I erg.* .;?,ar:;l, TzriTTr
i
, SYNOPSIS. "
t
Mary Page, actress, is accused of the
f murder of James Pollock and is defended
by her lover, Philip Langdon. Pollock
was intoxicated. At Mary's trial she ad>
mits she had the revolver. Her maid
testifies that Mary threatened Pollock
with it previously, and Mary's lea^5ng
man implicates Langdon. How Mar> disappeared
from the scene of the crime is a
mystery. Brandon tells of a strange hand
print he saw on Mary's shoulder. Further
evidence shows that horror of drink produces
temporary insanity in Mary. The
defense is "repressed psychosis." Witnesses
described Mary's flight from her intoxicated
father and her father's suicide.
Nurse Walton describes the kidnaping of
Mary by Pollock.
II II
STAGE
ASPIRATIONS
NOT since the famous trial that
sent the expression "brain
stonn" spinning down through
the years, has the testimony
of an alienist so greatly stirred an ex- j
cited world as did the phrase "Re- '
. pressed Psychosis," with which Dr. i
"Foster summed up the temporary in- |
i sanity of Mary Page.
It spread through the court and the
' throngs in the corridor; it sped over
Ethe telephone wires to the waiting
newspapers of the city. It even
* reached the zenith of publicity and
became the inspiration of the cartoon
ists, but all this was after that day
when Dr. Foster, once more upon the j
W witness-stand, told with technical brevity
of how prenatal influence, increas/ed
by fear and suffering, re-acted upon
i the delicate brain tissues under the
i strain of a great shock.
\ Much of what he said was entirely i
unintelligible to the excited audience.
j It was therefore with a little rustling
sigh.of relief that they heard Langdon j
abruptly change his line of questioning
and say:
"How long after the night at Dr.
Zellar's sanatorium did Miss Page remain
in your hospital?"
} "It was nearly three weeks before
she was able to go, and even then it
was with some trepidation that I conRpntpd
to her leaving."
-f "Did you fear a return of?her?illness
r
"Yes. I knew that excitement or a j
nervous strain of any sort would have
r
. ; : . .. ^ ;. " ' y'\ :. .
N WW'WWW^^^RK,
"Did you fear a return of?her?illness?"
r
an injurious effect, and I warned both
Mrs. Page and Mr. Langdon to protect
tier as much as possible."
"Dr. Foster, did you ever see James
Pollock after the night he took Miss
. Page to Zellar's?"
"Yes. I saw him again on the day
when Miss Page left my sanatorium."
"Will you tell us the circumstances ;
of that second meeting, please?"
"Miss Page and her mother and Mr.
Langdon were just about to leave, in
order to take a train to New York
when Mr. Pollock drove up to the sanatorium
in his motor. I was very in- j
dignant at his daring to come to the
hospital after what had occurred, and'
ocWtiof tho Pjip-ps and Mr. Lansrdon to
|~ aojuii^ tuv ? ? ^
go into my office and wait, I went to
the door myself and peremptorily orw
dered Mr. Pollock to leave the grounds.
& He refused to go, saying that he had
B something of great importance to say I
to Miss Page. He would not, he said, j
h ask to see her alone, but it was his
right to see her if he wished, because
their engagement had not been brokt^n.
I felt that in the circumstances it was
- '^Tvrt
The Sirani
>?ARY
The Great McClure Mys
FREDERICK LEWIS
JOHN T. M'INTYRE,
Kirk Detective Storiei
and See the Essanc
?g?M8B?? E
best to let him see Miss Page and receive
his dismissal. So I took him into
the office."
"Did Miss Tage show any distress at
sight of him?" j
"Yes. She gave a little cry almost of
fear and clung to her mother, and
would not answer his greeting."
"What did Mr. Pollock say?"
"He said, 'You have no reason to
shrink from me like that Mary. At
worst what I have done has been because
I loved you. You have prom
- . I
ised to marry me, and so iar tnat
promise has not been taken back, and
now I have come to know what you
are going to do. It seems to me that
we ought to be married at once?as?
as?I have information that your father's
death has left you?withoutwell,
without the comforts that I will .
be glad to give you. I have waited for '
three weeks for some word from you.
and now I have come to claim my
fiance !'"
