Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-27
THE HEART OF A
WOMAN
BARONESS ORGY
Copyright y
BARONESS ORGY


a preference for the local guardian or
peace and order As for the detective In
plain clothes, the man who wore q
peaked cap instead OF the familiar nell
met, him they hated and feared. espe-
cially since he seemed to mean mischief
for Mr.. Luke.
They gave their evidence unwillingly:
every admission had to be dragged out OF
them. once they realized that the revela-
tons Of past Quarrels between 1.-THE gen
tlemen' would not be to the detrtment OF
the dead. only. perhaps. to the undoing OF
the living.
The hours wore on YEARLY. The atmos-
phere, now surcharged with the heat from
the gas brackets, had become intolerably
oppressive. Opoponax and white hello
trope waxed faint to the nostrils. Through
the badly fitting window frame some
thing of the outward fog had penetrated
into the room. It hung about in the air.
round the gas that burned yellow and
dim through it, and obscured the far cor
ners of the place, throwing veil over the
twelve mutes in uniform overcoats with
and perspiring Journalists, whose foun-
tain pens had scraped the paper 1nces-
sanity for so long.
Hot, tired and oppressed humanity made
its warm breath felt in the close. fll-venti-
lated room. Smelling salts would not dis
pei the unpleasantly mingling odors OF
damp clothes and muddy boots. which
rose from the plebeian crowd In the rear
But nobody stirred; no one would nave
thought of leaving before the last act OF
this interesting play. The chief actor was
not on the stage for the moment, but his
presence was felt. 1t was magnetic in
its appeal to excitement. Every question
put by the coroner, every reply given py
Mountford for its aim: every word tended
toward him. his undoing, the enmeshing
of his deniaIs in the close web OF cir
cumstantial evidence.
Then q diversion occurred.
The man in the shabby clothes, who
looked like q beetle, and who had mar
shaled his companions into the court
room early in the day, was called upon
by the usher to come forward. His
strange, poorly clad figure detached itself
from the groups Immediately round him,
his long, loose limbs seeming to swing
themselves forward.
His four comprehensive three women
and the other man-were seized, appar-
emily. with great agitation and WHISPERED
eagerly among themselves. No one in the
crowd could guess why these people had
been called. They seemed SO completely
out Of the picture which had its invisible
frame in Grosvenor Square.
go on. JIM" whispered one OF the
young women, they can't do nothing to
ye.''
And the beetlelike creature shambled
forward, with arms dangling beside him.
a humble, apologize look on his care
from thirty to sixty; time and per-
petual struggle for existence had wiped
away all traces Of actual age. The cheeks
were hollow, and eyes, mouth and mus
tache had a droop, which added to the
settled melancholy Of the face.
He was obviously very nervous and
looked across at his own friends. who
strove to encourage him by signs and
whispers.
He nearly dropped the Bible when 1t
IDl <n hi nd nnA
really hear the oath which he repeated
mechanically at the usher's bidding.
At last he mustered up sufficient
amount Of courage to state his name and
address.
James Baker," he said, in answer to
the coroner's question. "Bricklayer by
trade"
"And where do you live?'
cat lat Chaplain Junction road. sir,
replied the man, scarcely above whisper.
coroner. 1.-The jury can't hear you. You
came here, I understand, prepared to
make q statement"
Eyes, sir"
The man shifted his position from one
leg to the other. Heavy beads Of per-
spiration stood out on his pallid fore
head.
Go on. Jim; don't be afeeard," came
'Silence there!' commanded the usher
II wished to say, SIR resumed the
man. trying to steady his voice, that the
deceased, whom I saw lying in the coffin
yonder. is my own son. Paul Baker, SIR"
'Your son!'
my son. SIR" asserted the man. some
what more steadily; my son, and is
mothers, as is sitting over there. My
son. Paul Baker. as left 'ome two year
ago come next Christmas. We all come
ere. sir. today, me and is mother and
Smith
ere to swear to i'm"
'Your son!"
The exclamation once more came from
the coroner. but had any one else dared,
and re-echoed by every mouth in the
courtroom, coupled with emphatic ejacu-
lations of incredulity.
It was as 1t In q new castle OF some
grim, sleeping monster magic wand had
touched every somnolent spirit. Smelling
salts and scented handkerchiefs were for
gotten; the jurymen leaned forward half
across the table, oblivious of their own
dignity. in their endeavor to obtain a
fuller view Of this wielder of the magic
wand, the beetlelike creature. with the
sad eyes and pale, hollow cheeks. Even
the reporters-accustomed to sensational
events-gave UP scribbling in order to
stare open-mouthed at the shabby figure
standing by the table.
At first, of course, the predominant SEN
sation was one of sweeping incredulity.
Coroner and jury had met here today in
this stuffy room in order to conduct an
inquiry on the death Of Philip de Mount
ford, heir presumptive to the earldom OF
Radcliffe. The crowd of fashionable and
idle gapers had pushed and jostled. in
order to hear the ugly story of how
wealth and position are fought for and in
trigued for even at the cost of crime.
And now to think that the man who
lay dead was Just a bricklayer's son! 1t
was absolutely incredible. Not till a few
moments later did the spectators realize
that II the seedy man at the table spoke
truly, then they were witnessing drama
even more poignant than that Of the origi-
nal murder: q drama Of deception and OF
fraud, and q mystery far deeper than that
which had originally confronted the SEN
sation mongers.
Strangely enough, incredulity died down.
and died down very quickly. A subtle
wave filled the murray atmosphere, COM
polling every mind to belief, long before
the mans assertions were proved to be
correct. The most Indifferent became
conscious OF an overwhelming conviction
This conviction was absolutely para
mount in the minds Of the chief actors in
the play. To them all, to Col. Harris and
to Louisa to Mr.. Dobson and the solic-
itors, the truth Of the statement was
never in question. An unerring instinct
are as unconquerable as they are over
whelming. Truth that is an absolute, un-
questionable truth. finds its way to the
mind when the latter is attuned to subtle
or psychic impressions.
And as the truth was borne in upon
these people. so did they realize the full
ness Of its meaning. the deep significance
Of it's portent.
To some Of them 1t seemed as II in q
brilliantly Illuminated world all the lights