I, Spy - 6 Espionage & Detective Books in One Edition. Frederic Arnold Kummer

10

       MISS TEMPLE'S TESTIMONY

       Table of Contents

      The police court at Exeter was situated in an old building, and the Magistrate's room was small and cold. When I was led forth and placed in the dock, I felt at first confused and gazed at the crowded benches before me with a dull sense of annoyance. Presently I made out the troubled, white face of Major Temple, sitting near the rear of the room, and behind him Gibson and two of the other servants. The remainder of the persons in the room were strangers to me, drawn thither, no doubt, by the merest curiosity. I looked up at the Magistrate and found him to be a little, red-faced man, with a stern, but not unkind, face—a man, evidently, who had seen so much of human guilt and suffering that the edge of his sympathies had been worn off and replaced with a patient cynicism. The usual questions as to my name, age, residence and occupation were asked, and then the real business of the hearing began. The finding of the coroner's inquest was first read, and then Major Temple was placed upon the witness stand. The old gentleman looked more shrunken and old than ever. His face was yellow, his eyes hollow and heavy from want of sleep, his hands trembling with excitement. I could well understand his agitation. His daughter, even now under arrest, was hurrying to Exeter to undergo that most terrible of all ordeals, a hearing on a charge of murder. Whether or not her story would end in a confession, no one knew; that she had something of the greatest import to tell, her letter indicated. All these thoughts must have crowded through her poor father's mind as he took his seat and made oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The Magistrate began his examination with characteristic incisiveness.

      "Major Temple," he said, "you are here as a witness in the case of Mr. Owen Morgan, charged with complicity in the murder of Robert Ashton."

      The Major bowed, but remained silent.

      "When did you first meet Mr. Morgan?"

      "The night he first came to my house, five days ago."

      "Never saw him before?"

      "Never. Mr. Ashton offered him a place in his motor, on his way to my house. On account of the storm, he stopped there and remained over night."

      "It is supposed that this murder had as a motive the securing of a valuable emerald in Mr. Ashton's possession. When Mr. Ashton first exhibited it to you, was Mr. Morgan present?"

      "He was."

      "Did he know the value of the jewel?"

      "I do not know. I think the matter was mentioned at the table."

      "You had agreed to give your daughter's hand in marriage to Mr. Ashton, in return for obtaining for you this jewel. Is that true?"

      "Yes," the Major faltered.

      "Was your daughter opposed to this arrangement?"

      "She was."

      "And you insisted upon it?"

      "I had given my word as a gentleman."

      "The securing of the jewel, then, from Mr. Ashton would have released her from the arrangement?"

      "If Mr. Ashton had not had it, he could not have carried out his agreement, of course."

      "At what time did you retire on the night of the murder?"

      "Shortly before midnight."

      "After Mr. Ashton?"

      "Yes—I saw him to his room."

      "After that you retired at once?"

      "Yes."

      "Did you wake during the night?"

      "Not until I was aroused by Mr. Morgan's cries—about daybreak, or a little before."

      "Was it light?"

      "Hardly—it was just before sunrise."

      "You did not leave your room, from the time you retired, until you heard Mr. Morgan's cries?"

      "No."

      "What did you do then?"

      "I threw on some clothing and ran along the hall into the west wing. I sleep at the other end of the house in the east wing. When I arrived at Mr. Ashton's door, Mr. Morgan was trying to open it. My man, Gibson, who also heard the cries, came along, followed by one of the maids."

      "Did your daughter join you?"

      "Yes, almost immediately."

      "How was she dressed?"

      "She wore a dressing gown and slippers."

      "You heard no other cries but Mr. Morgan's?"

      "No."

      "What happened then?"

      "Mr. Morgan and Gibson broke open the door, which was bolted. The maid brought a candle. I ordered my daughter to retire. Mr. Morgan and I entered the room with the candle and closed the door. We found Mr. Ashton on the floor dead."

      "What did you do?"

      "I began to search for the emerald Buddha."

      "What did Mr. Morgan do?"

      "He first examined the body of the dead man, and then went to the windows and examined the fastenings."

      "Did he close or open the windows or fastenings?"

      "I do not know. I paid little attention to him. I was greatly excited about the loss of the jewel."

      "Could he have fastened the window without your knowing it?"

      "I suppose he could—I paid little attention to him."

      "What happened then?"

      "After our examination of the room we closed and locked the door. We then had some coffee, after which Mr. Morgan went into Exeter and notified the police."

      "Major Temple, there is a window at the end of the hallway in the west wing, which opens on to the roof over the porch. Is this window usually bolted?"

      "Always. I generally see to it myself. I have a valuable collection and am afraid of thieves."

      "Did you do so that night?"

      "I did. I saw that it was bolted after seeing Mr. Ashton to his room and before retiring to my own."

      This comprised the bulk of Major Temple's testimony. There were some other questions, but they were of little or no importance so far as throwing any light upon the case was concerned.

      Major Temple was followed by Gibson, who corroborated all that his master had said, and similar testimony was given by the maid. There was a feature of the latter's testimony, however, which bore more directly upon the case and my supposed connection with it. She had been, it seems, on the landing of the main stairway, sitting upon a window seat, after dinner, waiting for Miss Temple to come upstairs. It was her habit to sit there, she said, while waiting for Miss Temple. In this position she was almost directly above the latter and myself during the conversation we had had immediately after dinner on the night of the tragedy. She testified that she could not hear all our conversation—that she made no attempt to do so, as she was not an eavesdropper—but that she had heard Miss Temple say in a loud and agitated voice that she would "never marry Robert Ashton, never," and ask me to help her, and that I had replied that she could depend upon me absolutely. Immediately after this her mistress had come upstairs and gone to her room.

      "Did you accompany her to her room?" asked the Magistrate.

      "No, sir. She told me as how she intended to read until quite late, Sir, and that I could go to bed at once, as she would not require my assistance."

      "Was this unusual?"

      "It was, a bit, Sir. I 'most always helped her to undress, Sir."

      "And you went to your room at once?"

      "Yes, Sir. I did, Sir, and to sleep, Sir."

      "How