BRAVE GIRL’S ROMANCE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9397, 18 March 1909, Page 7

BRAVE GIRL’S ROMANCE.

Behind a wedding announcement made in the London papers lies the story of a brave girl’s romantic which was brought about through Lloyd’s News. On a Saturday night last March a young police-constable was attacked ’\ by five drunken roughs in South t London. Just then Miss Ethel f ’ Austin, who ' lived in Pentiman Road, Clapham Road, not far away, came along, 'and hurried to the rescue. First she snatched the oon- * stable’s whistle from the chain and blew loudly, and then boldly with a man who hs.d thrown the officer to the ground and was kneeling on his chest. , He turned and attacked her violently, dealing her a terrific blow ” between the eyes. Bnt althoogh the plucky girl was only 17, she was ■ inearly 6ft. tall, and strongly built, and she managed to hold the man till a second policeman arrived. At the Westminster Police Court on the following Monday morning Mr t Horace Smith, the magistrate, commended her pluck, and the Chief afterwards sent her a ' cheque and a letter of thanks. The story was fully told at the * time in Lloyd’s News, and was there 'read by a successful Canadian settler, Mr Joseph Simpson, of South Magnetawan, Ontario. By years of hard work in the backwoods he- had made for himself, though ; still in the early thirties, a very comfortable position. He was the pioneer settler at South Magnetawan, where he now owns a hotel, acta as ■iDoetmaster, and is stationmaster at the station he himself built on the Canadian Pacific line. ' As soon as be read in Lloyd’s ' Hews of Miss Austin he exclaimed, , “That’s the girl for a Canadian ; settler!” and at once wrote asking v foer to be his wife. At first she made light of the matter, feeling that she was too young to many, especially to a man whom she had never seen, whose home was so many thousands of miles away across the sea. h Bnt eventually she replied that if he were ever in London, and oared to meet her, she would then think i over the matter. Mr Simpson also thought over the matter. On December S7th he ’ landed at Liverpool, and on the folling day he had taken lodgings at pham. not fat from Miss Austin’s le, and written to her parents for niesion to call. ooordingly, on New Year’s Eve sailed. He was at once attracted the ‘ charming young girl, of jm he had not even seen a photoph. She on her part was no less acted by the tall, good-looking ladian. To her. parents he wed excellent English references — he is a Yorkshire man, and his ier and mother still live at ale—and before long all was sfaotorily arranged, he Wedding took place by special nse at St. Mark’s Ohnrob, Houston, and after a shors honey* I moon in Yorkshire the happy couple are now on their way to Ontario. Brief as was his visit to England, Mr Simpson found time to write to Lloyd’s News, telling the story of faik'. romance.