The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-28
The Strange Case OF
Mary Page
Continued from Mondays Banner)

| -aHu WAS IL your uaDlt, the prose
cutor's voice was satirically mocking
was it your habit, Miss Page, to at
tend banquets with a revolver in your
handbag;"
Mary flushed angrlly.
THE revolver was lying on my dress
inS-table at the theater," she said, "anL
l put it into my bag intending to give
it to Mr. Langdon, butt forgot it,
1T was an unfortunate loss of mem
DRY for Mr.. Pollock" said the attorney
dryly, with a glance at the jury. Their
he abruptly waved the witness away
as though it would be waste of time
TO question her further Langdon halt
| ed her
"Will you explain to the court he
| cried, "how that revolver came into
your possession. Miss Page"
Gaining courage ut his tone, and the
| smile that accompanied his words
Mary turned toward the jury and in
that beautiful moduated voice that
| had held so many audiences spell
| bound. she told rapidly, but in detail
| the story OF Pollock's visit to her dress.
ing-room on the afternoon of that ia
tai day. She faltered a little over tue
recital of his abrupt proposal and wo-
man-like, put in the world-old apology
for his brutality by the simple state.
ment:
"He was drunk. you know"
Then, wildly, her slender hands ges
turing and her voice rising with poisn
ant memories ana pride Of Langdon
she told of the latter's entry in re
Spouse TO her screams and of his bat
tie with Pollock. Tensely silent but
with every nerve alert, the crowd lis
tened as she described how Pollock
had pulled the revolver ont of his peck
ct only to drop it.
'IIe tried to pick it up again" she
said, unconsciously yisualizing for thcm
the picture of The struggling men, but
crawled close and snatched 1t up be
fore he could reach it,"
She paused. and when she would
have taken up the thread Of her story
again, iangdon's hand stopped her.
THAT is all, thank you, Miss Page
he said, and the District Attorney, sur.
prise on his face. but with new CLINT
in his eyes, gm quickly 10 his feet
81 crave tie courts permission 70
ask the witness one more question"
he said, and as the Judge waved as
sent he asked slowly, knowing the sen.
sation his question would create
Miss Pace was there anyone else
in the room at the time this struggle
was going on?'
"Not-not exactly in the room said
Mary, after an instaut's hesitation
There We're people outside the door,
and--and my maid, who had been ont.
ran in during the excitement"
as your maid Janet CT Jeanette
BeauchaDp?"
"Yty.' Mary voice was uneasy now,
and l. or eyes met the frightened ones
Of the maid. who had risen with the
apparent intention Of leaving tie room.
But before she had reached the door
the prosecutor had waved Mary from
the stand and the clerk called loudly:
Janet Beauchamp,
There was startled cry OF "Oh, mon
Dicu," and the r'renchwoman paused,
wringing her hands, the center of at
tention She made Il half movement as
IL determined to escape anyway and
defy the law. but the sight OF the po-
lice that guarded the exits and the
stern repetition Of her name brought
her reluctantly back. she murInurcd 4
little prayer ana crossed herself as she
took the oath, but the cool friendliness
Of the prosecutors voice treasured her.
Janet, how long have you been in
the employ OF Miss Pase?''
"Two-no, tree years zis season"
And was it usual for YOU to leave
the dressing-rooEl when your mistress
was getting rcaCy FOR The street,
mo. monsic;::-s,r..'
But you had lcen told to leave her
on this particular day."
Told to leave" ,lGncts voice rose
in Gallo excitement "AIais non. had
but gone to ~ petite milllner. for ze
| new fiowaires for re blue gown
who told you to go:'
Monsieur Daniels, he come in. and
| he and mademoiselle, they talk, and
! he say pourquoi could | not 60 10 get
/ re new howaires-Ze orchids. since &c
shops would not be close for one half
| hour yet. And Miss Page she say, GER
| tainment that | should go then, fol
! she could finish TO dress by herself FOL
| once
| How long were you outT'
| "Oh, je ne sails pas-I mean, l do moi
| know. Maybe fifteen. maybe twenty
minutes. come back qlicl, parcequt
| there are two kinds Of orchid at *
shop, and l want madcmoseile to sec
ZEN BOTH
And isn't il true" shouted the Dis
| trict Attorney suddenly leaning for
ward and fairly hurting his words ri
the witness. isn't it true that when
| you came in YOU saw Miss Page threat
en- Mr. Pollock with this revolver
| He caught up the weapon as he
spoke and thrust it under her eyes
The maid, with n quivering littl(
scream of horror, shrank back amid {
murmur of sympathy from the crowd
She could not speak
isn't it true:" persisted the prose