"Did ^liss Page reply?"
"Yes. She went up to him boldly
and said without any signs of nervousness
of the moment before, 'If *1 have
not taken back my promise, James, it
is because I have been too ill to think
of it. But I do take it back now. I
will never marry you so long as I live,
and I never want you to speak to me j
asain. I detest you, and since you can j
no longer harm my father, the reason
for my promise to you is gone. That
is all I have to say. Good-bye.'; ?t
that Pollock got very white and said
hoarsely, 'Does that mean that you are
going to marry Langdon?' 'It means."
she said, 'that after what has happened
I shall never marry anyone. We
are going to New York, where I hope
to secure a position.'"
"Did Mr. Pollock show any surprise
at that?"
"No. but he was obviously chagrined. ;
And. then I interfered and reminded Mrs.
Page they would miss their
train if there was any further delay,
and they left'. Pollock driving away in
his machine almost directly back of
them."
"Did Miss Page seem cairn ana collected
?"
"Yes, outwardly; but there was a
look in her eyes that made me. fearful
for her future, and her hands had resumed
their nervous twitching when 1
put her into the automobile.
"It made me realize that the great
influence to fear for her was Pollock,
and it is my decided opinion that if.
as I have heard, he continued to persecute
the defendant, the result would?"
"I object!" stormed the District Attorney,
leaping to his feet. "Dr. Foster's
last assertion that the defendant's
mental ailment was aggravated
through the continued persecution of
James Pollock, is hearsay evidence, and
a direct maligning of a dead man."
"I sustain that objection," said the
judge sternly, adding to the doctor.
"You must restrict yourself to answering
questions, Dr. Foster. Let the answer
be stricken out from the words,
'into the automobile.'"
The doctor, a flush of annoyance on
his face, turned questioningly toward
Langdon.
"No more questions," said Langdon.
But the prosecutor had. He got to
his feet with the alacrity of a fighting
man going into battle. With a tongue
steeped in vitriol he attacked the testimony
of the alienist; he held Mary
Page up as a hysterical girl who had
sought notoriety; he flung doubt upon |
the possibility of a "temporary" men- j
tal derangement, but though he tor
tured Mary until with shuddering horror
she sank forward in her chair, her
hands pressed against her ears to shut .
out the sound of his voice, he could not
shake the smiling imperturbability of
Dr. Foster.
Cross examination meant nothing to
the latter, and much as he regretted
the strain uj/on the pitiful little prisoner,
he really enjoyed pitting his power
against that of the prosecutor.
So his answers came with cool deliberation.
and a hint of insolence that
won the admiration of the spectators
who were divided between zest in the
stirring battle and pity for Mary. But
it was the sympathy that came uppermost
At last, unable to bear any longer
the brutal wrangle over her sanity,
Mary leaped to her feet, a little moaning
cry of protest wrung from her
white lips. Langdon was at her side
in an instant, his bands drawing her
down into her chair again, his lips
whispering encouragement and comfort,
till she smiled up at him?a wavering,
pathetic little smile.
To the prosecutor in his present savage
humor it seemed a carefully planned
bit of by-play, yet he could so
plainly see its effect upon the jury, and
could read so clearly the antagonism
growing in their eyes when they looked
at him, that with an abrupt shrug
he swung upon his heel and sat down
with a curt, -'That's al!.'
That released Dr. Foster, and sent j
him back triumphantly to the witness- \
room. There were two newcomers |
;
jXESaNjErtTJT: 7," V:
ge Case of |
i
tery Story, Written by
In Collaboration With
Airthr\r r\i fhp A*htrm
Head the Story
\y Moving 'Pictures
pyright, 1015, by McClure Publication
MUUMJWEMMa?BCa????
there now, a sweet-faced matronly J
looking woman of middle age, rather |
old-fashioned in her dress, and a young i
girl of about twenty-five who was divided
between nervous fears and
youthful zest. She was destined to be
the next witness, and Dr. Foster smiled
involuntarly when he saw her. ' Most
people smiled at Amy, for that matter,
for she was bubbling over with youth
and laughter, but for all that, her gaiety
was backed up by the shrewdness
of the modem girl who lights her own
battles promptly and successfully.
