PARTNERSHIP.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume I, Issue 19, 23 April 1892, Page 2

PARTNERSHIP.

A MINING SKETCH,

,BT THB BDITOK. r{ Concluded J.

"1 think you're a )first-class giltedged scoundrel, but you have me id your power. 'I am not sure whether I shall not shoot vyou like =a dog >right; now" —and with a swift .movement he produced a silver-mounted revolver.

Scotty, for Scotty it was, smiled. He; was undoubtedly a plucked one. '

"I think, Sir John, if you ponder you will see that thatl game is not worth the candle. Take the matter in a business light now. You may be sure, that knowing my man, I was prepared for this little outburst. Quite natural, df course. But it would make no difference to your neck if you pulled that trigger,, however, for all the evidence in the' Pincher murder case is carefully* collated and producable. It is in the hands of —er—Lady Walker, who 'has my instructions to take certain steps in case anything happens to me. No, Sir John, 1 you know too much. Life .and liberty is too dear to you just<now, and every' murderer" he smiled pleasantly "does not get this show. >You will give me a little cheque—>l see you have your cheque-book handy—something an four figures, you know, and in return !I wilf give you twenty-four hours to consider matters." He spoke quite nicely and, in really a friendly tone.

" I must pay you the compliment, Mr Sievers, of informing you that you are the smoothest blackguard I have ever met. 'It would be a luxury to shoot yon, but-I must admit the truth of what you say. Here is a cheque for i£soo —-bring" me this woman that I may see her aud you -shall receive my answer to-morrow!"

"Sir John, it is always a pleasure to have dealings with a genfhman, I thank you. After all it is purely a business ►transaction. >(Gq<M morning/ ' • ' !

Now Mr Scotty was playing a *huge game. His role of detective was purely an assumed oue, the card and the " warrant" being simply properties as was another trump card which he held i.e. the marriage certificate of Richard Pincher with Mary McMaater, as beautiful a forgery as was ever uttered. The' said Mary McMaster had been a-Dublin bdllet girl who had found her way to New York and. had greatly risen in the world as Florry iDebonnaire, the charm, ing Parisian soiibrettej carrying the ißowery by storm with her rendering of "I've got a little devil in my eyej" "The Dude's delight" and "What Oh, 'Liza" with a remarkable Italian accent for -a soubrette from the gay city. 'She was at iheart a good jolly -sort bf.being,j scoffing at husbands unless such might; turn up in-theiformof tan English titled' "Johnny!" Sut such do not giffect ihe Bowery, and Klorry 'fell theflhands of Walter Scotty. They cohesed at a »Bohemian<Bupperat fCorieylsland, New York, and had lived a merry life together both sides*of the water. Funds got low and the resourceful W.W, invented this.scheme to extract-from the pockets of the millionaire a little small change to the tune of £100,000. 'Between threatening and cajolery this strange compact was settled. "Lady Walker appeared; to be reviewed and indeed she looked well on that morning. She was presentable. Not too young looking, for tJhat would not 'have fitted dates. She had a good romance ready, but was not cross-examined much by Sir John It was certainly a strange meeting and a more remarkable compact was never made. There was great .fluttering in the dove cotes when the news came out. Sir John, like a wise man, accepted the inevitable and the ■necessary introductions were made. He gave no excuse, nor apology, simply "Lady Walker,.just returned from the States." People "didn't ask questions,'' how could they? and consequently "were told no lies." It was thought When Sir John was naturalised, as a preliminary to his knighthood, that he was a bachelor—indeed the influence that obtained the knighthood had marriageable daughters. Lady Walker

caugbton. She. was as to the manner born. Somewhat passe, bat on the buxom side. She wore her honors and her diamonds superbly. She had a shapely bust arid arms—had they not been an asset before in the old days? and on her presentation showed much more breeding than a lot of Norman blood there present. Yes, she -was admired- and also hated. Yon >can discriminate as to which sex admired, and which hated. !one man above all admired her. Knowing the oircnmstances as he did how, what, else could he have done. Such consummate acting, snch perfect grace. Indeed Sir John Walker was proud of her, and something more. She always had with her, whether Sir John was .present or not, that hateful 'brother of hers, the Hon. Scott Waback, from Chicago. Such an attentive brother as he was'! Sir John was not polite to ;this attentive brother. The strangeness of the Whole matter <in itself lent piquancy 'to 'the "husband's" admiration of his "wife!" He'was continually with 'her and yet by his environment could mot once even touch her. This very thing.outside of his admiration of her cleverness and grace was sufficient to make him'long for her as wife in more than name. The Hon. Scott Waback took to a European life ■ with zest. Pool and baccarat, the higher class of intoxicants, and a large circle of lady friends in the district of St John's Wood, were his weaknesses. In the course- of six months he had disposed of a dozen thousands and was continually getting Fittle cheques from his "sister."" He chafed.at not having the whole hundred thousand. . At this Lady Florence demurred.

