The Washington herald., 1912-11-03

And no doubt with Nj: coiling
wood'sT
"Yes: and Mr.. CollingwoodA Bu
regret to say with no result AM
you cannot help Us, Mrs. AdmastoaT
Not from the envelope, repliet
the girl.
1T Is a most peculiar handwriting.
murmured Sir John. as he turned Il
his papers again.
Nov, Mrs. Admaston," resumed Sil
Robert, soberly. remember that lettel
was in your husbands hands shortly
after ) o'clock on Mad q. Nov. vii
you please read itr'
"Out loud!" asked Peggy, innocent
ly, as she opened the single foldet
sheet Of note paper.
"Oh. no! Read it to yourself.
As her eyes met the first line Pegg,
gasped and half smothered little cry
Then suddenly she crushed the papei
TO her two hands and struck It TO hei
forehead, and there was 4 scream thai
brought every man in the audience tc
his feet.
The girl threw herself against ths
calling on the side of the box toward
the justice. Her eyes were wild snt
her face white and distorted with hof.
ror.
"Oh. my lordl My lord!" She
screamed. This is infamous-infa'
nous"
Sir Roberts powerful voice doomed
above the rising excitement.
DO you still persist in saying thai
your visit to Paris was the result oi
an accident" he thundered.
This letter." choked Peggy, hold.
ing the crumpled paper up before hei
with one hand and the other pressed
to her temple while she stared with
wild eyes. TT is a trap! A trap! l,
must be-a trap! A trap~
"Come, madame" thundered Sit
Robert. sternly. why this hypocrit.
ical farce"
Collingwood sprang forward, quivef-
ing with rage and grief.
my lord. l protest." he cried. But
counsel seized his arm and Sir John
gently motioned him to his seat.
"You will have an opportunity later,
Mr.. Collingwood. of showing your
sympathy"
With a eonvulsivr sob. Peggy sud-
denly dropped over the railing like a
stricken flower, the letter still in her
limp fingers.
Now, madame. having read that
letter." began Sir Robert, in hard,
merciless tones But there was an in
terruption. The foreman of the jury
rose.
MY lord" he said, in a loud voice.
the jury would like to see the letter. "
The president glanced at the counsel
for the defendant
what do YOU say. Mr.. McArthur-
Mr.. Menzies?" =.
Mr.. Macarthur shrugged his Shout
ders. :.
Il can see no purpose in keeping it
out-now." he replied. gloomily.
"And mischief it might do has been
done already" added his colleague.
Il think you are right" said Sir
John, gravely. Usher, give me the
letter"
The usher stepped over and took the
crushed paper out of Peggys nerve
less fingers and the envelope of the
railing and presented them to the JUS
tice. Sir John carefully snoothed out
the document on his desk and then
looked up at the jury.
Listen. gentlemen, and l will read
it to YOU The importance of this let
ter, gentlemen" he explained, which,
as you have seen, has so terribly up
set this poor lady. is that it was clear
" written before 1890 on the morn
ing Of the 7,d of May, and was in
the hands of Mr.. Admaston before
Mrs. Admission and her friends left
England. The letter is dated May 25
and is unsigned. Well, now, in gen.
eral anonymous letters are open to
grave suspicion; but in the peculiar
circumstances of this case the fact
that it is anonymous makes no dit
ference For, If any one knew that the
respondent and the correspondent were
going to stay in Paris the night of the
23d. and knew that before they start
ed, it is difficult to exaggerate the i'm
portance of the fact. The letter reads
thus"
And TO an accompaniment of quiet
sobbing from the witness box at his
left the justice read:
"'Mrs. Admission will be staying
at Paris tonight alone with Mr..
Collingwood. They have arranged
to get separated from Lord Eller-
dine and Lady Attwill at Bou-
logne and to stay the night to-
gether at the Hotel de Tuilleries.
If Mr.. Admaston does not believe
this. let him telephone the hotel
tonight"
The silence that followed the read
ing of those few lines was an eloquent
tribute to their dramatic value.
Now, Mrs. Admaston,' Sir Rob-
erts voice broke the hush. you
still dare to repeat that until you had
the misfortune to miss the train at
Boulogne you had no intention of
spending the night in Paris with Mr..
Collingwood?"
Peggys handkerchief came down
sharply from her eyes. Her figure
stiffened. There was a Pickering light
in her eyes as she met Sir Roberts
glance. The sudden rage OF despair
had succeeded the storms of grief and
horror and shame Her outraged