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M
EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1920
THE MIDDLETEMPLE MURDER
A Detective btory by J. S. Fletcher
WM; !.,"' t10 KaS'c-r Co.
THIS STARTS THE STOItV
Frank Spargo, London neiospapcr
L sees two'nen peeling into the
Zn'erof an alleyway and finds there
.Ordered man. In his pocket is the
' 1 "Ronald Breton, Barrister,
Irtrt'i Bwcfc Wntk, Temple. Lon
fj Breton saps he does fioi. know
il.'nan At his hotel he registered
I'WXi Marburg.' He had one
Visitor, a well-dressed man with a
.1 heard. A man sitting next to
Wrlury white lobbying ' tho House
SrZimons tells of his excitement on
iXfanee of a tall man with a
irauleard-Stephcn Aylmorc, M. P.
Helkcepcr finds a "' '"
YZlJ-xn Marbury s room and the
.;,r testifies to having seen a num
"ifofsh "stones", on his table
hri't Aylmore's visit. Thc secrc
'm to a sale deposit company tells
.1 Marburg renting a safe and de
I'Jilginit a small leather box, but
K official examination xs made of
rt, tali -it is found to be empty. At
! Luest Aylmorc resents, the
Zslions put to him by treasury
y",(l. The porter of thc Temple
ttVs of Altmore and Marbury enter
Z,hcTPl at past 12 on the
.toll of thc tnuider. and that he has
llicn Aylmorc as Mr. Anderson for
lZmicr of years. "Is this auitc
,t," asks the counsel. "It was
true," Aylmorc admits.
AND HERE IT CONTINUES
jmRUE? Toil told me, on oath, that
Imu nartcd from Joliu Marbury on
bterlop Bridge!''
"Pflidon me, 1 sum uuju.u " ."-
rt I said that from- the Anglo-Orient
r..i.i .. ctrn pri aero", wmcriou
BrW. aurt that shortly afterward we
?.rted-I did not say where we parted.
h0 is taking everything down-a'k
hiii if that is not exactly what I said?
r.foronr'p to the stenographer proved
Ajlmorc to be right, nnd the treasury
ounsel showed plain annoyance.
"Well, at any rate, you so phrased
rour answer that nine persons out of
to would have understood that you
nirted from Marbury in the open streets
lifter crossing "Waterloo Bridge, be
nid. "Now?"
Avlmoro Fmtica.
"I am not responsible for the under
i.in(. nt nine neonle out of ten any
nore than I am for our understand -nt,"
he said, with a sneer. "I said
that I now repeat Marbury and I
rallied across Waterloo Bridge, and
bortlv afterward we parted. I told
fcoa the truth."
I "Indeed! Perhaps you will continue
lo tell us the truth. Since you have
ldmitted that the evidence or me last
'to witnesses is absolutely correct, per
ups you will tell us exactly where you
ind Marbury did part?"
"I will willingly. We parted nt
the door of my chambers in Fountain
tot."
"Then to reiterate it was you who
ook Marbury into thc Temple that
night?" , ,r
"It was certainly I who took Mar
jory into the Temple that night."
There was another murmur among
the crowded benches. Here at any
rite was fact olid, substantial fact.
And Spargo began to see a possible
-onrse of events which he had not an
ticipated. "That i a candid admission, Sir.
lAjlmore I suppose you see n certain
linger to yourself in malting it.
"I need not say whether I do or I
do not, I have made it."
very good, why did you not make
pt beforeV"
"For my own reasons. I told you
s much as I considered necessary for
ihe pupose of this inquiry. I have
firtually altered nothing now. I asked
9 be allowed to make n statement, to
we an explanation, as soon as Mr.
jyell had left this box : but I was not
Piloted to do so. I am willing to make
It now."
"Make it then."
"It is simnlv this." said Avlmore.
fuming to the coroner. "I have found
Pt convenient, during the past three
rears, to lent a simple set of chambers
n me lemple, where 1 could .oecasion
llj very occasionally, as a rule go
late at night. I also found it con
fenient, for my .own reasons with
"Men, I think, no one has anything
o do to rent those chambers under
!be name of Mr. Anderson. It was to
Iroj chambers th'at Marburv acconmanied
be for a few moments on the midnight
"imwnicn wo are dealing, tie was
not in them more than five minutes nt
ibnery outside: I parted from him at
ny outer door, and I understood that
e would leave the Temple by tho way
una entered and would drive or
alk Straisht hnMr tn Mo lntol TKn
li tiewhole truth. I wish to add that
'ought perhaps to have told all this
It first, I had reasons for not Hninp
I told what I considered neces
sary, that I parted from Marbury,
ij K h P weU and al've, soon after
midnight."
