LEONORA'S LITTLE LARKS.

NZ Truth, Issue 144, 21 March 1908, Page 6

LEONORA'S LITTLE LARKS.

Was the Baby Bertie's?

At the Dunedin Police Court the other day, before Beak Widdowson, Lconore Ethel Coughlan, through the energetic Hanlon, asked Herbert Scott to show cause why he should not contribute towards the support of the illegitimate child to which she gave birth on the Ist November last. Mr Widdowson sat wearily back m his chair, and listened to the old old . story which finds so bright an analogy m the tale of the little boy who got hurt with the gun because he didn't know it was loaded. Leonore said she was now a little over sixteen years of age. She had known Bertie by sight for some years, and it was m March of 190G that he and she commenced a sweetheartin'. ; He was a pretty boy and she lilted^ 'his company' considerably 1 / He made her like him. He used to come round their house almost every day, and as she guessed the reason of his visits she gave him welcome and often accompanied him to his home. Bertie owned a numitoer of ponies thati she was' fend of riding, and they made many excursions together. -They went to the theatre, but they mot most frequently" at the D.L.F. Debating Club, where she believed they first became acquainted. Bertie al-' ways called, for hst and escorted her :to these meetings, and afterwards accompanied her home. Their intimacy gradually grew more confidential. One night he and sHS v; ere at a social m the Choral Hall, which function was. held y dn connection with D.L.F., and at a late 1 hour they started together for her home . m. Dowling-street. On -the way Bertie, not for the first time, MADE CERTAIN : REPRESENTATIONS, and . she succumbed. This was m the month of August. She was then fifteen years of 'age, and Smart , Bertie, who took certain precautions, assured her there was nothing to fear. A few days later Bertie again asked, for her favor, hut she had been .thinking over the matter, and she told him that if he dared jl?o attempt such a thing again she would tell her mother. But' Bcrtio was not discouraged. He dared, tried, and succeeded. They remained on intimate terms' after this, but nothing of any consequence -happened' till December, when, owing to Bertie's determined .representations, one night, improper conduct again took place. After this they had frequent quarrels, but sweet reconciliation invariably followed ; she never could resist Bertie, , who persisted m coming about tha house to see her, and laying fulsome adoration at her feet; \ The next date of consequence was February 17th, which was a'Suhday. She was\ at her bro-bher-in-law's house m Dowling-street, whence Scott had 1 , accompanied her, as usual. In response to a cordial invitation, .he. stayed to tea, and afterwards she obliged her sister by putting the children tp bed. jj She went into one of the bedrooms to do tlms, and Bertie went with her., 'He assisted m undressing and putting "the little cherubs' into their feeds, and then she . and' Scott, arm m arm, strolled into the front bedroom, where further impropriety took place. Next they" heard her brother-in-law coming ,m the '/front;; gate. Scott scooted through^, the s back door, and, running like' the devil, got clear . away; without anything being noticed. After this she was at Bertie's house, and again she fell. . The following month, March, she suspected that there was something wrong with her, and she spoke to Bertie about it. But Bertie's mind,, apparently, was. perfectly easy. "Pooh !" he said, "you are ' too young. Nonsense.". So she said nothing more about it; But her mother noticed her condition, and put to her one or" two disconcerting questions, with; the* result that she : learned the whole story. In June she was twice examined, 'arid the fact that she was. pregnant was . clearly established. Her mother wrote to Bertie, advising hi hi of what had happened, but Scott took no notice. During April and May her condition had not caused her any anxiety, for she took Bertie's word for . it. that she was too yekvng, and 'decided that' it was merely \her fears that conjured up possibilities ..to frighten her. When she found that there was undoubtedly Agoing to be 1 trouble", she put the matter pretty plainly to Bertie, but Bertie treated it with an easy, .unconcerned air. He let her. see all too plainly that he didn't reckon, he was m .any way responsible, and he made vague references to escorts other than himself when she was coming home from the. .D.L.F. Club; he .-also; had/'. something to say about a groom at Jeff's stables, arid certain long rides with other fellows. Altogether Bertie, , . '. • I LIKE. MOST 1..,0ty. MEAN pKXJNKS-. who teach/ »•• young girT" things and • then cast her off when the inevitable happens, imputed to her conduct that might make her appear m the light of a paragon of 'immorality. Bertie had led her astray, and she had not misconducted herself with any other person. After hearing a number of witnesses, whose evidence was merely corroborative of . Leonore's story, small man Callari opened for the defence. His client may or may not have misconducted: himself with Leo-, no re— that fact was not essential. He would show that Bertie could not be the father of the love-gift that was' troubling the plaintiff. Bertie told

his story. Nine months back from the Ist November last, he was out m the country with a school-teacher named' Ross enjoying, six weeks' holiday. He was out of town practically all February, and Leonore must have been confusing him with someone, else when she gave her evidence. Bertie want on' to make certain unhealthy allegations against Leonore. According to him, she was a very fass young lady, predisposed to leading a life that was naughty, and «when m attendance at various D.L.F. 'functions she generally contrived to have a fairly good time. The D.L.F. people were not fast, said Bertie, but there -were those amongst them who were not inclined to lose many opportunities. They should be kicked out of the Club, only they were not known ;

THEY DID NAUGHTY THINGS, but they took care not to be caught. Virtuous Bertie was subjected to a, raking cross-examination, but he] stuck to his tale, and he brought a lot of his cobbers into Court, who said that all he said was true. Beak Widdowson said the tangle fairly got him. There was big perjury somewhere, but on what side he could not say. He wished he could. He would make an example then. The case was dismissed.