, 1922-11-19


and esta;es OF his murdered Incit
Lord wtnton.
Three lives had stood between fh
Lord valleys and the wealth OF his
uncle. But both Of Lord Winton's
IONS were kfle5 IN tho great war
only one. who Married an American.
ief an heir and this heir. a daughter,
was barred BY English law from in
heritance.
Then cana the murder % Lord
Vvinton and the inheritance Of The
estate by the strange. powerful and
morose Lore Valleys.
Now Go on with the Story.
CHAPTER II.
TCHE murder OF Lord Winton.
IA wise English authorities
attributed 20 me-" Lord Val
lcys continued ooolly.
They spared no effort TO
TX It uDon me. That they were un-
able 10 DO sc Is not, 1 think. attubut
abe 10 This ching which you "a
Providence.
1T is attributable rather. I think.
TO the intelligence OF my legal oun
sei and TO myself"
He looked directly at Monsieur
Jonque5ie Eis big. placid a lifted;
his voios was even and unhurried.
u am not embarrassed 20 discuss
4. monsieur he continued. when
the war 4 ended with the death OF
Lord Winton's sons, / was, by virtue
OF what you have so aDtly called
the accident OF birth next in suc
cession TO zhe title. I thought Il both
advisable and courteous TO present
myself to Lord winton and 1 went
to England for that purpose.
Lord winton was an eccentric
person As he grew older and after
the death OF his sons his eccentric
ity became more dominant. I did
not find him on his estates at Raw
enseroft; no was at this time in Lon
don IN a little old house which the
family has always owne6 in a street
toward Covent Garden.
"on the nigh. that ! called 10 see
Lord winton it was quite late. !
found him alone in the house. He
seemed disturbed TO sec me, but he
was courteous and / cannot complain
OF his welcome. He seemed. however.
not TO realize that I had crow into
a man. He seemed TO regard mo as
n queer. foreign lad to whom he
owed some obligation of hospitality.
Lord Valleys stopped. He leaned a
little forward in the chair. and his
voice ook on a firrncr note.
Monsieur no said. 81 am saying
TO you now a thing 10 which ! testi-
fled a: the English trial, and which
was not believed. Lord Winton told
me that he expected n person to call
on him within n very few minutes
and to remain for perhaps an hour !
He asked me 10 return Mt the end OF
an hour. ] got up 10 20. As 1 went
down the stairway, a hanson enter
ing the street free he Erection OF
tbs city, stopped befor. the door. The
door was closed but the sound was
clearly audible.
Lord winton. who was behinS me. |
came also down the steps, On a con
so,e IN the hall were several candles
which the servants. according 10 Gus
tom. had placed there. An idea came
TO Lori winton. for he stopped me
as my hand was on the door 10 go out.
He took VIZ one OF these candies
in a tall brass candlestick. and
touching me on the arm. handed II
TO me.
"Instead of going OUT he said.
suppose you go down into the wine
cellar. There should be some bottles
OF Burgundy OF a famous yea stored
there by your grandfather. See II
you can find them. and we shall
have a glass OF wine with our talk.
L have n great deal 10 say to you.
my nephew. Tho wine will sustain
U.S.
You will see. monsieur. that this
idea that I was merely a grown-up
lad. come to visit an ancient relative.
was quite fixed with Lord Winton.
As the servants had gone out, he was !
sending me. as though 7 were a lad
from Elton. 10 find the wine for
conversation. He gave ne the key. a
direction about the steps and doors.
He even said there was a box OF
biscuit on the d%iningroom table which
! oouic bring w. II was NIL, you sec.
monsieur. quite as though ] were an
Undergraduate from some English
public school"
The man looked down al his firm,
placid hands resting upon and OBJ
scuring tho arms OF the chair in
which he sat.
This. monsieur" he said. ais a
portion OF my evidence Wnlcn the
English criminal court refused 70 be-
lieve. It was incredibly stupldr'
Monsieur Jonauelle iooked up
sharply a. thai sentence.
1.-THE Englls. criminal court" he
said. was even more stupid than
YOU imagine. II was. as you have
said. incredibly stupid"
LORD Valleys made no comment.
There was only my word for the
statement" he said. 'I could not
prove #. and yet it was h truth"
The man was startled by Monsieur
Jonquelle's reply.
"one knew that, although one
would have been troubled 20 describe
the evidence. Il is precisely the
truth" said Monsieur JonqueIls.
Lord Valleys looked steadily at
the Project for a moment before he
spoke.
IT regret. monsieur" he said. that
you were not present in thai English
court"
me man looked down again at his
wonderful hands steel strong and
- tilt. s,nz 80 -ra1t 1ns