..iil' reason& were or are they
ich prevented you from telling all
this at first?" asked thel treasury coun
sel. "Reasons which nre private to me."
"Will joii'tcll them to the court?"
"No!"
"Then will you tell us why Marbury
went with you to tho chambers in
Fountain Court which you tenant under
the name of Anderson?"
"Yea. To fetch a document which I
had In my keeping, and had kept for
him for twenty years or more?"
"A document of importance?"
"Of very great importance."
"He would have it on him when he
was as we believe ho was murdered
and robbed?"
"He had it on him when he left me."
"Will you toll us what it was?"
"Certainly not!"
"In fact, you won't tell us nny more
than you choose to tell?"
"I have told you all I can tell of
the events of that night."
"Then I am going to ask you a very
pertinent question. Is it not a fact
that jou know a great deal more about
John Marbury than you have told this
court?"
"That I 6hall not answer."
"Is it not n fact that you could, if
you would, tell this court moro about
John Marbury and your acquaintance
ship with him twenty years ago?"
"I ulso decline to answer that."
The treasury counsel made n little
movement of his shoulders and turned
to thc coroner.
"I should suggest, sir, that you ad
journ this iuquirv," ho said quietly.
"For a week," assented the coroner,
turning to the jury.
Thc crowd surged out of the court,
chattering, murmuring, exclaiming
spectators, witnesses, jurymen, report
ers, legal folk, police folk, all mixed up
together. And Spargo, elbowing his
own way out, and busily reckoning un
thc value of the new complexions put,
on everything by the day's work, sud
denly felt a hand laid on his arm. Turn
ing he found himself gazing at Jessie
Aylmorc.
CHAPTER XIV
Tho Sihcr Ticket
WITH a sudden instinct of protec
tion, Spargo quickly drew aside
from the struggling crowd and within
a moment had led her into n quiet by
street, lie looked down at her as she
stood recovering her breath.
"Yes?" he said quietly.
Jessie Aylmorc looked up at him, smil
ing faintly.
"I want to speak to you," she said.
"I must speak to you."
"Yes," said Spargo. "But the
others? Your sister? Breton?"
"I left them on purpose to speak to
you," she answered. "They knev I
did. I am well accustomed to looking
after myself."
Spargo moved down the by-street,
motioning his companion to move with
him.
"Tea." he said, "is what you want.
'I know n queer, old-fashioned place
close by here whcie sou can get the
best China tea in London. Come and
have some."
Jessie Aylmorc smiled and followed
her guide obediently. And Spargo said
nothing, marching stolidly along wltn
his thumbs in his waistcoat pockets,
his fingers pluyiug soundless tunes out
hide, until he hud installed himself and
his comnnnion in a quiet nook in the
old teahouse he hnd told her of and
had given an order for tea and hot tca
enkes to a waitress who evidently knew
him. Then he turned to her.
"You want." he said, "to talk to me
about jour father."
"Yes," she answered. "I do."
"Why?" asked Spargo,
The girl gave him a searching look.
"Ttnnnlrl Rretoii savs you're the man
who's written all those special articles
in the Watchman about tlie aiarwiry
case," she answered. "Are ycru?
"I am," said Spargq. -
finlw. .ti't.& n mun nf crpnfr inntl-
ence," she went on. "You can stir the
public mind. Mr. Spargo, what are you
going to write about my tatner and 10-
Huw'q nrnnppilInffK?"
Spargo signed to her to pour out the
tea which had just arrived. He seized,
without ceremony, upon a piece of tho
hot buttered ten-cake, and bit a great
liimn nnfr. nf it.
"Frankly," he mumbled, speaking
with his mouth full, "frankly, I don't
know. 1 don't know yet. But I 11
tell jou th-s it's best to be candid I
shouldu't alio myself to be prejudiced
or biased in L.aking up ray conclusions
bv anything hat you may say to nic.
Understand?''
Jessie Aylmorc took a sudden liking
to Spargo because of thc unconvention
ally and brusquencss of his manneis.
"I'm not wanting to prejudice or bins
you," she said.
"All I want is that you shouldbe
ery
sure before you say anything.'
'I'll be sure," said Spargo. "Don 1
bother. Is the tea all right?"
"Beautiful!" she answered, with a
smile that made Spargo look at her
again. "Delightful! Mr. Spargo, tell
me what did you think about about
what has just happened?"
(CONTINUED TOMORROW)
DREAMLAND ADVENTURES
BLUE EYES AND CROOKED NOSE
nr uA.nrY
(In last toeeVsi story Peggy, Billy
id the Giant of the Woods had an
miniiiy adueiiturc in Movieland.
