THREE MEN AND A MAID.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9034, 27 February 1908, Page 2

THREE MEN AND A MAID.

By ROBERT ERASER.

[All Eights Besekyed.]

CHAPTER XIX.---Continued

"You make me out a species of Wild Horseman," broke in James.

"1 accept your words. That is that you were, particularly if, as I am ready to maintain, you rode to Allonby straight from Lam:;;ult Churchyard, leaving your cousin lying dead there, with a rapier planted in his heart." Never wa*s forensic assunlt delivered more unexpectedly in a court of law. liarriir.ge's voire was so guarded that there was not the slightest premonitory hint of this volcanic outburst. It smote every ear with the appalling effect of thunder from a summer sky. James blanched, gripped the rail convulsively, and glared at Ilardinge as though he wished to leap at his throat. A hoarse murmur of amazement ran through the assembly, which was only quelled by. Walker's angry bellow:

"Are you charging Mr James Courthope with the murder of his cousin?"

"That is not my business," said Hardinge, suddenly resuming his seat. Mr Walker strove valiantly to discredit the sensation created by the defending solicitor. He led James, word by word, through explanations of his movements on that memorable night, and brought out in bold relief the undoubted fact that, in succeeding to the Edenhurst, estate, James had only fulfilled the knowledge and expectation of all who were acquainted with Robert's wishes.

When James was about to leave the box he asked the magistrates if his presence was further required. That bewildered them somewhat, but the chairman announced that, perhaps it would be better if he did not go far away from the precincts of the court until the inquir-y was ended. He bowed politely, and darted one searching look at Mr The latter was examining a pile of papers, and biting away at his moustache. So James sat down, quite near to Marjorie, and nonchalantly wiped some dust off his fingers with a cambric pocket-handkerchief. Hannah was called. Mr Hardirge let her off easily.

"How many documents did you witness in the library of the Court?" he asked. "One, I think," she said, desperately averting her eyes from James, because this was a question that seemed to have in it some foreboding of evil.

"Are you not certain?" inquired the lawyer. "No. 1 was rather flurried, not being us?d to such things. Mr Bennett said 'Sign here' and I just did as I was told —signed one, I think." S v :e could have given no better answer. And then, like James, she received a staggering query. "Are you engaged to be married to Mr James Courthope?" There was a sudden singing in her ears. What a chance of establishing herself! Before all these people!

"Yes," she said, and the syllable had a motallic click, so dry was her throat.

"Thank you. That is all." Not a word about the letter written by Philip and addrssed by Robert, the letter which she had explained away in tears and agony before the coroner. The reaction of relief nearly made her faint. But she sank into a sat, and she wondered dully why the packed court was so obviously excited when Mr Whitaker called "Mr Bennett."

Bennett had really nothing to say which bore on the charge against Philip. Therefore, knowing a good deal of police ways, he guessed that he would be cross-examined with some ulterior object in view. The foxy eyes of experience told him that something out of the common had happened already. The very aspect of the magistrates—worthy squires who seldom dealt with crime of higher import than game trespassgave a warning of the unusual. So he braced himself for the ordeal when Hardinge rose, nor was he kept long in doubt.

"You have been the legal adviser to the Edenhurst • estate for many years, I believe?" began Hardinge. "Yes.fifteen, or thereabouts." "And you knew the property was not entailed?" "Of course."

"So Mr Robert Courthope could hand it over to whomsoever he chose?" "Yes."

"Was he of sound mind?" "I shculci bay so." "Quite fit to devise his wealth as he thought fit." "Oh, yes." "Were you not surprised, then, when he instructed you to draw up a will leaving everything he died possessed of, excepting a few legacies, to Miss Marjorie Neyland?" The wizened, parchment skin shrivelled somewhat. Bennett, small as he was, shrank visibly. The one thing he could not help doing was to glare like a basilisk at Hannah, in whose siuiilsn pallor he found proof, as he thought, of her mad folly.' That was his undoing. He was far too shrewd a lawyer to make admissions which might subsequently be used against him. But the terror of Hannah, to whom Hardingc's question came like a gun-shot, gave him an imaginary clue which he fancied would lead toward safety, and he answered, with a certain professional dryness: "That is a stupid invention." "Whose invention?" "I leave that to you." "You allude to Miss Hannah Neyland, I suppose?" "Well, yes, since names must bo given." "She told vou that?" "Yes." "Why?"j

[Published By Special Arrangement.]

(To be continued.)

"Because she wished me to help her in an ambitious project."

"What was it?" "I decline to explain myself further." "Then no such will was ever executed '{"

"Not to my knowledge." Once more Mr Winter showed his appreciation. This was a case after his own heart. How glad he was that "James" and "William" were tied together by a piece of string, and reposing, thus bound, in a cardboard box in his rooms, at Hudston. "So if such a will exists," said Mr Harding smoothly, "it was not prepared by you?" "Certainly not."

"Even though bears the signatur of your firm, and is attested by one of your clerk's?" "It is a forgery."

"Though it was signed in youspresence, and can be shown to have been in your possession?" Those words "to have been" spoke volumes. What did Hardinge know? How far had treachery gone? And who was the traitor? 5

"The whole story is a lie," said Bennett, grimly determined not to budge from the line he had mistakenly followed. He saw now that a more deadly intelligence than Hannah's had been at wcrk. His active brain car ried him out of that remote country court to the Assizes at York. He found himself facing a judge and fighting tenaciously for freedom, and he knew that every word he said now would be used against him then. Nevertheless he was in a mad fury at the manner in which he had been tricked. With unerring instinct he fastened to Inspector Winter as the prime mover in this extraordinary outcome of Philip Warren's trial. If malice could kill by a look then the deteetivcshould have died forthwith. Hardinge had no more to say. Walker, puzzled, angry, humiliated by developments for which he was utterly unprepared, asked nothing from the witness, and the court rose for luncheon.

After a whispered consultation between Mr Hardinge and the superintendent of police, Philip was told he might accompany his uncle and Marjorie. Ever ready to hold out the olive branch of reconciliation, Marjorie asked her parents to bring Hannah to the hotel where the Vicar had engaged a private room for his party, but Jonas and his wife came a few minutes later and said that Hannah was waiting outside the court to speak with Courthope when he appeared. Philip and his uncle exchanged glances but no word was spoken. They were aware of events taking place elsewhere, but they were pledged to secrecy, even where Marjorie was concerned. When the court reassembled, neither James nor Bennett was to be seen, and proceedings were delayed somewhat while the magistrates, their clerk, Mr Winter, and the legal gentlemen engaged in the case, held a consultation in a room apart When they appeared it was manifest that some unusually important decision had been arrived at. Mr Whitaker announced that he proposed to offer no further evidence against Philip, and Mr Hardinge put his client in the box to ask him a few formal questions. These tended to show that while Philip did not deny lie fought Robert Courthope for Marjorie's hand, the contest resolved itself into a harmless trial of skill, as he was by far more adept with the rapier than his adversary. He explained briefly how the loss of his ring had disconcerted him, how he kept faithfully to the compact mace with his victor, and how he had lived in Fennell's Tower for many days in absolute ignorance of the hue and cry raised for him. The chairman deemed it incumbent to lecture Philip on the folly of engaging in such a dangerous escapade, pointed out how it had unwittingly led to the perpe 1 ration of a terrible crime, and dismissed the charge., which was framed under an obsolete statute.