A QUESTION OF ARREARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 99, 11 May 1907, Page 4

A QUESTION OF ARREARS.

MARGARET MATTHEWS' MISHAP.

Wanted Her Back Maintenance Money

Bat Dr. McArthur Tunis t% Deaf Ear

. The Law generall casts a stern, severe eye on the individual who, held responsible,, or even admits his' responsibility of some confiding girl's slip from grace, fails to keep up his payments for maintenance and his excuse for not paying up must be a pretty substantial one r , ._ .1 admitting of no refutation, otherwise he is jugged, more than ever a hare was. The Law, rightly too, m most instances; has little time for this sort of individual, because he is only ' a coot of a man wno willingly leaves the victim of his lust and the fruit of their love m the lurch to battle along as best they can, ancl many &_ girl so left, and having been put on the road to Hfcil, gets- there I quicker than it was eter .intended [she should. The Law, moreover, dl* | ways has a lot of sympathy for the (poor abandoned female "crirtur," and whispers nice, kind things into her lug and hopes she will be more oarefiil m the future, and when , it . deals out stoush to the' man, all "he can do is,, to 'be penitent and pay un. St- 11 the Law is not always the big ass Bumble reckoned it was, on-d IVlargaret Matthews found it out wh->u she gob -before Dr. McArthur, 5.M... at the Magistrate's Court on Monday morning. ! MARGARET'S LITTLE WANT that morning was tte recovery of £*44 odd . from one James Scott, which was maintenance, due on MarEaret's illegitimate child, oi which I Soott is the papa. Anyhow, the kid . j seems to be an unhappy sort oi child as M-ivgaret and Jaine?- have, since , reared respectable families '. ,of their own,' and the other kie} has goS" v«i long somehow or; . other: Anyhow, Scott has long since' foVcotten; it; and accordingly, for iwp years, n. ore or less, he has v not .paid- ■ _\v. : . and Margaret did not seem •to m'n !, 'until lately it began to dawn en ' h_»t that Scotty ? s v brat was a vuluahhi sort of asset, and was worth jt'4p and that amount 'is worth Uy-ing for anyhow, so s^hc tried to 1 gel} it from Scott, per medium of an order from -Magistral* McAnhur, which ni«.»nt that if tie £40 w_a.s not paid Scott . would ?o to gaol, and perhaps remain there till some of it. was paid O.r until such time as Margaret saw fit. to relent and say she > did not want any money from, him. She mieht have succeeded, too. ifCcott's friend* had not come .s^ong to -his rescue ond engaged Mr, tn nut tin?" true .facts of the .-. case befor-) the beak, when Margaret was blown ,6ut badly According to Mr WiHord.', Scott , was a laborer employed Sy some country Municipal Council, whY had not a bean and was not even able to pay his fare *6o come > down tp Wellington and fa<*e;t-V3 nmsif. tie, was married and had a family. o and Margaret had since .•_•; .,..'; MARRIED, AND MARRIED WELL, and was eminently respectably- ami had a family of her own, __nA Mas not. m want and, m fact, wlßj***fr^^t^__ deal better off than her oty^iJm^ Sl»rlw<i',:-aßosSfi<l * .'eciupl* -^^^^tf- T to pass by and then sudr!>»nlsr 'she according to Mr tYilfovd'k_»^gh.lj and wantsd -£'10 odd frotn him, aid, accord ng to Mr Wiiford's. light. Margaret had no earthly hope of setting it. .•'''■.' •'■■'-'. ' The woman, of course.' denied that she was* well off, and could not . give any explanation for so: suddenly coming to light, and the. Magistrate was not sympathetic with. bir.. arid wanted to know a lot of things , that Margaret wasn't willing to. tell. "It's his brother's doirjgs," she . almost screamed . when Dr . McArtKur said he could ma^te no. 'order; "I can do^without his money ; r _ ,1 don't want it;," she darted at Bendi ancl Bar, as she retreated ' from tlv Court. - ; Mr Wilford. And- yet she , eon"/.'; here and wants the man gaofed. . : Dr.' McArthur rem itfc^' the atrea't - .-.. ahd said that Scott should apply' to have the order cancelled. Mr Wilford said he would advise : him to taka that course. ■, ] ' '