GRAND SERIAL STORY. JUDGMENT.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 18, 16 July 1920, Page 5

GRAND SERIAL STORY. JUDGMENT.

The Most Amazing; St©ry Ever Penned.

FOR NEW READERS. SIR JOHN MILLBANK, a successfol, ,-,V; but stern judge, quarrels with his only son, JACK, who leaves his father's house to V fight his own way in the world; and , '' whilst serving with the Australian / § contingent, under the name of Dick Foster, he meets, and falls in love with KITTY, the adopted daughter of Sir ; John. Kowever, Sir John has arranged for her marriage with LORD HAVERHAM. In a moment oi ' "* — -despair, Kitty writes to Dick, asking him to meet her in the Blue Room at , ' Rivercourt Mansions. At the appointed hour, Lord Haverham goes to the Blue Room to write some letters, and, •Ig; unbeknown to the guests, Sir John r f, meets him there. An altercation B- arises between the two men, resulting ■ in the accidental death of Lord Havy|g| erham. Later, Dick arrives in the |g- Blue Room, is caught and accused of ■ murder, and found guilty. Whilst H passing the sentence of death, Sir - John recognises the prisoner as his |g own son Jack! -A few days later, * Sir John interviews the prisoner at 'I his private residence under escort of the warders, and tells him he will i have to serve at least three years' imm prisonment. Just as they are leav- £ ing, Dick with the assistance of Kitty jf makes his escape, and tha-t night they | decide to drive into Winnerleigh; but I the car breaks down, and they are I forced to accept the hospitality of BEAUMONT CHASE, a millio'naire. , ?:■ The following morning, Dick's host int* forms him that Sir John had called £ during the night and taken his daughter away. Dick, believing this X story, leaves that morning for Win- : j nerleigh. Kitty goes down to break- ' fast, and is cross-examined by Mr W Chase, but on his promise of assistK ance tells him the whole story. At a fabulous pric6 Mr Chase engages II the services of . MR PELHAM WEBB, a clever but unK" scrupulous detective, to find Dick FosK ter, and extracts a promise from KitB ty not to attempt to see or write to K her lover until a year has elapsed. ■ Pelham Webb discovers Dick, and unp; beknown to Beaumont Chase, takes |||. him to the latter's residence where he 1 is installed as gardener. Sir John and Kitty arrive at Beaumont Hall, and P Beaumont Chase loses no time in asking Wgt Sir John for the hand of his daughter. g| Sir John consents. That afternoon H Kitty receives news that the gardener |f is seriously injured. The concluding paragraphs of last week's instalment, reprinted to refresh reader's memories. $HrTbe point is that the man, although convicted, was innocent. Therefore, I feel justifux| in assisting him. You agree with me, Chase? Yery well, there is nothing furlher to be said." Mr'Pardon me, my lord!" said Jacob Jole smoothly, and -there was a note of vindictbjreness in his voice. "But there is just one point I consider it my duty to raise." Wt'Well," snapped Sir John impatiently. ^■"Richard Foster, my late client, did not murder Lord Haverham. That is what your Brdships asserts?" "I am quite convinced of it," said the judge shortly. hb"so am I, my lord. And yet, Lord Haverham was murdered."

The solicitor paused, and fixed his cunning eyes piercingly upon the other's face. "That we know for a fact," he said significantly. "What we don't know is who committed the deed. As solicitor to the accused I am anxious to get at the truth. Perhaps your lordship can assist me." THE CONFESSION. Some men are born fighters. However weary t-hey may be, however crushed beneath the adverse blows of Fate or circumstance, they, nevertheless, face a new attack with undaunted spirit so long as there is an ounce of strength and a spark of vitality left in them. Judge Millbank was a man of that sort. He was a disappointed man, broken in health and weary of life, but Jacob Jole's guarded sneer and veiled threat roused all the old fighting instincts in his nature. His drooping figure straightened, and he turned to the man who had addressed hira' a face of granite, in which the eyes were ak cold and ha-rd as steel. "Please repeat that," he said quietly. Mr Jole, somewhat taken aback, bechme flustered, and when he did manage to speak, said more perhaps than he intended. "I— er — my point is, my lord, that Lord Haverham was murdered by someone. In the interests of my late client and of justice, I mean to discover who that someone is The affair is not going to be hushed up, no matter how influential those persons may be who are anxious to prevent | the truth from coming to light. I have i information, and I mean to expose the real criminal. W7hat I want to khow is wbether your lordship intends to help or to hinder me?" , "You have information?" said the judge slowly. "I have!" replied the other defiantly. "Then, my man," observed the judge, "you will go at once to the police and place that information in their hands. Otherwise, I shall make it my business to compel you to do so. It is intolerable that the murderer of Lord Haverham should still b,e at large while you, for some private purpose of your own, are conceal'ing facts which may bring him to justice." Jacob Jole contrived to smile. He realised that Mr Justice Millbank would not be an easy adversary to overcome. Nevertheless, he had some good cards to play, and he was rapidly rfcovering his nerve. "I thank you, my lord," he said smoothly. "I shall certainly take your lordship's advice and communicate with the police. But-'meanwhile, my concern is with the man Richard Foster. I may require him .as a witness, and, therefore, I cannot perm:t him to be smuggled out of the country. Briefly, my lord, the matter cannot be hushed up, however much you may wish it. Foster is an escaped convict. By the world he is believed to be the murderer of Lord Haverham. He must ! be-given up to the prison authorities. Further investigations of his case can then be I made in proper and legal form. I may ! say that his detention is not likely to be • a lengthy one, for I believe that I shall be able to prove in a very short time that Lord Haverham was killed by another person whose nam'e — " "Well?" said the judge, without so much as the quiver of an eyelid. "Whose name I will -uiot mention at present," concluded Jole, with a sleek smile. "The police are in the house^' he added. "I demand that they be summoned and that man, Richard Foster, be given into their charge at once." Before Sir John Millbank could reply, Beaumont Chase intervened. "One moment," he cfrawled. "I won't deny that the reappearance of Mr Foster is J deucedly inconvenient to me, but Sir John

