Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-10-24
CHAPTER ELEVEN

want her hanged. Sect"
Poirot said: what is the charge a.
xainst herr"
'She's accused of numbering a girl
called Mary Gerard, by poisoning her
with morphine hydro-chloride. You've
probably read the account of the in
quest in the papers,"
Poirot said: "And the motive?"
~Jealousy!"
"And in your opinion she didn't do
1T"
"No, of course not"
Hercule Poirot looked at him
thoughtfully for a moment or two,
then he said: "What is it exactly that
You want me to do? To investigate
this matter?"
"I want you to get her off,"
81 am not defending counsel,
mon cher"
"I'll put it more clearly: / want you
to find evidence that will enable her
counsel to get her off.
Hercule Poiro said: "You put this
a little curiously."
Peter Lord said: Because l don't
wrap it up, you mean? 1t seems SIM
pie enough to me. I want this girl ac-
quilted. I think you are the only man
who can do i'll"
"You wish me to look into the
facts? To find out the truth? To dis
cover what really happened?"
81 want you to find any facts that
will tell in her favor"
Hercule Poirot, with care and pre-
cision, lighted very tiny cigarette.
He said: "But is it not little unethi-
cal what you say there? To arrive at
the truth, yes, that always interests
me. But the truth is a two-edged
weapon. Supposing that I find facts
against the lady? Do you demand
that I suppress them?"
Peter Lord stood up. He was very
white. He said: "That's impossible!
Nothing that you could find could be
more against her than the facts are
already! They're utterly and COM
pletely damning! There's any amount
of evidence against her black and
plain for all the world to see! You
couldn't find anything that would
damn her more completely than she
is already! I'm asking you to use all
your Observation-Disclosures says
you're really ingenious-to ferret out
a loophole, a possible alternative"
Hercule Poirot said: Surely her
lawyers will do that"
Twill they?" the yong man laugh
ed scornfully. They're licked before
they start! Think it's hopeless!
They've briefed Bulmer, K. C.-the
forlorn hope man; that's a give-away
in itself! Big orator-sob stuff
stressing the prisoners youth--all
6that! But the Judge won't let him get
4, away with it. Not hope!"
Hercule Poirot said: "Supposing
she is guiIty-do you still want to get
her acquitted?"
Peter Lord said quietly: EYES,"
iHercule Poirot moved in his chair.
He saId: "You interest me ""You
had better, think, tell me the exact
facts of the case"
Haven't you read anything about
1T in the papers?"
Hercule Poirot waved a hand. "A
mention of it yes. But I'd like more
details"
Ne'Sr Lord said: cts quite simple.
.,rribly simple. This girl, Elinor
Carlisle, had just come into a place
near here-Hunterbury Hall-and
fortune from her aunt, who died in
testate. Aunt's name was Welman.
Aunt had a nephew by marriage
Roderick Welman. He was engaged to
Elinor CarlisIe-long- standing bust
ness, known each other since children.
There was a girl down at Hunter
bury: Mary Gerard, daughter of the
lodgekeeper. Old Mrs. Welman had
made a lot of fuss about her, paid for
her education, etc. Consequence IS,
girl was to outward seeming lady.
Roderick Welman, it seems, fell for
her. In consequence, engagement was
broken off.
CHOW we come to the doings. Eli
nor Carlisle put up the place for sale
and a man called Somervell bought
1t. Elinor came down to clear her
aunt's personal possessions and so on.
Mary Gerard, whose father had just
died, was clearing out the lodge. That
brings us to the morning of July 9th.
"Elinor Carlisle was staying at the
local hotel. In the street she met the