CHAPTEE LVIII.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1592, 16 September 1882, Page 5

CHAPTEE LVIII.

At this moment a cab drove up, and out of it sprung Obadiah Sweetconifort and Sniggle Snickers. The former looked at the group with withering contempt, merited as he appeared to think, for was he not dressed in ■ Buperfine cloth, and they in > the meanest ' Bhoddy ? Yet withal, this doughty man kept a sharp eye on Jack, for he knew how , strong was his hand, and he was not oversurehe might not use it. The two, took out of the cab some pegs and an axe. William and Jack at once saw through iheir intention, and the latter was about to make for Obadiah, when" William stopped him. „ , » - > . " Quiet, Jack," said he, soothingly ; " you\ \Y, '. are not fit to deal with. these men;' your yi/passions would overcome, you." . ' r , j, '*„ f^'ib^filifidSSfeMSiife?*^' w^° washed with

. HI , " Mcioly pestvinj.; ' out <a ! claim," replied Ob idiah, doggedly, " But this is-rny ground," replied William. i " Oh," ' said Obadiah, offensively • " we'll see about that." , " But surely, Mr. Sweetcomfort," said William, with! a bitter sarcasm in his tone ; "so benevolent a gentleman as yourself, and one so rich 1 ;' one who own hundreds of 'acres, would not take my little claim. It'ismot like you, Mr. Obadiah Sweetcomfort, you would not repeat the parable of the prophet and the poor man's ewo lamb." This allusion stung. Obadiah flushed up. "I don't care about your speeches, Mr. Brown," he said ; " I have the law on my side, and I'll have my rights." "Perfectly correct," said William, still satirically ; " but are you sure the law's on your side?" "Yes," rdplied Obadiah. "You ought to have had two men working on this claim, and you've only had one for some time." "That's all very well, Mr. Sweetcomforfc," said William ; " but if you go into the mining registrar's office in Grit, you'll find that the owners of this claim applied for and obtained an exemption for three months only two weeks ago !" Obadiah started* back with a frown. " Oh 1 that won't do," said he, at last, in the tone of a disappointed bully. "Well," said William, turning on his"heel ; "all I have to say is, that you had better examine the records of the Warden's Court ; and at the same time search the scriptures, whore you'll perhaps find a few precepts which won't comfort you over much. And I give you notice I'll have you prosecuted as trespassers if you peg out." And he turned away. Obadiah stood for a minute, his face white with suppressed rage and disappointed hate. Suddenly he noticed Jack, to whom William had narrated what had taken place, make a move as if he were coming down the lull. The celerity with which Obapiah and Snickers got into the cab was wonderful. They disappeared in the twinkling cf an eye, leaving their pegs on the ground, and the cab drove away at great speed. " Why did you stop me ?" said Jack ; " I'd have revenged the insults of years on that wretch. He offered me money when I was weak and broken down, purposely to insult me." ' " Never mind, Jack," said William ; your day will come. Make haste now and change your clothes, take your dinner, and start for Melbourne. I'll dig into that sandstone bar. I believe there's a reef below it ; perhaps I'll find it before you come back." "William, you arc a king amongst men," said Jack, his eyes becoming moist ; " your wife is an angel. 0 1 that I could repay you." "Wo do our duty," said William, quietly, " and that repays us." Maggie now beckoned to her cabman, and after giving Bertha's address entered the conveyance, gently refusing Emily's pressing invitation to stop for dinner. So she was driven away to Grit while Jack began to prepare for his journey. In a few hours ho would be in the arms of her he loved so well, and theirs would be peace and joy forever, while she, like a stricken hart, would have to seek a quiet spot whore she could weep in secret. She was driven to the Patriot Hotel, once Bunukum's, where we saw her first. There she was shown to a room which overlooked the busy thoroughfare and the Park where she had often wandered with Jack when the moon had begun to shed her beams upon the earth. No one recognised in the veiled austere lady the once gay and volatile Maggie. But after all that was the turning point of her destiny.