THE TWO BOBS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 10348, 22 April 1911, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE TWO BOBS.

PART 111.

(By "Stenex.")

Whou I mob Maria near the church, as agrepd upon in (lie last chapter, she opened the clo>n,ve<rsa.tion !by informing mo thait she was the daughter of a doctor, who had a good practice in. the North of England. "My futh<;r," s>he said, "was, fatally injured in a railway accident. On his cfeath bed he consigned me and my moderate fortunes to the ca.ro of a maternal uncile. lie being 1 the nearest relative. This man, after squandering; his own ftirtune in the manner of tho Prodigal St« of old, laid unscruplnus hands upon mine, and when he brought ma to the verge of utter ruin, he fied to Smith America. There were at .that time agents employed by the. New Zealand 'Government lecturing in tha Provinces, recruiting emigrants* for that colony. These astlitej agents werrs pairtioular'ly anxiousl to attract tha iioticfe of young girls who wero well eduoatodi in practical I domestic economy. Tliey paraded before (he eyed of such girls ad'van'•tageoui3 marriages wijth wealthy land owners, roeix-ibant princes and gentlemen of the lea.mied professionsl. Their slowing adcounts fell nothing snort of tile prospectus of a> commercial company. I took out a sedond cabin ticlke;b, and shortly after my arrival I received the offer 1 of a situation a-s housekeeper in the es'hibJisliment of a wealth ly la mil owner. He Was unmarried and not long 1 after commencing my duties I discovered that hia notions of morality were not in accord' with the principles which regulate respect.-!! -1 ■ "<""eiety. I left him a.nd rtoaolved to tafan service only, with a maimed msr> wlu«a domes', ie surrounding's would be a. guarantee of his jjocd bsluwiour. Acnordine'ly I toot servicie in the place where vein and I firktf met.

"When the two men who influenced my life cam© on the s-cene, Mr Steward, Blank Boib ais he is locally called, treated me with deference; said 1 respcob. I realized that ho was a 'gen-tle-man by Ibipth ant! education, and I loved him. The ral-head'ed, frteclkk-d wrci'ch treated me with disgusting familiarity, and I hatal! him. Ungovernable jealousy, and its natural off ■<] ring: un'qiren'eihaible hate, lV.nklcd in tlioi,v hearts from words I ■ mUrhcia.nl a.nd dark mintual fi-owns I feaml n, tragedy. I was therefore! obliged to treat their advances with mni'e irrt'Siponsiiv'e toleration until thei tame should comla when I could detla.ro my partiality fiw 1 the man of my dioica"

iMr Rober'li Steward alias Black Bb|l.i was now restored to health and his fanner vigour. O'nei day ho 1 -\v,;s .handed a legal looking &n----vtelop -the contend of which included a copy of hi.si father's will, in which he was bequeathed .£9OOO ■with a residuary hitertet in certain 6!her legacies at the death of ctetrtaiii parties 1 named. I was !ltest. man at the wedding which followed. tliesJc events, and when I bade them goodbye before leaving 1 for Sydney I si id to 1 Miv .Sfcevard that if I had beie.m in a' position to give Maria, no--.V Mrs Steward, the homo wliicili she t-xv well dleserved, he! would haVo had a: formidable rival. Both of them 1 laughs heartily at. thi? piece of clonctit, and entered tlie boa* which convoyed them tib the ship. lit is now tiros to revert briefly to the fatd of Ifed Bidb. Three mounted policemen were sent in pulrsuit of him., and one of tho party overtook him as ho was making his-way to a mining camp. Bob neither attempted to free nor iiidla himself. The. "gentleman in blue" dismounted and plating his hand cm the fugitive's shoulder", t'.aid, "I arrest, you Roibbrb Smerdon for grielvioiiH bodily harm inilkited uipon Robert Stewrad." The offici.il' them pulled; a pair of h'andcuffti oulb of hi; pocket, whereupon Rob.-rfj drew himself up, and stared alt iv.H captor in a menaciingl attitude. "You shall neiver," said Bbb, "put theei il'm 13 on my wrists'." The offii ecu* then drew a revolver, and Robert replied, "FirH away then; I dare in-;.." Tliiw pub lho offider into a. dile'niia.. To shaob the prisoueir Womld te ' criinin-i.l and to emgivge in :u struggle with, fsueh a: formidable antag'fuiist. •Womld liia dausrcl-ous. Bob grasped the Mtua.tion and offered a, eiompivmise. Ho (nffei-ocl to go quiolly with the officer to Mi a that'll road if the effieor would promiiss faithfully not to attempt, to jmt on the h'ons. This way mutually ajjreied to and the parties arrived' in town without any mishap j or disiv'jrraemtenti. When Tkh was tried botii judge and jury took into account, the unpraiieditiu.ted' nature of the assault a«d lie was dealt, with lonietntly on lluvb atiobutnt'. Ho was sentenced to eag-hfoen months hard laibnir. On hid lvleai'^e ha left the district and.was nevei" , licvard of there again. The EM.