" See heTe my girl T —hie — want money. Didn't Ido all this—_put you where you are—what the Waxes were you, anyhow, nntil I took you up ?■ A tight rope dancer—a damned bad one at fhat, with nothing but your limbs for a fortune—a Bowery- singer showing yourself to a', gang of cads for ten dollars a night. -Giye me the money, then—yes all of it, and I'll stop. ¥ou — you, to dictate to me. I -say the moneys mine, all mine, you a ifootlig'fet Jezebel^" and.be took her'roughly toy the wrist. ,

I " You lie, you mean curl" And Florence Lady Walker flapped the Hon. Scott iacross the face with her open hand. "Stand back and dare you touch me, >you maudlin hound. To you I've been clean and honest, bat what, have you done with me? Traded me, made.stock of me that yoo might have sufficient money to carry on the life of a beast. I will give yon no more mone.y-—no, not a dime. Walter Scotty, the man that you are working on iis'Worth a thousand of such as yon, murderer though you call him. . Listen I I hate you! Tes, I!hdte.yori\ Go, and do worst."

'One-e-e-e! Two-o-o-o! Three-e-e-e!! boomed out Big Ben after chiming its monotonous round.

Lady Walker turned restlessly on her bed. The light was very low.. Her eyes were wet. She had been Mary McMaster, the little Kildare colleen, that night. Ah! it seemed such a long dreary time ago; could she, she, be the Mary that she remembered and which she would far—far sooner have still been? Crack!! Creak! Hark! There was something moving :fit tfhe French casement. "tflorry !" She was up in a moment, her «3resiing gown flung around her. " Dare you 1 come 'here— you —*3are you! Go or I will scream and bring the house down—Go! go ! go 1" He was standing at the window. How hateful he looked —half drunk as usual, breaking in on her dreams of innocent years. He held a paper in his hand—»a cheque'filled 'in and ready for signature. The other hand was behind him and he was standing just outside with his back to the low palisading. " Don't be afraid my beauty, I'll not |«ome in. I don't want.yff«~had

of you, bat take this cheque and sign it and give it to me within one minute, or by God I will shoot you down like your lovely husband, ha ! ha ! husband—did his mate,'* and he produced a little— almost a toy—revolver. She saw he was in earnest, and her woman wit quickly pame to her aid. "Well, Walter, you need'nt be so rough with me. Give me the cheque then, aod I will sign it." She came out of the casement to him. " I thought you wouldn't be cruel to me, eh, Flo', old gal—here give us a iissoutofold ?' He was in the act of putting his arm rout to reach her. A push. Ah!— Whoosh—thud!h —thud! He was over the palisading. The ground was forty feet below. ' . ,>;.■;*,,..,:■♦: •>■;.* •.:..- *■, ■ -,:* • " God bless; my soul," said the Hon. Bob to, the Marquis of Fewacres, " how on earth did it occur. Ah, bad fiz, I suppose;, the vile club stuff—but he always drank hard. * What the deuce ■could he have been doing climbing aboafc the house, though, beats me, by ■Jove. When they picked him up he called out Florry^— ithat's his sister, you iknowi""-' : ■ :;;-;! -•■■■■■-•■■■■ Damme, 1' said the marquis, "that ■woman is beastly fond of her husband j lie : makes a psrlect ass of himself over Actually saw him kiys her—pah— in the orchid house last night afteL" 'toe funWal." •f Weil," sighed Lady JUaud " they must have led beautiful and romantic lives to be so fond of each other now, -after being married all these years., It must, be delightful to have a husband who: loves you so, and whom you keep young, for when they love as they do at iheir age,^ and Lady Maud sighed again. •

*;# * * * (Extract from the "Morning Post," Jua«

;; ; _ sth, 18—.) " An interesting ceremony took plaoe "af Sir John Walker's Sussex seat, r<ttne Mai, in the private chapel, on " Wednesday last, the occasion being ** the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of his marriage with his ■" charming lady. The form of marriage "was again parsed through, the cele- " brant ineing the Hon. and Rev. Dean -" Maeclefield, ■■assisted- by the Rev. "Horace Sevens, Sir John's chaplain. " It' is nnderstood that the original *' ceremony, made in Sir John's salad " days,-being merely a civil marriage "" before a registrar in the United States, "*' Lady ;Walker, whose High Church Xi principles are-'sa well kuown, was <{ desirous of having the bonds =again "solemniaed and strengthened by the -* beatifpad service of the church. The Ai twentieth anniversary of the happy " event is well ohosen for its re-celefora. "tion^ but it was difficult to imagine |* that the beaming and handsome lady '"who stood at the altar had Laen in "" like position a score of years ago. The ** gifts were both numerous and costly, <( and comprised, knter- atia, a handsome "*' shawl from Her Majesty, and a superb 41 diamond and emerald tiara from ""H.R.H. the Prince of Wales"

(From the "Court Journal," July sth 189-.V " Birth. — July 3rd, at the Mall, 41 Sussex, the seat of Sir John Walker, **'Bart, Lady Florence Walker, of a 1 "son and heir. Australasian papers "please-copy." . THE END.