is right, we^don't want a scandal. The best thing is to get our friend quietly out of the country. As for your objection, Mr Jole, IJsuppose that could be removed by — er — by a reasonable money payment?" As he spoke, he smiled sweetly into the cunning, avaricious face of the solicitor. "Quite impossible," began the latter virtuously. "I — And then he paused, his attention attracted by the extraordinary behaviour of Dick. "What are you doing ?" demanded the judge sharply. Dick made no answer. And then the door- opened and a servant appeared. "There is a police officer in the house?" "said Dick. "There are several, sir." "Who is in charge?'" "Inspector Fenn, sir." "Ask Inspector Fenn to eome here at once." "Yes, sir." j Not until the servant had retired did | any of the others recover from their surprise sufficiently to make any remark. Then it was Beaumont Chase who spoke. "What the deuce do you mean by that?" he demanded. Dick stepped forward until he was within a Couple of feet of the millionaire, and looked at him squarely out of a pair of steady brown eyes. i "J will take no favours at your hands," he said .scornfully. "You are a blackguard and a cur, a low-down schemer who makes war upon women. Rather than owe my liberty to you, I would gladly spend the rest of my life in a prison-cell. You think your money makes you all-powerful, but it cannot buy me, and, thank God, it : cannot buy my dear girl either. I have brought much sorrow into her life, but I - have done one thing for her, I have saved : hu? from you. 'Phat is what I mean, ■ Beaumont Chase." At the same instant the door opened and an officer wearing the uniform of an inspector of police stepped into the room. "You are Inspector Fenn?" said Dick. "Yes, sir." "I am Richard Foster, the escaped convict, I wish to give myself up to you." The officer, without speakmg, at once stepped forward and placed his hand lightly on Dick's arm. There was a pause, during which the other occupants of the room exchanged startled glances. Jacob Jole fixed his cunning eyes on the judge. His hands opened and closed convulsively, the muscles of his face twitched, and into his weary ,eyes there came a dull, heavy look of mortal agony. And then suddenly the door opened again and Kitty herself burst into the room. She took in the scene at a glance, and flevr to the judge's side. "Daddy!" she cried frantically. "You are not- going to let them take him! Oh! you would not be so wicked!" The old man looked down at her with dull, unseeing eyes. The strain of the ordeal through which he was passing was almost more than he could bear. "Quick! Take me away," said Dick in a low voice to the officer by his side. He saw what his fat-her was suffering, and he was desperately anxious to put an end to the scene. The officer, still holding his prisoner by the arm, moved towards the door. It was then that Jacob Jole, who all this time had been watching the judge like a cat, intervened. "On,e minute, inspector," he said in a tone of suppressed excitement. "Yes, sir," said the officer, turning his head. "Are you in a position to make another arerst, should it be necessary?" Inspector Fenn looked momentarily surprised, but his face swiftly resumed its impassive, official expresslon. "Certainly, sir. I have three constables in the next room," he replied. "Have you any reason " "I have!" snapped Jole, who now having decided on his line of action, was going forward recklessly. "I have a charge to make, a very serious charge, and I shall presently call on you to make an arrest. As the arrest may be resisted, I expect you to be prepared." "You can rely, on me, sir." Very deliberately Jacob Jole produced "from his pocket a sheaf of papers which he tapped significantly. (Continued on page 6.)

JUDQf¥SEfMT. (Continued from page 5.)

"I have here evidence in support of ihe charge I am about to make. I am a solicitor, and I dc not cpeak ligutly. With a full sense of resporisibility, I make this charge. Sir J'ohn Millbank, judge of the High Court, I accuse you of the crime of murder. I assert that I am prepared to prcve that you are guilty of the very crime for whieh you condemned another. Lord Haverham met his death, not at tbe hands of an obscure soldier creeping into the house by night, he was foully murdered by one of his own distinguished guests — and you, Sir John Millbank, are the man !" For & second it seemed as though the solicitor with all his cunning had blundered and over-reached himself. His amazing preposterous accusation was on the point of falling fiat. Beaumont Chase began to laugh, and fchen quite suddenly stopped and stared at felie baron et judge. Sir John, instead of meeting the charge vsith cold contempt, staggered as though he had received a blow. His face became vivid, and he put out his hands feebly, and then with a groan he sank into a chair. "Daddy! What is the matter?" cried Kitty, cl i > • ' ;g to hiin. "The wicked man is telling lies. Oh, how can anyone bo so wicked ! Daddy, dear daddy, look at me — answer me!" Jacob Jole laughed grimly. "You will please note, officer, how the accused- receives the charge I have made -against him!" he said excitedly. "But surely, Millbank, you deny this ridiculous — — " began Beaumont Chase in amazement, when" he was interrupted by Dick. A great wave of pity swept through the young man as he held his father, once so strong, now crushed and broken, enduring indescrihable tortures at the hands of the unspeakable Jole. With a short laugh, he stepped forward into the centre of the room. "I am sorry to spoil this dramatic scene, gentlemen," he said, with a r,eckless toss of his head, "but I have had enough of this nonsense. Jole defended me at my trial, and he means well. He wants to help me, but I don't require his services any longer. The game is up. I confess all. It was I who killed Lord Haverham." (To be continued).