A VILLAGE IDYLL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8843, 7 April 1909, Page 2

A VILLAGE IDYLL.

" IN THE SPRING A YOUNG ■: : . OMAN'S' FANCY."'

A LAUGHABLE CASE

At the Hastings Magistrate's Court on Friday, before : Mr S. E; McCarthy, S.M., Emily . Large, • a widow, sued Peter Anderson, ai West Clive, for the return of goods alleged to be her property or for their value, £6 14s 6d. .. ' . Emily Large deposed that defendr ant got furniture and other goods at | her house, and", although he had re- ! turned some, he had not returned , <the articles claimed for. To Mr Dolan: Knew Anderson for about six months, and during that .period he was a pretty frequent visitor' at witness's house. ■ , '" Mr Dolan: As a matter of fact, were you not in love? Witness: Not exactly. Did not Mr Anderson bring, you presents ?—Yes, sir. • Did not a number of sweethearts letters pass between you ?—Yes. _ . What is your age, Mrs Large?—! am 36. • You are sure you are making no mistake?—l'am making ho mistake. At one' stage you had agreed to marry defendant ? —Yes. Did you ever call him "Your darling Peter?" —I never did. Continuing, witness said the presents she received did not amount to £5. He offered her a £5 note once, but she declined it. Mr Dolan : Did you not promise to love him all the days of your life ?—I never said I would love him.

Did he not give you money to pay for certain photographs ? —Yes, I was in-the photographs. (Laughter). Did he not give you presents of oranges, onions and bone-dust (laugh-+-A|A "ypg His Worship: A strange combination. (Daughter). Mr Dolan: The ways of love are strange, your Worship. (Laughter). Mr White: Defendant is a farmer, your Worship. • . ' ' Mr Dolan to witness: As a matter of fact you had him badly "on a ■string?"—No, I had not. Serve him right"'he should keep his eyes open. (Laughter). No one but myself and defendant saw the furniture leaving my house and I helped to place the furniture on the cart. Did you not say, "Peter, darling, j in a short time I will be following them myself?";—No, I didn't. Didn't you intend marrying defendant? —I 'was not too certain. I kept my weather eye open. Two months engagement is not enough. You should know a man for years before

marrying him. Witness admitted receiving a ring from defendant, which she wore, but she removed it, as it hurt her finger. Mr Dolan then read the following

letter from plaintiff to defendant, which witness admitted : —"Hastings, Sept. 14, 1908. Dear Sir,—l take the liberty in writing to you. I must tell you that I do not intend marrying you but I will look on you as a friend only. If you kindly come Wednesday afternoon to take away your clothes '' Mr Dolan: Oh, then, he left his clothes at your house?— Yes. (Laughter>- -, «t Mr Dolan, continuing to read, 1 will be extremely obliged to you. I write this letter to you to-night as I would like this affair fixed up before it goes any further, I think the sooner you. know the better. I must th&nk you kindly for all you have done for me. I will certainly treat you as a fwend but no more. I return the ring with this letter and you may have ■'the' rest of the things when you come. I am very sorry to have to write this letter to you, but I am quite decided now, and would not deceive you in any way. I have no fault to find with you whatever, and I do hope there will be no illfeeling, as I have quite decided to remain as I am.—l am, yours truly, -Mrs Large." Mr Dolan, to witness: Between September and the end of the year did not you both come together again?— Yes, I think so. Ah, I-thought so. You came together in the spring time. (Laughter.) " ' • Mr Dolan then read another letter

