The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-23

AIiu lSU [ IL true SHOUIeQ lne OAA~ trict Attorney. suddenly leaning for ward and fairly hurling his words g. the witness, isn't it true that when you came in you saw Miss Page threaten Mir. Pollock with this re- volver?'
 He caught up the weapon as he spoke and thrust it under her eyes. The maid, with a quivering little scream of horror shrank back amid murmur of sympathy from the crowd. She could not speak
 Isn't it true?" persisted the prose- cutor harshly. Answer my question or tell us just what you did see when you came into the theater upon your return from the errand.' Bursting into a storm of tears, Janet flung out her arms in a wild gesture
 Tt is true" she sobbed. "Mees Page. my mademoiselle. she was standing and she had ze revolver-pointed at Mir Pollock-and he-he-ran out of ze room."
 At the words. Mary, whose hands had been twitching nervously through out the maids testimony rose to her feet with little gasping cry as if she would speak; but before the words came she swung suddenly about and crumpled into a little heap on the floor.
 : In an instant the whole room was on it's feet, surging forward toward the dock, and the sobs of the maid were echoed by more than one woman among the spectators where sympathy for the time ran high, though the ) pendulum swayed back when someone said shrilly with a derisive laugh: She's good actress. is Mary Page!" ! I,,+ ind tf,a citement and the dire threat back of } his curt words that unless there was 3 order in the court he would clear the room, was like oil upon the troubled . waters of the sea of onlookers, and they sat in hushed silence as Mrs. Page and Langdon knelt beside the uncon- scious form of the slim young prisoner. bathing her temples and chafing her wrists until the momentary respite of nullity forsook her and she opened her eyes to the suffering of reality.
 At the sight of the fear on both Langdon's and her mothers face, how ever, she struggled bravely to regain her self-control, and when the clerk called the next witness, she was again in her chair Very white and wan, but erect her pallid lips set firmly to hold back the threatening tides of emotion and weariness that were sweeping over her.
 The drumming in her ears and the little waves of nausea that are the aftermath of fainting fit made events blurred to her for a little time, and it was with a start of surprise that she -- recognized in the new witness her
 erstwhile leading man.
 The mere sight of his graceful figure
 and his boyish face; that handsome
 juvenile expression that was his stock
 in trade brought a flood of memories surging over her. and the shocked pity in his eyes made her realize keenly the difference that lay between Mary Page the prisoner-and Mary Page the star.
 His testimony was to a great extent a repetition of what had gone before. He had been at the banquet; had seen the boy bring the message to Miss Page and had bidden her good night when she left. A few minutes later the sound of the shot had taken him down the hall with the others and into the room where Pollock and Mary lay-the one dead-the other uncon- scious.
 Tt was I who first urged that somc- one call the police," he said in his we'll - trained, youthful voice. q would have ', gone myself but I wanted to be sure , first whether I could be of service to IF Miss Page"
 f Was that the reason you refused to leave the room when ordered to do so ;. by Detective Farley?" The prose cutor's voice was dry.
 q resented his tone sir" answered V the young actor. And besides" flush s ing. T was her leading man and felt | hot fz IxN , her rather than that a lot of strangers = should hang about
 An involuntary smile crossed Lang don's lips, but they grew grave again at the next question. - After your election by Detective = Farley and MT. Langdon did you leave ' the hotel?"
 " NO, sir. I waited In the hallway in if case I was wanted" a Did you re-enter the room?" a 'Yes sir-not immediately, but when a I heard confusion of voices following d the re-entry of the house detective e and MT. Langdon."
 e Could you hear what was said?"
 The actor flushed and hesitated. and :, then answered slowly: & II Yes. sir-in part.''
 Will you please repeat what part . you near0!
 e T heard Mr. Langdon say But good God, there's only one door; she must be some place in here and the de- tective said, Well, she's not-you can 4 see that Then MT. Langdon said, There's the window-perhaps she's t out there I'll see.' And his voice sounded queer and excited as if he | were frightened. and the detective said, 'No-nothing doing on that, sr-just remember, MT. Langdon, that as yet u I've no way of knowing whether that q shot was fired before or after you II entered this room!" Did MT. Langdon reply?" II Yes; he said, You damn fool, what z do you mean? But just then the r police came up and ran in, and I went T on in with them, and the detective shouted, Some of you go down that escape and hunt for girl in an 't evening gown without either cloak ar y hat-and one of you keep your eye 'e on this man Langdon-he was either in e this room or at the door when David e Pollock was murderedi'"
 (To be continued)
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