Qiaiit Fierce Fangs adopted Peggy
"."' step-daughter and said he teas
fjmij to marry her to his nephew,
Crooked Nose, the son of Belinda,
e Coal,)
CHAPTER I
'I ho Blue-Eyed Youth
pEGlA found herself among her bird
1 friends on a hill in Movieland. How
!be got there she didn't know, nor did
e have a chance to ask. for the birds
ptre shrieking and jabbering 83 noisily
i cimdren at a picnic.
tni going to be best man at the
'Jding," creaked Blue Heron.
I'm EOlnr to hp hp.ml iiclioi- " bVii-IUk.I
Gneral Swallow.
, '.''m soing to give the bride away,"
"weamed Bhie Jay,
IuiVj it . 9,! in be U115 Broom,"
"wted Judge Owl
mJ . ?',ou y"1 nt be the groom"'
linrt. ,. '" ,V01CC' buu there was lie-
? her' "?k; f ?. ?"? .
lad M- J canne(i beans, .canned peas,
Ste1. corn-. "My son, tho dwarf
"" 'declared sroom,"
leha8as,glaAt0 hc" at for when
i m$TJ'l W b? that when
urry me uwarr,
seemed, he was
WdYp 8hmust V
..51 Some nno nlo
iiuv: ou"e one else.
... '" IS Onibal
Noso going to
""'fyJ" She ntf.., "
kirdi, i,?' course.'" chorused all the
"'ice at inn. if. g01..K ,0 BIDK nna
p,V Wr wedding."
'! $XL J."i0.. Ms, n n b"t.
wok . !'"" " irown,
iPuTfnriityr-dsrrowful,"
1 shouted
""1 Beard Vi na I1"1 ll,rne'1 l0 sec
. n hn "10ou picture maker,
LAU brides iriynVy ,at hia camera
I'muotw bf .P'Iad. '
- w d a jww at iMtt
not the bride of nn uglv dwarf like
Crooked Nose," objected Peggy.
"My son, Crooked Nose, is not ugly
and you're going to marry him if I
say so," screamed Belinda, thc cook,
and she began to throw the cans in her
basket at I'eggy and tho birds. The)
all dodged and fled away ns fast as
they could.
As Peggy ran bhe heard a clatterins
behind her and she was suddenly
snatched up. She thought she had been
caught by Fierce Fangs, but a giggle iu
her car made her change her mind.
Her captor wns Billy Belgium and he
was carrying her away on the back of
Balkv Sam, the army mule.
"Ha, ha! We will fool tho moving
picture folks who want to marry you
to the dwarf. Crooked Nose," cried
Billy. "Wo will go for n jolly ride in
the woods,"
"Ilec-Vuw! I'll gallop as swift ns
the wind," brayed Balky Sam. And so
ho did, going fast and far until presently
they came to a thick woods.
"We will hide in the woods and play
wo are robbers," said Hilly, ns they
jumped off Balky Sam's hack.
"Hero's a lovely robbers' roost,"
cried Peggy, climbinc intn a low rren.
Then sho screamed and tumbled right
oui 01 tno tree again. And sho tumbled
out because some one else was there. It
was a strange youth hiding among the
uruncnea. uniy nis eyes ana nis mouth
could be seen, but when Peggy took a
second look at the eyes and the mouth,
her alarm fled at once. The eyes were
such a handsome blue and the mouth
had such a gentle smile that she knew
at a glance there was no cause to fear.
"ttclcomo to my nest," said the
stranger in a voice of wondrous sweet
ness. "I, too. am hiding, and we can
hide together,"
"What are you hiding frbra?" nbked
Billy.
"I am hiding from a brido my undo
and my mother nre trying to force me
to wed," sighed tho strange youth sadly.
That was a queer answer, and Teggy
and Billy looked at each other with
questioning eyes.
(I hmorroio'4 chapter ihiy learn
Aa fht striHfe yauthitj
THE GUMPS Ho! Ho! ito! Har! Har! Hee!
Copyrtfht. 1020. far the Trthun Co.
By Sidney Smith
Yifi WAvn Ur4- "
VJHEN I SAW THE- LOOKOM I
HER. tACE- NHEN HE I
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QLUE TO v AV -1TOOK
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By C. A. Voight
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The Young Lady Across the Way
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says after you've once tasted tree
ripened fruit the cold-storage kind
always tastes incipient.
PATHETIC FIGURES
FONTAINE FOX
... -- By
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SOMEBODY'S STENOGIt Looks Like a Fine Place for a Dog
Copyright. 10:0, by Tubllc T.edr Co.
E.R-MISS ORASE - I MUST
TELL YOU -THIS IS
By Hay ward
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