SOLDIER AND THE GIRL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16850, 15 May 1918, Page 8

SOLDIER AND THE GIRL

FIANCEE MARRIES ANOTHER. DISPUTE OVER ALLOTMENT." RETURN OF £93 ORDERED'. A case in which a returned soldier brought an action for the return of certain moneys against his former fiancee, •who had married another man, was heard before Mr. F. V. Prazer, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday., Arthur Foster, soldier (Mr. Singer), claimed from Ethel Bradley, nee Pardington, Mount Eden (Mr. Mossman), the sum of £103 9s, balance of money alleged to have been received from the Defence Department for the use of plaintiff. Mr. Singer said the parties were engaged for some years, and when plaintiff went to the war they were still engaged. Prior to leaving, plaintiff made an allotment order in favour of the young lady, and, according to .her statement, she received £1133 19s on account of plaintiff. They corresponded in affectionate terms the correspondence culminating in a remarkable series of letters. The first, dated August 13, 1917, read as follows: — Dear Arthur, letter will , perhaps cause you pain, and worry, but it is no use letting it go any further, as it is only right that I should tell you, because it I didn t somebody else would, or probably you have already heard of it. It isn't nght for me to leave it until you come back and tell you, .as you would be sure to hear it, and you. would never think the same of me again. "Well, to begin with, I have been going out with another boy, and he has been coming down to the house. ... It certainly hasn't been at all fair to you, but having nobody the temptation was too great and I, like a blind fool, ran into it. and have spoiled myself with you. I know that. Anyway, it wouldn't be right and just for me to go on deceiving you, so that 1 am leaving home and going away out of your life for ever. I have spoilt the best part of your life. Arthur, but I trust you will think the best you can of me. .1 could never go back to you or face you after what « ave done, but I shall never forget you, ana will always remember you as the best poy I had in the world, as you were too kind and good to me. If you hadn't been so good I might- have been different It is an old.saying you can give and be too good ♦L? ? lrl -ij- ' l . thi ? k Jt is for the best that I should go out of your life for ever Twf°3 !**? f< S ee ,* $**. y° u ever knew me. IJont think th \ I have done anything wrong . . . but suppose when you came ™~ Jij 7 ? u heard all about the goings on you would turn me down forever. I am sure. «„,f2 jt m *,y b °y now since you went away, and I could never be the same to you as ♦ ought to bo or, as you would expect StaW £ e, i I ., an » writ «S th i letter in absolutely cool blood. ... I have still col- £?*£? fP-?? 0 * money., , and will continue to ™ E ? f }*_» tout "Mb., What little I did use before l went to work » 8 all paid back rein™ 1 " be iD S l \ b " nk l ot you 'when you f™f,',' • Per baps there is one thing and thl? -° £ Pay * y orx f °/ *» your kwdness. trying -ttiire, 1 «**£• io ™t you' hurt me once by leaving me WOLVES a ? d inß *° a ** Wto Manurewa, Wl th a yonng ladv and cS£Z m \H ? a i f for * on ** home. Stofra bnt , 1 hope Go *fll "Dare you to return to make rome other mrl IV™, «. am n*f7.;r? ° f ♦» UeT °™'thw'Sj. °I

"Little Things Have Leaked Out." Counsel »aid the next letter was quite different. It was dated September 13 and read: — M |bfolu o te,r^ D afX«t%« been doing and wondering if you bra mv" voSTm C °, «* aIL It " Visible lo cS my U estS I Ttion CttUße ° U &* tu ima **»*»» ggStt?>* i wa? o tord on b d^rr?s^ feefcytrtw You true to me! lam sorry Iw£ such a blind fool to believe yoT IsWdte th?t W E \* *Hd »H blown over K! that, but oh no. Several little thincs have leaked out. Do you know anything about the gold bangle you gave her? Why vnft are not worthy or worth ink and nape'r let alone a young lady. Just think of year* I have wasted with you. What did you think I " ( l '7 B / to do when you came back, with two ! I f UB? 1 ar ? t n i Seated and pleased that I found out * before it was too late. . 7 ■ Don t think for one minute that I will worry and break my heart over-it. becaTJS « I woo? I will soon make my match, and don't forvou l did nd make a 4> etter temDt than •*« you m«. '.-J . You confessed you only «£!«"* *S? d « called me 'darlings" and dears," but it was only put on . T suppose it was the other one who sent you the hairpins and pyjama tapes, and you send them. . . . There is as good fish in the sea as. ever was caught, and by the ™ y ™ £° 81e this * will be with another more worthy than you ever were. There is ™, in his i. little finger than there -is in your whole body. . . y When you come back or if ever you do. your belongings will be with my mother, and when you call S,^T Sile *- Wlll Slve -??, a Piece of he" mind. Trusting you will devote you? time £r%il d J n f th tf IBstead , of ±« Mne «">*<» and sending to other people; but of course you wouldn t send photos to any other girls, oh no you are a little saint and ought to be ithei a a°BfmlFoSf. e for show - 1 remain - Counsel commented on the fact that the second letter made no reference to the money. Counsel said defendant then wrote to plaintiff's father, in which she sai3 she had no idea Arthur would deceive her for seven years, and enclosing an anonymous letter purporting to .have been written to defendant by another girl, who said she was engaged to plaintiff. Counsel said . the other girl" was a pure fabrication invented by defendant to cover her own tracks. In the letter to the father defendant said that the girl was willing to come forward and prove that Arthur had been deceiving defendant, and that she, defendant, did not think Arthur ever intended marrying her. She said he had done for her for life, and that it would have looked nice if they had been married before be went away. She concluded by saying she hoped Mr. Foster would see why the engagement was ended.

