The Washington times., 1921-04-30
Just a Cousinly Salute on Rail-
road Train, Though, De-
cIares Hal Billig.


angry or fattered by the distinc-
ton.
TAKES TT As JOKE.
From across the counsel table Mrs.
stokes listened to him. and there vas
no doubt of her emotion. She was 30
amused that she stopped smiling only
to laugh softly, as though the whole
thing were rather u joke on her first
cousin once removed" as he described
himself.
But ,Biilig talked frankly and with
out apparent restaint. exchanging
repartee unhesitatingly with Herbert
c. Smyth. the Stokes, specialist at
cross-examination. Was he fond OF
Mrs. Stokes? He was. after the fash
ion OF a brother. Had he ever kissed
her? Oh. yes. All, and where?
Sudden tensity was registered In
the court room. but Billig answered,
nonchalantly:
ION a train"
Always 1T was a cousinly kiss, he
added, and it was administered only
on rare occasions. Had ne ever stro lie
into Mrs. Stokes boudoir while she
was arrayed like q lingerie litho-
graph? Not Hal. He had never viewed
the young wife any nearer negligee
than evening dress.
But Smyth pursued, how about the
time they had adjoining bungalows
in Troutdale. Colo? The boyish wit
ness conceded that the bungalows sd
Joined, with four-foot space between,
yet he had never mistaken Mrs.
Stokes for his own by accident Or
design. Not even for a chat before
retiring. Not even for that
REFRESHING WITNESS.
Billig was refreshing after the tor
tuous cross-examination Of Mrs
Stokes at Smyths banda He seemed
genuinely to regret being unable 10
give the lawyer the affirmative an
swers desired. All the testimony OF
kissing on the stairway, long walks
through the mountains and similar IN
cidents credited to him were fiction,
he said. When Smyth asked him II
Mrs. Stokes was not the prettiest
member of her family he replied:
"Oh. but you haven't seen the
others"
Shifting the scene back to the city
home of the Stokes family, Smy;h
asked the witness II there was not
an air Of hostility there when he ar
rived. Billig considered the query
and responded:
-weil. don't recall any one
throwing his hat In the air with en-
thusiasm when 1 arrived
But he denied that he had been pat
out by Stokes or that he had been
discovered In Mrs. Stokes room in un-
conventional attire- He left the
house. he said, because Stokes in
tended to remain up all night il the
visitor remained. He gave the idea
that he di dnot like to keep An old
gentleman up all night unnecessar-
lily. Mrs. Stokes was crying At the
time, he added
The cross-examifnatio4n was turn
ing up little of value, and Smyth sud
denly asked:
'If you had been intimate with
Mrs. Stokes would you admit IL here"
This was the question that gave
George Schroter. a correspondent
ranking BiIlig in years and seniority.
concern. but Billiig was
prepared.
Never having been IN that post
ton. cannot tell whether I would
admit IL or not"
ASKED SEVEN TTyIH2
with an air OF astonishment, smyth
repeated the question. bringing In
the traditional principle of gentlemen
where feminine reputation 10 involved
and all the rest OF the formula The
young man shook his head, as though
IL were all new stun to him. Seven
times Smyth put the question In val
rious forms of bluntness. but Billie
could not help him out He lacked
a nrecedeOt he exDlAined.
II he had ever been in such posii-
ton he would be able to tell some
thing about the state of his mind to-
ward publishing 1t. but in view of his
he could not answer. 1t
was a supposititious question. any
way. he said, and that settled It. SUI
preme Court Justice Finch sustained
this answer.
Well. had he ever sent Mrs. Stokes
A picture inscribed ITO My Sweet
feart?" No, never, nor to any ether
girl. Mr.. Smyth grinned widely at
the generalization, but Biilig did not
return the smile. He is to be mar
ried in Chicago shortly.
NOT A PAINFUL DIARY.
So smyth recalled Mrs. Stokes to
the stand and began anew the at
Tempt to break down her testimony,
He harried her on the subject of her
diaries. pointing out that they did
not contain details of tho time she
Injured her elbow. She showed him
rne entry on that point, and added;
You see, was not keeping
diary OF my aches and pains, but
rather a record OF what / did each
lay"
Smyth tried to show that Mrs.
stokes had been a resident of Green
uich Village at one time in her
career, but he failed even to prove
Ia tcrime on her. She had studied
music. to be sure, but she had never
,een a villager.
William Earl Dodge Stokes was
to be sim III from a heavy
,old. Martin Littleton apologized to
Justice Finch after the noon recess
or impetuous comment on adverse
The trial will be resumed
morning, when Stokes IA