Her tailored suit and soft blouse
open at the throat were smartly cut.
and her hat was a hint daring in its
shape and the way it was tilted over
her little nose, and \Vhen the bailiff
called her name. "Miss Amy Barton." ;
her agitation led her to tip it at an even !
more dangerous angle as she tried to j
powder her nose and kiss her mother j
at the same time.
"I'm scared blue!" she confided to
the other witnesses in a shaky voice. !
"A first night is a cinch to this. \Yhat |
do I have to say?"
"You have only to answer questions."
said Dr. Foster, "and there is really
nothing to be frightened about."
"I suppose not." she answered as she
went through the door, "but I wouldn't
care anyway. I'd go be hanged if it !
would help Mary."
Under the careless words there was j
a sudden deeper note of sincerity, and '
the moment she was on the stand j
she turned to the judge and said: j
"I don't know what I am supposed 1
to do. your Honor, but I want to tell i
you right here, that Mary Page is the ;
best and the bravest and the truest ;
girl in the whole wide world."
For the first time the judge smiled: J
then he leaned forward and said
kindly:
"The Court appreciates your admiration
for the prisoner, but you must
confine your remarks, while on the
stand, to the answers to questions 1
which will be asked you."
"Oh, yes. I was told that," she an- j
swered readily. "But I forgot." Then !
turning to Langdon she added cheerily, j
"Fire away, Mr. Langdon. I'm all j
ready."
A little gust of laughter rippled j
through the court. Then Langdon. j
coming Hose to the witness stand, said j
quietly:
'Miss Barton, you know the defendant,
Mary Page, do you?"
"Why, of course I do. you goat!" she
answered with a bubbling laugh that
found an ec ho in the room. But Lang-1
don frowned, and his voice was more
harsh as he said, "Please answer yes.
or no, and remember that if you want
to aid Miss Page, you must make your
answers short and to the point Now
will you please tell the court just
when and how you first met Miss
Page?"
"It was some years ago. and she and
her mother came to our apartment
with a note from Cousin Alice Cowes.
who lived in New Town. Cousin Alice
had sent them to us because she knew
we had an extra room we wanted to
rent, and she thought that I could help
\fnrv lnnri a iob."
"What sort of?er?position?"
"In the merry-merry?that is, on the j
stage. I'd been across the foots my- j
self for a couple of seasons and Cousin (
Alice said Mary wanted to become an
actress and thought I could show her
how to make the rounds. It's a tough
proposition getting a job in\Xew York
with no friends and no pull."
"Will you tell the court, please. Miss
Barton, about the first position secured
by Miss Page and of the events that
led up to it?''
"Well, it just happened that the day
Mary hit the big town I had a date
with Webster, the real boss of the musical
comedies. Of course he isn't the
sort that you'd want to send your little
sister from the country to see, but
too much hedging don't go in the show
business worth a whoop. You've got to
trust to a sharp tongue and a hat-pin i
till you show them where they get off,;
and once they're wise, they treat you j
all right. Webster was like that, but j
if he promises you a part he plays fair,
so I never was afraid to buck his office-boy
even on a busy day. So off
we went
"I had an appointment with the old
man, but he was scrapping with one
of his 'romantic leads'?you could hear
them clear out to the front hall?and it
was a long time before I could persuade
his little cerberus to go in and
tell him I "was waiting. At any rate,
he came out at last blowing blasts of
red fire after the actor?and then he
snw \fnrv Tnlk flhnnf. linns and lambs!
Why, he purred when he saw her, and
he was so sweet to me I almost got a
leading lady's contract out of him before
he woke up, and began to ask me
questions about Mary. Then he tried
to kiss her and I put an inch or so of
my hat pin in his arm just above the
elbow. Mary and I beat it while the
going was good, and Mary was so upset
we decided to go right home instead
of calling on any of the other
f
ir.iinveeis. That v.';:s h<>w we ii:!ppt :: ,
ed 11> run int<? Jin: Politick."
"Where did you meet Mr. roll<><-kV"
"Oh. ho was on tl:e job at the :ii? t
mcnt wlien we got home. Haying tlit
humble but persistent swain?wanted
to lay his fortune at her l'eet and give
her a life of gilded ease. lie pleaded
ail that sort of soft-musie stuff, and
told her she didn't realize how cruel
the world was to a girl (men always J
say that) and how she would suffer to
see her mother growing old and lacking
the comforts she could not eam i
for hec. Then he pulls out his wallet
and taps it, saying, 'All that I have is
yours, Mary, even if you don't marry
mo.' Business of soft music!"