An Anonymous Letter. Counsel read the anonymous letter in which the writer alleged that plaintiff had been playing a double game" and bad practically ruined her life." The letter concluded: "He only went to the war to get away from both of us, ae he knew I hated you as he hated me, and he could only marry one and keep the other. I am, A Friend." In reading a copy made by defendant of the anonymous letter counsel drew attention to the variations in phrasing and commented on the similarity in writing of the original and copy. ° Subsequently, continued counsel, defendant wrote to the father after plaintiff had returned, saying she would want a receipt before handing things over to him, and askm-him to return her last letters to plaintiff, as they were of no value to him this letter was signed "Mrs."J. M Brad- 1 ley, defendant having married in the! meantime. She also wrote to plaintiff asking for the return of her letters. In February she wrote to the father sayine that it vim hardly credible that such a sum ! was due to plaintiff, and incredible that . he should forget he agreed to pay her 10s ' a week, her board and lodging, and an account for photos, and that he had told her to take £1 each Christmas as a pre- ! sent. She said that she was not ashamed , to meet plaintiff, as what she had done she had done honestly. Money Paid Into Court. Counsel said the suggestions about other girls were fabrications. The sum of £30 was cabled to plaintiff, and £3 5s deducted for photos, and the only money left for I plaintiff was £68.45. Father and son were i not satisfied with this free method of deal- | | ing, and counsel wrote denying that defen- I i dant wan entitled to deduct some £32, and ! asking for the total forthwith. No reply ; was made to the letter, but after a sum- : mons was issued £68 4s was paid into ' Court. . i Plaintiff said he told defendant she could ' take a few pounds if she was ill, but denied making any arrangement that she should have 10s a week. He was not engaged to any other girl when he became engaged to defendant, and had not sent photos to any other girl. I Defendant said that when plaintiff pro- ' posed to her her father and mother were present, and plaintiff asked her father if he would allow her to accept 10s a week on account of her ill-health. He also wanted \ to pay her hoard and lodging, but her, father would not consent. w 'j

"•Plaintiff said' he did not want me to go to work as he was jealous of the manager, because he made more fuss of me than of him," witness declared amid laughter. . Continuing, defendant said she would swear positively that she did not write the anonymous letter, and that. she met the writer, whom she did not know, at the post office. In a fit of temper she had burned all plaintiff's letters. Under cross-examination, defendant said she was 23 years of age, and that she burned plaintiff's letters after receiving the anonymous letter. The writer of the letter made an appointment at the post office, and so that she would be recognised witness agreed to wear a || bottle green costume." Witness met " the other girl," who subsequently went to Wellington. Witness denied receiving any allotment from any other soldier. Mary J. Pardington, mother of defendant, said she was present when plaintiff told defendant to keep 10s a week, after which he asked permission for the marriage to take place. G. Pardington, defendant's father, said plaintiff asked him to keep Ethel from work and he would allow her 10s a week. The magistrate said it was distinctly contrary to public interest that a young woman should receive allotments, use the money, marry someone else, and then refuse to. pay up. There were peculiarities about this case. The engagement was bona-fide, and then came the latter, which was extraordinary when compared with subsequent letters. Defendant's change of front was most peculiar. Obviously she met someone else she liked better, and wrote a humble letter, and then, wanting "to rub it in," wrote the others. He accepted plaintiff's unqualified denials that there was anything in defendant's allegations, and the evidence of the girl as to detail was unsatisfactory. Probably plaintiff meant that defendant was not to work while she was ill. and to use money when she was ill. Defendant's letters indicated that she felt she was not entitled to the money, and he was sorry she had seceded from that view. He preferred to take the middle view and believe that plaintiff intended defendant to have 10s a week while she was ill, and as she was hot ill long he would fix three months as a reasonable time, and allow £7. Judgment would be for the plaintiff for £68 4s, paid into Court, plus £24 16s. On the application of Mr. Singer, who considered the police should take further action, the magistrate impounded the anonymous letter.