A DESPERATE GAME

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10128, 26 October 1910, Page 2

A DESPERATE GAME

(OUR SERIALS

By OWEN MASTERS, Author of "The Master of Tredcroft," "One Impassioned Hour," "The Deverel Heritage," "When Love Rules the Heart," "Captain Ernlyn's Bride," etc.

CQAPTER XXlX.—Continued,

"As I say," Maynard continued, "we do not know what part Mr Vanneck played, hut evidently he and Ephraim Turbutt quarrelled, and the latter was the murderer. That would account for his attack upon Constance. He knew that she was in the house at the time of the tragedy, and probably feared that she might have seen and recognized him. Thus far we have a coherent and plausible theory. What is not clear is the part that Nora Hardcastle played. She admitted him to the house and must have recognized him. Is she in his pay? ?Was she an accomplice Ronald saw her enter Turbutt's house, a fact that suggests many sinister things. And who is this Rogerson. Can he be the man who : decoyed Ronald and assisted in the j abduction of Constance? Whoever; he is he is probably a tool of Turbutt's. Nora Hardcastle's visit to him is one of the dubious phases of the case." He paused and lit a cigar. "I believe you are right," I said slowly. . "If so there is no time to be lost," he rejoined. "We must act upon that theory and act swiftly. Turbutt is evidently no ordinary criminal, but a man of daring and brains, who would not hesitate to take another's life, or two, to keep his secret. We must ''

"You!" was my greeting. ' 'How the devil did you come here?"

"I am here with a special order from the Home Office," he said. "That can always be arranged if he has influence. I am supposed now to be getting some of my money's worth for the thousand's I have contributed to the party funds." "You are getting your money r, worth," I said sardonically; "thb sight of me here, should be balm to your soul."

He was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door, and the abrupt uninvited entrance of three men, two of them in the local police, the other a clean-shaven individual in ordinary dress, with quick, alert eyes, and a manner indicating energy and decision.

"Ronald Normington?" the latter said inquiringly.

"Quite the contrary," he rejoined, "and I dare"" say you wish you had taken my. advice and my money and had gone abroad. My order says I am to see you alone," he went, '"'and the warders are finding us a room." "You must have influence," 1 returned sarcastically when we were really alone. "Does it run to getting nie out of this?/ '

I could see that his eyes were on me, and that he knew me. I stepped forward and faced him, Constance clinging to my arm, Maynard Drew on the other side.

'"I am from Scotland Yard," said the newcomer, "and I hold a warrant for your arrest." "For mine?" I asked, with wellassumed tranquility, considering the boiling maelstrom of agony and bitterness within. "On what charge?"

"It does," lie said, calmly, "and equally it runs to hanging you. It is for you to choose."

"Jamaica or the gallows?" I asked.

"For the murder of Richard Vanneck, at 'Hampstead, and I must warn you that anything you say " With a skilful rapidity that amounted almost to legerdemain, he fastened the handcuffs about my wrists. "Will be taken down and given in evidence against you," he concluded. Maynard sprang forward just too late to catch Constance, in his arms as she fell at my feet in a dead faint.

"Precisely. That is one way of putting it—Jamaica or the gallows—which ?"

"The gallows!" I responded. "You talk like a fool, and I suppose your decision is meant to be funny. But lam serious, and I have come to renew my offer of a certain income for life, provided " "I have heard it all before," I broke in wearily. "I refuse vour proposition now as I refused it' in the past. Besides, how can you aid me? If I consent, how can vou help me?"

CHAPTER XXX.

PREPARING FOR THE TRIAL,

The preliminaries of a criminal trial in England are a prolonged torture to the accused. There is no cross examination, no attempt to entrap him into an unwary admission, as there is in France, but'there is what is even worse at the time—hideous hours of waiting and silence, during w l hich he has nothing to do but watch the net- being woven meslr by mesh around him. Before the magistrates every word spoken by the witnesses is taken down upon the de-; positions, and evidence, which at the trial occupies about twenty minutes, at the preliminary examination meanders through an hour and a half' or more. i

"I can prove," he said slowlv—"I can prove that on the night of the murder you were with me at Hindhead."

