THE HEART OF A GIRL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3530, 22 May 1912, Page 3

THE HEART OF A GIRL.

BY HENRY FARMER

Author of “The Money-Lender,” “12a, Quiltry Street,” “Bondage,” etc. (Published by Special Arrangement.) COPYRIGHT-—ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

CHAPTER VI. Witnesses had been examined and cross-examined. Medical experts, called respectively for the defence and the prosecution, had flatly disagreed on the symptoms of the after-effects of certain narcotics. Bank clerks and officials had gone into the figuresido of the case. A famous maker of safes and strong rooms had given expert evidence. Police and detectives had gone over the old ground, but more minutely than before the magistrates. Every effort had been made to trace Roy Stannard; the description furnished by the prisoner had been more widely circulated, and the bank had offered a reward ; but the man seemed to have vanished into thin air. The defence had failed to produce a single witness to prove such a man’s presence in Hasted on the night of the crime, as apart from the prisoner’s uncorroborated statement.

The roomy assize court in the Stilchester County Hall was packed. The trial had run into a second day. Only one more witness remained to be called now before counsel for the defence and prosecution addressed the jury, the judge summed up, and the jury returned their verdict. “I now propose to put my client in the witness-box,” said counsel for the defence.

Stanmore rose from his chair in the big dock, and one of the two prison warders rose also. For a moment lie stood still, holding the ledge. Every eye followed the direction of his gaze. Those watching him saw him smile before he jerked hack his head and his mouth became set.

■ And the woman, who owed her privileged place in court to the good services of Joynson Palmer, smiled hack love, faith and courage; but her finger nails were biting into the palms of her hands, and though she smiled, her teeth were set.

Then Hilary Stanmore went into the witness-box.

The strain of the trial, and the ordeal of waiting for trial, had set marks on Stanmorc’s face. He looked older by some years, and the tension under which lie was laboring found expression in tlie tight grip of his hands on the witness-box after the taking of the oath; but there was no dejection about his outward manner. He bore himself smartly and gamely. So also with Queenic. She wished to be a source of strength and encouragement, not distraction and distress, to the man she loved. It was certainly not for the purpose of creating a sensation in court that she brought her best frock with her to Stildiester, and had taken pains with her toilette.

She had lived through the past fortnight somehow, writing and receiving letters from Hilary, going to A oile’s, where she had been compelled to smile and smile and wait upon customers as if her one dream was to gratify their every whim, and to submit to the petty persecutions of Miss Strome—field, with whom her relations were becoming more and more strained. She had staunch friends at Voile’s; but there were others who regarded her with something akin to suspicion and held aloof from her since Stanmore’s arrest.

And at home —the place., at least, called home matters were going steadily from bad to worse. Her brother Philip, though in Michael Thorne’s office now and earning twen-ty-five shillings a week, practically brought no relief to the financial strain. Lunches in the City, occasional hundreds-up at billiards and visits to music-halls, swallowed up his none to princely salary. In fact, Queenie had had .a hot altercation with him on the subject of contributing to the household expenses. It was altogether repugnant to her nature to have to niggle and haggle about money, but she had demanded of her brother that he should make some sacrifice and practise a little self-denial for their mother’s sake. To which Philip had answered sullenly that she must give a fellow time first to find his feet. Since the return from Hasted he had not smashed any more bedroom crockery, hut he had come home more than once stupid and fuddled with drink.

Mr Gordon Price had suffered more reverses, and the doctor had been in daily attendance on poor Mrs Price, more, pessimistic than ever, and had told Queenie quietly that a change and Very careful dieting were essential. Beryl was beginning to lose her fresh complexion and much of the girlish joyousness of her nature, inclined to give way to tears and petulance. Life—she told Queenie in one of these moods—was hateful arid really not worth living.

Michael Thorne had lapsed again into a money-making machine', and seemed completely absorbed in depi cssing or raising the price of copper to suit his own book. Queenie*s peace of mind was not increased when Berl told her one day that father had had a ten minutes’ private interview with

Michael, and finally emerged from it with his hat at an angle, humming a light air. Obviously a loan had been successfully negotiated, though Mr Price did not subsequently settle the wine merchant’s bill.

Queenie had come alone to Si.ilchester. Beryl might have obtained leave of absence for the, asking, but it was essential for someone to attend to the home and Mrs Price.

