Evening star., 1924-03-15
The Mystery of Lynne Court
). :. By j. S FLETCHER
Copyright lss. Company
By J. S. FLETCHER
(copyright lp22, BY Norman Remington Company.)

Gevidently a man of reserved and
Watchful nature, made no reference
TO the exceptional circumstances of
the inquiry in his remarks and direc-
tlons to the jurymen. In fact, he
appeared to cut down these remarks
| 10 their narrowest proporti pns of set
and intended purpose. Within a very
brief period the jury had viewed the
'tuary), the inquiry had begun and
the first three witnesses had been in
terrogated and disposed of. They
were the man who found Kesteven
who was fetched to him, and Noun
| tain, the butler. None Of them had
much to tell. The gardener told how
anu Wnere he found the body at ten
doctor testified that the dead man
had been killed by bullet shot
| through the brain, certainly fired at
! close quarters, and that death had
probably about five and half hours
before his examination of the body
And the butler said that he identified
the dead man as person known to
him as Mr.; John Kesteven: frequent
visitor at Lynne Court. whom he had
last seen alive and in good health
| and in company with Mr.. Maurice
Ilckell, another visitor, at a little
before II on the night preceding the
murder.
, the mere hearing of it at first hand
TO interest the listeners, official or
unoflcial. Gossip and common report
mad already made them familiar with
| tnese FACTS. The evidence of Fowler
, productive Of thrills. The valet told
how he had seen Kesteven and Tick
ell sitting and smoking and chat
tlhS, evidently in the most amicable
fashion, late at night: how he and
Mountain bad been called to the
clearing in the spinney early next
morning, and how he had found Tick
els room unoccupied and had dis
covered. Immediately afterward that
one of his masters bicycles had dis
, appeared. The inspector spoke as to
his searching of the dead mans cloth
ing; There was nothing on it, he
| said, but handkerchief and a pair
the jurymen, good, honest, stolid-
faced countrymen, breathed hard and
shook their heads when they heard
that, and Smith whispered to Hextall
that their minds were made up
already and would never be changed
Murder for the sake of robbery was
their notion, sure, certain, ineradi-
cable.
Darrell Tress stood up to give evil
dence. He was palpably nervous and
shaky, and the keen-faced, sharp
eyed legal gentleman who had come
down from London to conduct the
case on behalf of the treasury looked
at him little curiously, as If won
dering why any man should be
timorous about so simple a matter.
He purposely put two or three formal
lnterrogations to the witness in order
TO give him confidence. Then. swiftly
and surely, he came to the point with
a direct question.
You have seen the body Of the
man into the circumstances of whose
death this inquiry is being held, Mr..
Tress. I believer" he asked
II saw 1t yesterday" answered Oar
Whose body is it?" inquired the
legal gentleman sharply.
Darrell stared at his interrogator,
then at the coroner, then at the in
terrogator again.
:. "kesteven,s," he replied at last.
was John Kesteven? You say of
course so. of course, you know"
Il only know" answered Darrell
SLOWLY, that 1 knew him as John
kesteyen. That's what he called
"Who was he?"
II don't know that"
Where did he live?"
DarrelPs face frightened at that
question.
me-" he replied readily.
Where did he live before that?
Where was he living when you first
knew him ?'
Darrell shook his head.
Il don't know at ALL" he answered.
II never heard him say
"Am 1 to understand that you took
this man who called himself John
Kesteven straight into your house or
houses without knowing anything
about his antecedents?"
"Oh, well, I knew something, Of
courser'
What did you know?"
We'll. knew he was good sort
a good pal-and so on" said Darrell,
lamely. "1-you see, I didn't ask him
other, you know"
II see. And so you took him in
an absolute stranger-to be mem
Der of your family?"
mo, | didn't" growled Darrell, sud
denly showing signs of restiveness
II asked him to stop bit-and he
II see!-Now, Mr.. Tress, where and
when did you first meet John Kest-
even?"
AT a hotel at Reading-last win
ter?'
How did you meet him? Some
body introduce your
mo. 1t was when I went, alone.
to Newbury Steeplechases. / stopped
at Reading, and he was at the same
hotel. He spoke to me in the billiard
room that night, and next day we
went to the races together. We got
on very well, you know, and I asked
him to my fiat in London"
Did he tell you nothing about him