"Were you at Hindhead?" I flashed back, regretting the words as soon as I had uttered them, lest they should put him on his guard. "Whether I was or wasn't does'nt matter," he calmly replied; "whether you were or not doesn't matter. I can prove that we both were."

"You mean that you will fake a false alibi?" I demanded, a trifle startled.

"Fake and falsehood are foolish words," he said, with a sinister smile. I say I can prove an alibi for you. It ail depends on you whether I come to your aid or leave you to hang." "And if I refuse?" "You will hang." "Js the case so strong against me as that?" "It will he if I take a hand in it." "H'm—l positively refuse." "But " "You will not alter my decision. I shall take my chance. If I am hanged, that will be an end to all the trouble as far as I am concerned." And thereafter I maintained a rigid silence, making no reply to his questions, taking no part in any conversation. I feared to make* a slip that might put him on his guard. I knew that my friends outside were working for me and against him. He tried me several times, urging strenuous arguments, pleading with me almost, even increasing his offer, but obtaining no reply, he left me to it at last, smiling a malevolent 1 adieu, and hiding his anger behind' a mask of tranquil carelessness. ! AVhcn he had gone, I sent word to Foster Price, the lawyer, that I wish- ] ed to see him. i

In my case I was brought before the magistrates on the day following my arrest, and was remanded for a week. An accused prisoner, not yet tried and convicted, is allowed, within reasonable limits, and under rules, to see some of his friends, and consult lawyers, and he has one or two minor privileges.

It was during the morning of the day following the remand that I received a visit from a tall, thin young fellow, with bright, restless eyes, and a long, almost hooked nose, not by any means a good-looking man, but one with an air of keenness and capacity which was immediately attractive. He was, I learned, a Mr Foster Price, a lawyer, whose services had been retained on my beI half by Maynard.

"Has he told you everything?" I asked.

"He has told me everything," was the reply. '"At least, I understood so from him. I merely want you to confirm one or two points and elucidate others. We can do nothing in the way of defence until we see what sort of a case the prosecution has. Though in any event we could hardly atempt a defence now." "You mean I should reserve my defence," I said, with a bitter smile. "You are sure I shall he committed."

CHAPTER XXXI

I NCR! M 1 NAT! NG EVIDENCE

"I fear your previous—er—misfortune would account for that," he said. "We suspect another man, it is true, but that is worth nothing to us unless we have some proof. Everything depends on the prosecution's case, and what that may he I have yet to learn."

It was very soon made clear that my previous conviction in the matter of the Coyton robbery was the strongest link in the evidence against me. Under English law, of course, previous convictions are supposed to be kept in the background in order that the jury may not be prejudiced against the prisoner; but my case was not precisely on ordinary lines, and the man who was conducting the presecution against me procured rather cleverly the insertion in the depositions that I was an ex-con-vict.

"There is one consolation," I said bitterly. "If I am convicted this time it is a hanging job, and that means that I shall be out of my miserv. I would far sooner be hanged than endure penal servitude again." "There'll neither be hanging or penal servitude, let us hope," he replied. "You have friends n-orkiti"-

(To be Continued.)

for you and working hard. Do you know your cousin's address?" "Ephraim Tur——" "No, not that one, the other one, Andrew Castermau." "I haven't the faintest idea." "Nor Nora Hardcastle's?" "Nor hers, neither." "Ah! then we must find them.!'

He stayed chatting a few minutes I longer, and then took his departure, J leaving me with a curious sense of depression that was hardly despair, though it was on the border line. I think it was the possibility—evidentally in Foster Price's eyes the probability—that I should be committed for trial, that preyed upon my mind. I dreaded utterly the stolid and unimpressionable tradesmen that would form the jury, and who would hold in my hands for me the issues of life and death. It was less that two hours after the lawyer's departure that an official came to warn me of another visitor —a certain Mr Ephraim Turbutt. I was a good deal surprised because although, as I have said, a prisoner under remand is allowed to have visitors, the authorities put every {>ossible obstacle in the way. My cousin, however, dissipated that small mystery with his first words.