'.'Were you in the room while this
was going on?"
"No." she answered, winning a gale
of laughter from the court-room, "but
you can't brush your teeth in a NewYork
apartmest without the people in
the next door flat hearing you, nnd everything
that Mary said or Jim Pollock
said, might as well have been
shouted through a megaphone."
"Did Miss Page seem touched by Mr.
Pollock's offer?" said I>angdon? repressing
a smile with difficulty. ,
"No, she stood up to him spunkily
"??'1 Hat ho crnt ntf i
aillA IA/IVA UlUi ?T V,
Tin going to get work.' she said, 'but
even if I didn't my mother and I would
never accept any help from you. I
have only oiie thing to ask, and that is
that you leave here at once and do uot
come again.' lie came out in the hall
where I had the door all nicely opened
for him. I told him sweetly that I'd
opened it for him to get out, but I'd
be shot before it ever opened to let him
in again. I ran back to the sittingroom,
to lind Mary in a dead faint. It
was such a long time before she came
round, and then she was so dazed and
terrified that we were all scared to
death, and I swore a solemn vow then
and there that I'd be the busiest little
stage mother and chaperon and advice
Mnrt* flint nnv rnrl prf>r bfirl '*
' V* tv AUU1 V UWJ C * v V* "V?v?
Her voice suddenly trembled, and the
quick tears tilled her eyes as, turning
to Mary, she cried eagerly:
"And, Mary, I've kept my \vord.
haven't I? Haven't I?"
Mary nodded, smiling through her
own tears, and the spectators who
throughout the breezy testimony of the
young actress had. been in gales of
laughter, suddenly sobered. They saw
the brave heart under the butterfly exterior,
and realized the wisdom and the
goodness behind the vulgar words.
Langdon, sec-iHg the judge frown at
-'-I'- I 1 ?1 ?
liiis siiuicernij; ux juacucui, aorved
bis nest question quickly.
"You and Miss Page did secure positions
in the same company, did you
not?"
"Oli, yes, in 'The Blue feather.'
Mary took to it like a duck to water.
and made a hit with the stage manaJ
w ^ ^
x>- ? .':.
Jill ^
: i S .
"She told him flat where he got off."
ger before he'd got through calling the
rest of us all the names in his vocabulary.
So when it came to one bit
where the fat tenor had to choose a
girl out of the chorus to sing an encore
with him, Mary got the chance, and
made good, too. But that was afterwards."
"Well, suppose you tell us what oc/^att
XJInn fh^r' I
CUIICU Uli LUC uaj JLiiC iJiug a vubuv*
opened/'
"Oh, the day was the same as any
other opening day. We'd rehearsed
half the night and started in at eightthirty
in the morning, and we were all
tired to death and wished W3 were
dead. It's always like that a few
kours before the overture on an opening
night, so Mary and I were mighty
*l$d to slip out home and rest an hour
before going back to make up. We
didn't dare stay long, though, for being j
lete is the worst sin in the box at a
show-shop, so it was round about seven
when we got on our lids and were
ready to beat it back. Just when we
were leaving, thoucrh. mother came
running in and said, 'Oh, Mary, Philip
Langdon is here and he wants to see
you just a minute before you leave.'
At that Mary lights all the lamps in
her eyes, and went into the sitting
room with me a close second.
"Mr. Langdon was there talking to
Mrs. Page and when we came in she
ealled out, 'Mary, Philip has given up
iis practice in New Town and has
come here to live' At that he came
I
over nil ! !<? ?. ; :-a;.J i.; I ;Li ??;* .
his and said. 'Ilea i >_ glad. r.Iary. i
heard that P<>ii<>; k had gone int > I nisi- i
ness hero and 1 worried sc? about you.
I felt I had to ci:n:o. Let me I?v* your
friend and protector, even if I can't be
anything more, won't you, Mary?'
