Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-19

happened. OHe cSSnlHS, 90 AAAfN
sat with a relative who had come to
stay with her, Dauncey announced
| that Mr.. Stead was in the morning
| room and begged to see her. Phil
lipa Immediately went to interview
the man in whom she believed her
father to have had faithful servant.
To her he seemed the same Marshall
Stead she had always known. and
she sat down to talk to him.
And, without wasting words, the
cashier, sure they were alone, said
In low voice: -
Miss Phillipa. 1t is. in my power
to clear Sir Clinton Mannersley of
the charge of your fathers murder!
t CHAPTER Kill
/ 81, Alone, Can Save Him!"
< If some one had suddenly told
Phillipa Mannersley that her father
I scarcely have been more surprised
than she was by the cashiers an
nouncement. She stared at him with
| dilating eyes, wondering IL he had
taken leave Of his senses-if some
| strange event, some sudden illness,
had upset his mental balance.
/ But the Stead she saw sitting be-
! fore her was the Stead she had al
4 ways known-the cool, calm. i'm
| perturbable young man, scrupulously
| dressed after his quiet and almost
| Somber fashion. and evidently quite
| master of himself. And she turned
| again, as she realized the signifi-
/ cancG of the announcement which he
had made to her almost unconcern-
| edly as he might have announced
| any trivial event concerned with the
| colliery.
( IL do not understand" she fall
| tered.
The. cashier drew his chair little
nearer to hers. and spoke again in
his usual even tones and in guard
| ediy low voice.
Il will repeat what l said" he al
| most whispered. 1T is in my power
| to clear your cousin Sir Clinton on
I the charge Of"
| Phillipa raised her hand.
Don't, please!" she said. Il can't
bear to hear that mentioned. But
she paused and continued to gaze at
| him in astonishment-"but if that is
so" she continued at last, why did
| you not do so at the hearing before
the magistrates"
Stead, who never ceased to watch
her. smiled family. 1t was rarely,
as all who knew him were aware,
that he ever did smile. and when he
did the smile was inscrutable. 1t
| seemed to Phillipa that it was more
inscrutable than ever on this &C.
J casion.
1T was perhaps not in my power
to do so then" he said.
"Ah. l see," said Phillipa; you
have heard new evidence-perhaps
you have discovered some? OF
| course, You will see the solicitor and
the police at once, Mr.. Stead?"
| She was wondering why he had
not gone to police and solicitor be-
| fore, instead of coming to her. And
as If his deep-set eyes were able to
read her very thoughts, he i'm
mediately referred to what was in
her mind.
Il came to you in the first in
stance" he said.
"Yes-why particularly to me?"
she asked.
Because you are the first person
concerned" he answered
Again Phillipa gazed at him in
| blank wonder. 1t was a full minute
before she could find words.
| "I?" she exclaimed. Il think my
cousin, Sir Clinton, is the first per-
| son concerned, Mr.. Stead"
| The cashier again smiled his faint,
inscrutable smile.
| In certain sense, yes,'-he said
"in another sense. no."
| Il still fail to comprehend your
meaning" she said.
Stead, who had been smoothing the
| hat which lay on his knee, and re-.
garding it as he might have regard
ed a cat or a pet dog, suddenly look
ed at her with a penetrating gaze.
| I'm, ftn wild hot
| fore the magistrates do you think
your cousin will be acquitted?" he
asked her.
| Phillipa felt herself beginning to
be annoyed. She knew that her
father had trusted Marshall Stead,
kthat he had encouraged and helped
him, and had invited him to the
house. But she herself had always
felt a curious dislike of him, amount
ing almost to repulsion, and she had
no desire to enter any personal
arguments with him. And her tons
unconsciously assumed something of
GOODNESS and hauteur. T.,
Il do not see any necessity for
discussing that" she replied.
Pardon me-" said Stead, "but l
do. 1t Is relative to what L have to
say, Miss Mannersley. Otherwise 1
should not have asked you the ques-
tion--naturally."
Phillipa felt that he had got the
best of her there, and was none the
better pleased with herself.
In that case" she said, ives, l
do think Sir Clinton will be &C
Quilted"
Stead inclined his head as if he
had quite expected her answer.
y $50 great many people think and
say" he observed. They rely on
the evidence of the man King
Ginger King"
Il believe" said Phillipa, who was
becoming more and more displeased.
II believe that Kings evidence has
been proved to be true"
by whom?" asked Stead.
by the police" answered Phillipa.
Stead smiled. He looked around
the room, not as If searching for
possible eavesdroppers, but as
though considering something. After
a moments silence he facWi Phil
lipa again.
Miss Mannersley,' he said,
Kings evidence was false. King
was not outside the castle that night.
As a matter of fact-of truth-King,
at the time he said he was at the
castle, outside that particular window,
was poaching. And at the next
hearing Kings evidence will be re-
butted-by the two men who were
with him in Littlecote Spinney"
Phillipa stared at him with eyes in
which incredulousness struggled with
fear. But the boot prints" she
exclaimed.
These men will prove that King,
seeing light in the study window
as they passed, all three, down the
lane at the side of your grounds.