portman Square, at the Marquis’ request;, ne did not like new tangled ideas about having wedding receptions at hotels. No; lie had an awning over the pavement and red

=SERIAL STORY^

By Colonel H. Curties.

(All rights reserved.)

carpet. That was . the style which prevailed at his own wedding.

To say that Lady Stella looked like an angel in her wedding dress would not be correct; to say that she,looked like the.reverse would likewise be incorrect. But, despite her greed for money, which had .not been satisfied, she could be a little of either at times, like other people. Certainly, in her white dress and lovely jewels, she looked superb. -“A treat" was the expression used by the junior footman when lie got back to the servants’ hall after standing ceremoniously with the other three footmen,, all in powder and silk stockings, to see her ladyship off to the church, for the Marquis was a stickler for old customs. He was fully aware that 'he was a Marquis, and as a Marquis he intended to be treated till his dying day, now that lie • had got the money. He was proud of his daughter’s beauty as'he led her up the aisle of St. George’s, Hanover Square; lie had always been proud of that beauty from her childhood. The great church was packed as full as it would hold, not only with the guests, principally members of Lady Steila’s family, for of relatives James Maxton had none that he would acknowledge. The MiJ'quis gravely and with much dignity led his daughter to the appointed place, .where a Bishop was standing ready to unite the couple. Lord Callanbrowan had commenced celebrating his daughter’s nuptials and drinking her health and her future husband’s quite early in the day, and had finished up with an excellent lunch and a big bottle of champagne. To say that in any way he was affected by these indulgences would not have been correct; he was exceedingly amiable, and bore a look of happiness on his slightly flushed face. He was too much taken up with the novelty of the situation and the great crowd, to concentrate on anything. It was therefore not to be wondered at that he did not observe that Maxton had not arrived. Lady Stella, however, had noticed it, and was holing her red lips with annoyance. Nothing nad she wished for less than to be. the first at the church. There was a great buzz of conversation among the guests and the crowd behind them, all much excited. A half hour passed and then the climax was reached and a silence fell on the great throng when the best man, a well known stockbroker, and an old friend of the bridegroom, approached the Marquis. “Where is Maxton?” he asked. “He is not here, and the Bishop is getting impatient. We have sent everywhere, but he cannot be found." (To be continued.'; *■