'Oh. but you oughtn't to give up your
practice. Phil.' she said, beginning,
just like a woman, to kick against the
thing that pleased her most. 'You?
you?may not like it here.' But he
? 1- -1 _ X xt- - 4./N
laugneu at luai. anu iue,\ utr^aii iu
talk so much that I got worried and
butted in by reminding Mary that she
was an actress now and had to hustle.
Then Mr. Langdon had to be told all
about it. and the result was we had to
run three blocks to get in at the stage
door before they began to keep tabs on
mL
;;:i ^;^.:-:::-^::;\^M' v-..;;'.;
.. ' ' ' . ' ' ; ' . . .
mm
"Mary lights all the lamps in her
eyes."
the late comers. Mr. Langdon was to';
go with mother and Mrs. Page, and I ;
soon spotted them up in the balcony, j
for the management doesn't hand out j
boxes for the families of its front row |
of the chorus, but in one of the boxes j
I did see a familiar face?that of Pol- j
lock. He was all gotten up in soup j
and fish, but he was alone, and I could
see that he was taking Mary all in, i
i?j j?u ?
ano. men some, aviary aau unu me a ,
lot about him, and the piker way he'd
acted, and she'd also told me a lot |
about Mr. Langdon, so I decided that j
I wouldn't put her wise to the fact i
that Pollock was there, but would let
her play to the balcony, which she did.!
She was so pretty and so happy that
she got a silly song over big. and even
the tenor had the decency to make her j
?:o on and take a curtain with him.
Everybody just mr^de a fuss over her
till Mary fairly cried, she was so happy.
And the part that seemed to
nlooco mnet tl*qc thnt cho hilfl <5P#?n
uvi ?> WSJ liJUl/ u>tv* Langdon
applauding his Lands off up
stairs."
"Did you join your mother and Mrs.
Page after the show?" interrupted
Langdon warningly.
"That was the big idea," she said. |
"But it hit the rocks, for when Mary
and I hustled into our glad rags and
started for the door we bumped squarely
into the stage manager and Mr. Pollock?the
latter all done np to kill,
even to a top hat 'Oh, Miss Page,'
sings out Ecky (that's the manager)
'here's a gentleman from your home
town, that wants to take you out to
supper and se^ you home in a buzz
wagon.' He laughed nastily as he
spoke, and I could feel Mary's hand
go cold as ice as she grabbed mine
and savs. *1 have no desire to take
supper with Mr. Pollock, either now
or at any other time to come. Amy.'
But that made old Ecky ^ore, so he
began to roar like a bull and shouts.
'What's this? Are you crazy?' But
Pollock interrupted him?there was a
quick business of being hurt to the
heart; the misunderstood soui~and the
chivalry stunt was pulled off without
a break. Then he says, 'Miss Page
is quite within her rights.. I do not
wish an unwilling guest Perhaps my
moment of renewing her acquaintance
was inopportune,' and he stalks away
for all the world like the heavy in the
third act But old Ecky was up in
the air, and he began rowing Mary
for fair. He told her, the dog, that it
was her beauty, not her talent, that)
'got the house,' and added, 'It's your
business hete to be civil to your ad-1
mirers and go to supper when they
ask you. If you're goin' to ride a high
horse I've got no use for you in this
show.'"
"Did Miss Page answer him?"
"No, I think she was too horrified,
and old Ecky, thinkin' that silence
meant consent, told her to stay there
till he brought Mr. Pollock back. The j
minute his back was turned I gave
Mary the cue to get away quick, but
we didn't have to, for just then Mr.
Langdon came in, and we beat it for j
bim. We didn't bare time to tell him i
what had happened before old Ecky !
came back with Mr. Pollock and they j
both stopped short when they saw Mr. I
Langdon with us, and then Mr. Pollock
drawls out, 'You see this Miss
Page is not so virtuous as she pretends.
She's not even particular in her
choice?everybody knows that' He
must have intended us to hear, but
what he didn't give any high sign for,
was for Mr. Langdon to maka a jump
and grab him by the throat, shouting
that he'd have to eat his words or he'd
kill him. Old Ecky is deathly afraid
of a fight and began to holler for the
stage crew, but I got out my little old
trusty hat-pin and promised anybody
that came near two or three inches of
it, so the men just stood around swearing
and grinning behind their hands till
Mr. Pollock was licked to a standstill
and asked Mr. Langdon to let up. Then
Mr. Langdon ordered him out of the
theatre, and he?went! But while he
was on his way I'd spied a pen and
seme ink on the prompt desk, and
/
m;:ue i"jI. < .i 11.t
liaik'ii wlii ii we lir li'ici !<> ??I;1 ?>ky
' ? - ~ 1 - 4 ? ?
a< the sr:j' crew had p>ne l?a< k to
work. It was a knockout for old Eeky.
