AN ADVENTURESS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, 30 January 1909, Page 1

AN ADVENTURESS.

'A' DISTINGUISHED ,'; AT CHRISTCHURCH." ? ' SOCIETY AND TRADESMEN DELUDED. She ra quite an attractive creature, with plenty of "snapV..^to ..confuri friendis, says the Cl^atehuroh jcorre-" spondent of the "Dominion," and when ehe presented herself oh Wednesday of last week to Mr Beveridge, of- the Grand Hotel, as the relative o£ a well-known' British statesman, there; ,w^s^ little" she : could not have for the asking".' It" was very distressing ; she had driven to the station from Warner's, at Christchurch, boarded the train and come on by the Eteamer, under the impression that' her j luggage was somewhere travelling with her. It wasn't so muih fof.her own 'sake she was distressing herself about [the luggage, but pa, who was fishing, i somewhere np the countiy— rPet-qne^was the pTaoe mentioned — would - want ' his evening clothes- and would-be" in an awful wax if they weren't -forthcoming. What was she to d 0.?.,'. ,>^. v s -„-. . Mr BeveridgefliyaipaEEsegi It was certainly awkward; Best^to wirethe, stationmaster at GHrißttHffif9?S.Tfis^Bply came back that there.- wasjjo/ lnggage. about the premiseE of the' ©nristehnrch j station for her ok her fathqr. TJio lat-J ter did not turn up fid'ttt his Eshiug ex-j rursibn— you • could never- depend on the movements of a fisher of tront. Of course not! ' • ; In the meantime Miss -. friends rapidly. She jras such a; jolly sort-, don't you know ! Oh Saturday— <r was it Friday?— she waVextrabrditiarily agitated. Her friends hadi^invitejl her to the races, and she did not have a ; frock to wear. What could the poor girl do Ha! an idea! There was a lady;staying at the hotel connected with a;large 'and fashionable drapery establishment, : perhaps she would help ' her out of the dilemma. I The lady was approachetbqCertijinly, I only too delighted toassist so -distinguished a visitor. So in purple and fine Hnen. or something to the same effect,, ehra went to the Taces, and there she' met Everybody who was anybody— prominent I sportsmen, leading politicians, and the ' prand dames assembled to do honour to i the Horse ! But the elusi\\! father of the lady was still somewhere in the country, and tho luggage that was to have been was not, and a slow suspicion, entered the mind of the hotel proprieor. What if she were— but, no, it was not possible,; and yet! Meantime, the lady entertained her friends lavishly at little dinners,- and nice people called to pay their respects to the English lady. Brooding over each succesive move, and putting this and that together, the suspicion at first scouted grew on uh.it it fed on. Then a gentleman whom mine host knew passing well came into the hotel with the lady, and Mr .' Beverage whispered his doubts. k No, it could dot be. The gentleman ' had been introduced by what's-his-name, and the lady knew so-and-so and so-and- } t.o. But still— well, he decided not to go far. * Then suspicion reached the manager of the drapery establishment. At first Be pooh-poohed the doubt. That was on Saturday last. But on Monday he sent up a stem-faced man to collect the account for the elaborate toUet which had he ask her for money ! Hoity-toity for been furnished for the ra<^3. How dan a lady to be accosted foryper^aro^ whilst staying at a^^^W^i' was positively insulting! Briftne-man of stern demeanour was inexorable— he must have the money.' The lady endeavoured to borrow jn^ money from eomeone in the hote^rW was so absurd of her to be so short, and so embarrassing to be\asS«d to meet an account— a lady in her position. All in vain. ■ •■ Thoa she hailed a cab and- whisked round to sorno of her fashionabkfriends. The lady hadn't £50 handy, but she was wire her husband woujd-ob-ligh Whore; fas^et, A* £•s■*■ Down the wenfc-tSound sher man... Hf was only too delighted— a cheque tor £50 was passedv«»£r.;. A telephone ring. "What's that*" said h«. . . . "Good lor!" "Oh," said the lady, suspecting the ond. "I must go— l had an appointment with the dentist— must co un<frr gas— should have bseu thorp; some time ago!" And off she, went s leaving the gentleman to brood over the frailty of woman. . The drapery establishment received some of the money represented, in the. cheque, but" Mus : — r did "°« return to -the, Jiotel. She vanished mtc empty air, leaving her little bit of luggage at the hotel to relate that she waj anyone but the person she represented hers?H to be. . . It appears that the lady in question arrived from England some time ago. and resided for a short time in AVellington, studying her "marks, then left for the south, to put the prettiest little Bcheme into operation that a weman of brains could devise. I The police have the affair in hand.