Evening star., 1926-11-14
. OADE, driving his little car
With his luggage strained

settled down to watch with appreCiG
tion the landscapes promise Of hay
stacks, rabbit burrows and other de
lights.
4 young man. doubled up on a
motor bicycle, suddenly shot out from
the dWindlrlg traffic. passed them
with a rapid series of explosions, ana
drew up about so wards a>ead. He
descended, leaned the hicyo against
a tree and Bstepping into ,ae road,
held out his hand. Goade brought
lis car to ktandstill. and the young
man approached. touching his hat
awkwardly.
Can I have a word with you, SIR
he begged.
Goade looked at him Curiously. He
was very pale. very thin. indifferently
almost shabbilY.. dressed. His fea-
lures We're insignificait. as was his
whole appearance.
Haven't l seen YOU before some
where" Guade inquired.
You may have seen me in the yard
or about the Cathedral Arms, sir" the
young man replied Il am the chef
there"
well. what do you want with
me?"
Just a word if you'd allow me, sir.
Could you bring your car to the side
of the road II will take a matter
OF a minute or two to say what
want to"
They were just past the tram ter
minus and at the foot of a gentle
ascent of smooth road, bordered on
either side by the gardens of pros
perous-lOoking villas. Goade did as he
was asked and stopped his engine.
Nov, what is it," he inquired
It's about Ed Thorne, sir the
Young man Confided You remember
about him" "
Il can't say that do for the mo-
ment," Goade acknowledged.
He's the young man as is TO. be
hung next Thursday week, unless the
home secretary reprleVes MN. lie
killed a man one night III the yard OF
the Cathedral Arms-hit him over the
head with a mallet."
Il remember" GOade aSSented.
What about him.
We'll he didn't Ought to be hung,
sir" the chef said earnestly. There's
been slmmat kept back in that case,
sir They made Ed out to be just
drunken brute who was jealous be-
cause Hawkins had got his job. There
was more i'll it, sir-lnOre in it than
ever came out"
al don't remember the case" Goade
confessed THAT generally means,
where | am concerned. that it was
onesided one. suppose this man
HoiIlt IlttI IL EtN yer.
He had a lawyer all right, sir, but
he wasn't no good 40 Ed, because
there was no one as could get Ed to
open his mouth"
What's your name?"
Alfred Mace. SIR
We'll, why do you come to me,
Mace" Goade inquired. His law
Yer's the only man who can do any
thing. It's too late for any outside
Interference"
It's like this. sir" Mace explained
eagerly. There's no one can say
anything against the firm Of Bulliver
& Bulliycr. They're the best lawyers
we've got in Exeter. but MI. Ernest
Bulliver, who took this case on, he's
more Of a parson than a lawyer. if
you follow me. He's as stiff and un-
bending as though he were fed on
parchment. He wasn't the sort OF
man ED was likely to cotton TO. He
Just asked Ed if he'd anything to
cay. ana Ed said no He didn't go
round trying to find out for himself
iP there wasn't something else that
might he brought forward. He just
took Eds word. and that meant prac-
ticaly no defense at all. His coun-
sci made a speech full Of long words
and argued out law cases to make the
jury believe II was a case OF man
slaughter, and he left 1t at that"
DO YOU know something about this
that no one else does?" Goade in
uuired.
Il rightly don't sir" was the
prompt admission, but l know this
much: There's summat that no one
knows, except Ed. which would make
things Took different"
COADE had intended lunching at
- TotneS. The young mans ear
neStness. however. was compelling
lie leaned back in his seat with sigh
of resignation. drew oat his pipe and
commenced to fill it.
Tell me about the case" he in
vited
1T doesn't sound much, sir" Mace
confessed. Anyway, listening to
what there was at the trial won't take
you long. Ed Thorne had been boots
at the Cathedral Arms for eight years.
and he was kind of keeping company
with the young woman who was
chambermaid there-Kitty Fields, her
name was. Ed was a lively sort of
chap. always good company and fond
of gaddinS around. He used to take
a drop occasionally, but nothing
TO harm him.
Then there was this other chap.
Hawkins. He drove the bus at the
Cathedral Arms. Well. everything
was all right until ne began to court
kitty Fields. Suddenly Ed took to
drink and got the sa X, and Hawkins
got his job. He began to take Kitty
Fields out regular, but all Of a sud
den she changed her mind-wouldn't
have anything to do with either OF
them, and said she was going out to
an aunt in Canada. She left sudden
like, and four days afterward Ed, who
had found another place but wasn't
f,t-s,, s,,fr 1,o
yard of the Cathedral Arms. swinging
that bloody hammer. He went
straight up to Hawkins. said some
thing which nobody heard. and
fetched him one..on the head that
would have killed an OK. That's all
there was to it..
W. AZ looks simple enough" !"
Goade observed I'm sorry for your
friend Mace. but. you see. bringing
that hammer in with him and walk
ing straight up to the man who had
his Job, and killing him-well, that's
murder. isn't it?'
Its murder, all right. sir" Mace
acknowledged Il amt denying that.
no more amt any OF Eds friends.
But there's what you call extenuating
circumstances. That's what you get
a reprieve for. isn't it?"
That's So" Goade aSsented, but
in this case where are they?"
The chef leaned forward. his dirty
white hands gripping the side of the
door.
''Mr. Goade. SIR" he said. Its my
belief as there were something more
In II. Ed was quiet enough after he'd
lost his job. He didn't say naught
against Hawkins. and Kitty Fields,
shed gone off But there's one thins
I'll swear. Ed had some other rea-
son for killing Hawkins. and it's that
nthar rna SOY, rs might nroYide the eX.