You see, iu> knew Mary had made a
hit, and that the show had got over
good, and to have to train in two new
recruits for our parts before the next
night was some job. So he turned on
the soft soap, but we beat it towards
the door, and Mr. Langdon marches up
to Ecky and hands him his ?-ard. saying
calmly, 'These girls are quite within
their rights because of what has
happened. Added to which 1 understand
that you told Miss Page you did ,
not need her if she wouldn't accept
the attentions of men obnoxious to her.
Well, I'm a lawyer and I'll look after
their interests. You can send your attorney
to me at any time."
"So we >ot away and went homejobless
but happy. Of course when
we told them at home Mrs. Pajre said
Mary must give up her stage career,
but she was too spunky for th;f "
. ? ,1 1. .. a. i.1. - * _ _ t. H
cue saiu no. iuui me mistake sue a
made was in getting a chorus job, and
that if I was willing we might try for
some small road company and work
our way up in the 'drama*. I would
have followed Mary any place, so I
said I was on, and we even talked Mr.
Langdon down before he left."
"That is all, thank you. Miss Barton,"
said Lapgdon with a smile as
she finished, and Amy, loo'^ns around
bewildered, asked the judge confidentially:
"What do I do now. your Honor?"
"You answer a few questions for
me," said the prosecutor with a hcneyed
sweetness. "Miss Barton, yoo^are at
^ery good actress, are you notTr
"Go ask mv nress azent!" she an
swered pertly; and he flushed.
"Well, at any rate you can be very
convincing in saying things?let's call
it reciting lines?that have nothing to
do with events that really happened,
can't you? Especially in a sympathetic
role?"
"If you're trying to put anything
across," she said slowly, "you've come
| to the wrong shop. I took the oath
and I don't swear to tell the truth and
then lie. I'm an actress, not a lawi
yer."
A burst of laughter swept the room,
and the judge's gavel came down
sharply, though the corners of his
mouth twitched as he said to Amy:
"You must confine your remarks to
| answering the questions put you, Miss
Barton."
"I am," she replied imperturbably,
and the prosecutor flushed as he asked
sharply:
"Isn't it true that you said you
would do anything in tbe world to save
Mary Page?"
"Isn't it true that you're doing everything
in the world to ruin her?"
"That is not answering my question."
roared the prosecutor. "This is
contempt of court?you have sworn to
tell the truth?tell it."
"Tell it to a policeman!" scoffed
Amy. "I have told the truth, the
j whole truth and nothing but the truthv
and there isn't any more to tell, unless
you'll let me tell you what poor busi
ness I think you have for you? part or
the show."
"Silence!" roared the judcre and the
prosecutor in unison, and now Amy,
;
' - :':v>.
; . jffi
"I do not wish an unwilling guests
looking up at his Honor, smiled and
brought into view a dimple, as she
auiu liUlCltljr,
"Your Honor, I don't mind answering
questions, but I'm so used to being:
hollered at in rehearsals that the usual
line of chatter just slips out"
Again a gale of laughter swept the
room, and the prosecutor, realizing
that the pertness of the actress was a
shield behind which he could not penetrate,
and feeling that her testimony
was after all unimportant, dismissed
her with a shrug.
At her glad, "Oh, c*n 1 go?" the
laughter broke out afresh; but it die<J
away when she ran straight to Mary's
side, and before the bailiff or Langdoo
could stop Ler. had leanec' over an<i
impulsively kissed her cheek.
"You darling!" she cried, and suddenly
burst into tears?the genuine
childish sobs of one whose heart is
overflowing with pity. TThen she was
led back to the witness-room she was
no longer an obscure little actress?she
was fnmnns For the time at least she
even overshadowed Mary?so much
does the old world love those who
laugh and yet have tender hearts beneath
the gaiety.
(To be continued.)