At Stildiester, Joynson Palmer; Stanmore’s solicitor, had proved Queenio’s good friend. Thanks to him she had seen Hilary on the eve of tiro trial, and was now accommodated with a place in court. The interview had taken place in the' presence of warders, but not through an intervening grille. Queenic had worn her best frock—home-made in her little room and watered-by secret tears—and when Hilary asked how things were at home, she had lied a white lie. Something infinitely deeper than vanity was- responsible for the donning of her best dress and pains over her toilette. There was a hush in court as counsel for the defence cleared his throat before addressing the man in- the witness box. Clearly and quietly Stanmore told the story of the outrage, practically a repetition of the statement made to the police. Counsel drew from him the record of an unblemished career, evidence of which had already been tendered by the Bank’s chairman. “Are you engaged to ho married?” asked counsel presently. “Yes.” Stanmore’s face flushed a little. Counsel looked at the jury. Here was a young man, who had risen rapidly to a position of trust, with an unblemished career, and engaged to be married. He had excellent prospects. What adequate motive had he to commit the crime of which lie was alleged to he guilty? “The date of the wedding was fixed ?” “Yes. In two months’ time.” Again counsel looked at the jury. “Just bear that in mind, gentlemen,” his whole manner implied; “when you come to consider your verdict.” Many eyes were on Queenie. Her identity was known, and one of the aitists in the Press-compound was sketching her. Her face was flushed now, and for a moment she had a desperate wrestle with tears. An instant later, however*, she was smiling at the man in the witness-box, though he blurred strangely through the mist of tears onlv just controlled.

A woman in court whispered to her neighbour that the Price girl did not seem to realise the gravity ol the situation, that liev conduct savoured of levity; in fact, she came to the conclusion that she was unbecomingly dressed for the occasion. The heroic motive prompting Queehio’s smile, her wish to cheer and not to depress the man she loved that found expression in her very toilette were lost, on this peculiarly shortsighted person.

Then counsel obtained a description of Roy Stannard. the man <u mystery, from Stanmore. Tt was identical with the description’ already furnished the police. “Before that night—tell me when you last saw your half-brother?” “Some seven years ago.”

“Under what circumstances?” “Ho had just been discharged from prison,” answered Stanmore, “after a twelve months’ sentence for obtaining money under false pretences. He wanted help for a fresh start. I did what little I could for him and he went abroad. ' Subsequently I heard of his death in San Francisco. AVe had never been on particularly good terms- Though he was my halfbrother I did not know much about him; but I helped him because I was sorrv for him.”

“What was your motive in admitting him on the night of the robbery ?”

“The same.

He looked dead-beat.’ ’

Throughout the trail counsel for the prescution had harped on the fact, and examined and cross-examined for the purpose of strengthening it, that no one had seen anyone answering Stanmore’ s description of Stannard. No witness had been produced by the defence, excepting Stanmore himself, to suggest the presence of a man answering Stanmore’s description of Roy Stannard, though according to Stanmore’s statement Stannard told him that lie had tramped to Hasted. Some believed-that there was not even a cone federate, that Stanmore had contrived tlie whole robbery single-hand-ed, even to gagging himself and tying hiinself up, though the more general belief was that Stanmore. had a confederate from whom he was trying to distract suspicion by his fiction about his half-brother. Here was a man who had tramped to Hasted in a destitute condition and not a soul had come forward who had seen him. He must have dcaprted after tlie robbery; a reward had been offered, yet ho had apparently vanished into thin air. “Now about your financial affairs,” said counsel for defence-

Stanrnore explained that he owed no money, hut had not held his position of manager sufficiently long to save much. He had been buying furnituro with a view to his approaching mai’rir ags, paying cash for some of it and arranging to pay for part on the instalment plan. He neither betted nor speculated.

Queenie was smiling again. Now hope now fear had been alternately uppermost, like a land of see-saw, during the trial. lit was hope’s turn now. Counsel for defence was bringing out every point in Stanmore’s favor. He elicited from Stanmore that since his appointment the bank’s business had been augmented considerably by.a number of new accounts. It was at this moment that distraction occurred. A note was handed

to counsel for the prosecution. Quecnio, sensitive to every detail that might affect the man she loved, knowing counsel for the prosecution to be the man whose business it was to prove Hilary guilty, watched him open it, saw him smile grimly,'and relax the attitude of concentration, noticeable during the examination, with tho air of a man who had nothing further to worry about.

Rising he became the cynosure of all eyes. Counsel for the defence, scenting danger, protested against interruption from his learned friend. 17© had hot vet finished his examination. Counsel for the prosecution stated smilingly that lie had no wish to take any unfair advantage of his learned friend. He merely wished to submit a certain communication he had received to his lordship. The not'-’ v, ! is handed to the judge. (To be continued daily.)