from plaintiff to defendant as follows: —"Hastings, November 24th, 1908. Dear sir,—l promised to write you a few hurried lines to say how you will be careful with horses, and I always ask the God of love to keep you from all harm and to watch over you every day. It has been a very vet morning here, but it has calmed down a great deal by now. I have just put baby down, and I do hope she will sleep for a little time, until I milk the cows, and then I don't mind a bit. I thought you may come over and surprise me, but then again I did think of what you said on Sunday evening. I do hope you got home on Sunday evening all right. I am a bit "off colour" today, and I will go to bed early tonight, and that might help me a bit, but be sure and don't worry a bit over me, as there is no need. There were i a great many cabs out this morning, in spite of all the rain. I wonder who will get in; it will be a tight corner for both of them. I heard this morning. The rain will do the world of good, and bring on the vegetables: Dear dad, when you pick me some flowers don't bring the roses too much out, as they don*kla'st any time. V I suppose the girls will be in Hastings to-night, N but I am I not going to wait up for anyone. -I daresay ffchey may all go up town to hear the returns of the day. I have nothing to write about, so you must excuse this scribble. Well, good-bye,.my dear, and be good until I see vou. I am your loving friend. Love to all.—Emily Large." Mr Dolan (quoting): "It will be a tight corner for both of them," what . does that refer to, the people in the cabs?—No, to an election. Did not defendant, only this morning, offer to marry you ?—Who would make up again after the engagement was twice broken off?- He is a most superstitious man and was very jealous of one or her boarders, as well as of many others. ' You used to call him " Dad "?— Evidently. To Mr White: Had four acres and two cows. . There was a mortgage on the land , ; She made her living by working, and she kept one, and sometimes two boarders when she could get them. The child was hers, by her first husband, who did not leave her too well off. To the Magistrate: I thought defendant would return the articles. Things' are always returned after an engagement is broken off. He returned half the articles but he said the articles' referred to in' the present case could not be found. Witness,.continuing, said Mr Anderson had threatened her with a breach

of promise action, but he had not taken proceedings, nor did she think he would. ■ Mr W. J. White said he had letters from defendant, but he would not

read them, as he considered no good resulted from reading this ' class of letters.'.. ■■ ••. .' '. ; . ■ '<;. .. : : :v A -,-. •'

Mr Dolan said that -there was s well-known saying that ''There's n< fool like ail old fool," and' that wa: the position his client found himsel: in that day. The pair .met, becanu affectionate, which in \ due course ripened into an engagement. Tl» usual troubles which beset the cours< of true love were visible in this case but, after a few breaches, it wa: agreed that she should give her good* .and chattels to defendant, and: thai they should get married in a fe-p months. The lady,. as was. of ten th< case with ladies, was capricious and though his client was willing, she de clined to carry out her engagement He contended that plaintiff made ai absolute gift of the goods, to be followed by and if she did noi then make an absolute gift she hac placed the property-in his client -t hands as custodian, to he made an ab solute gift after \ Peter Anderson, .defendant, depos >ed he- was 52 years of age." He hac visited plaintiff , and "often took hei out'for a drive on Sunday mormngi in a gig which cost 50 guineas. Thej became very much attached'and. wer< to be married in the second week n; last January. Gave her a ring anc boughtJier flowers and other present to the value of £11. All the present; were not included in the list submit ted. Had 3$ acres of land. Mr Dolan: Did she break the engagement off once ? . , , . Witness: She broke it off. twice (laughter). The second time was thf last. . ... ~'• ~ Witness continuing, after the engagement was broken off he stuck tc the things and she.wrote him severa lawyer's letters and threatened ' t< issue a writ against him fox slander He returned the furniture, as it was practically new, and he thought i 1 only right to do so. : Mr White: Why did you return th< furniture if it was given you as ai absolute gift? . Witness: I was worried .with lawyers' letters, and I hate law. I wem round to see her this morning, to trj to settle with her so as to avoid law but she ordered me off the premises saying I would have no chance agamsi a woman. - , . When he proposed to marry, her h< told her that everything belonging t( him would be made over to her, anc he would make his .will in her favoui after marriage. This was when sh( gave him the property. His Worship said that this was i case which it would have been verj much better to have settled out o: Court. He was satisfied that th< goods were not given to the defendani as a gift, but handed to him on the understanding that they got marriec and, if they had got married,.the. goodi would stiil have been the propertj of the plaintiff. It was just a villag< idyll shattered, the lady proving coy and illusive. (Laughter). He would make an order for the recovery ot the *oods or their value, £2 10s, with joste £1 14b. . ' Mr Dolan: Will your Worship stay execution pending the issue from my ilient of a writ for breach of promise ? Laughter.) \ . His Worship: 0, no, certainly not. Laughter.) The Court then rose.—Telegraph.