CHAPTER XLV.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 29

CHAPTER XLV.

Jock Murray, the Newsboy, Fails to Keep His I Appointment. Entirely unsuspicious of the dire mischief tha| Constable Jones was hatching in his brain (who, in point of fact, had not been at home when his termagant of a wife had declared that he was so in order all the better to frighten Winny and overawe her soldier cousin), the trio pursued their course along I Swanston street, and across Princes Bridge, when the bhiestone barracks rose close in tront of them, and Nelly Farrell pointed out to Lance-corporal Ballinger the advisability of his at once leaving them and returning to his quarters. "And take this "special" with you. I bought two on purpose ; you may find it very useful, for it will give good reasons for your non-return at the proper hour," said the shrewd and practical girl, as she literally thrust one upon him, at the same moment giving Winny a nudge in token of the advisability that she should support her statements and counsel, which she at once idid. Jim saw the sound sense of all that w advanced, and yielded to persuasion, though I he would have much liked to have seen Ms companions as far as Nellie's lodgings, more especially as a great part of the way was then very lonely and unbuilt on. But Winny's new, and apparently most efficient protector, declared that he "need feel no apprehension about them, for that she had made the journey alone, and at a much later hour, hundreds of times, without the least molestation or unpleastness." So they parted just by the wooden Emigration Depot, and five minutes later Jim passed the sentry, and entered the barrack gates, to be stopped and have his offence noted down by the sergeant on duty at the main guard house, just within, who thereafter ordered him to proceed to his quarters and consider himself under arrest. It was at least a quarter of an hour later when the two girls reached Wooloomooloo terrace on Emerald Hill, where Nelly let herself into her lodgings with a latch-key, and leading Winny into a comfortably famished little parlour she kissed her and bade her welcome in a particularly kindly manner, hoping that " she would make her home there as long as ever' so humble a one woald content her." Winny expressed her thanks as well as she could, but felt infinitely more than she was able to put into words. Nelly perceived this very clearly, and pressed her to sit down and partake of the frugal supper that was ready-laid on the table, and consisted of the half of a cold pig's cheek, a piece of cheese, a loaf, and a pint of ale, Winny, however, declared she could not eat anythirg, and Nelly at once responded that she was not hungry either, and suggested that they should at once go to bed, a proposal that her companion thankfully acceded to. So Nelly threw open the communicating door, and thereby disslosed a sweet little sleeping chamber, upholstered in the purest white, and within a quarter of an hour the two girls were lying locked in eaoh other's arms, within the snowy tent bedstead, with its necessary mosquito curtains, not to sleep, for they found that quite impossible, but to talk and weep and caress by "turns, and eaoh to make a full confidence unto the other o£ all her past life, more especially of that portion of it which had been connected with Loftus FitzGerald, alias Amos Robinson. < ' .' Nelly Farrell had necessarily much tha most to tell concerning that individual, bub though her early gratitude and her later love.

towards him caused her to speak as little as possible of his faults, and as much aspossiole of his virtues,, Winny could hot help but perceive how utterly selfish and unworthy his Conduct had been in regard to her, whilst with every passing hour she realised yet more and more keenly how deceitfully, treacherously, and in every way infamously, he had behaved towards herself, her uncle George, and her cousin Jim. Indeed, a fresh fear and horror began at last to lay hold of her and. eat its way as it were into her very heart and brain, taking the form of a most terrible doubt as to whether her' husband had not actually murdered her father and her father's mate and friend, when they three were left alone upon the raft, and he beheld approaching in the distance the vessel which it would, . be so much mqr'e to his advantage, should. rescue only himself than all three. She strove her very hardest to drive a#ay the awful supposition, but she could not do it, and at last it made' her feel as though, should it get completely the upper hand of her, it must drive her mad. The night was as a continuous wide-awake nightmare to her, therefore, and when the time to rise at last came roand, and Nelly Farrell got out of bed, drew up the blind, and in the act let a flood of warm bright sunshine into the room, the expression on Wiriny's face, as viewed thereby, almost terrified her, 60 deathly pale was she, and so wild a light dwelt in her beautiful eyes. " Why, I declare that your cheeks seem to have stolen the snows from your shoulders, dear; but you must cheer up, for matters may not be nearly so bad as they at present seem, and we presently shall hear what Jock Murray has to say. It is a very strange thing, doubtless, and it may seem an equally stupid one, yet, nevertheless, I pin a great de^al of faith in that sharp little street arab, for I'm sure that he knows something, and perhaps a godd deal about the diamond ring and s.carf pin that threaten to be such deadly points of evidence against your husband, who I would ' dare to swear got them in a legitimate manner enough." "I hope so," was all that Winny could answer, and hadn't she looked so wretchedly ill Nelly would have resented the reply as shewing far less faith in Loftus FitzGerald than he was deserving of ; nor would she have reflected that although she had met with much wrong at his hands, his young wife had endured infinitely more, and that in her case the wrong had extended to everyone whom she had ever loved, aye even to the dead. .Though she did not think of any of these things, Nelly made as many excuses for her companion in her mind as that mind was capable of conceiving, and every effort to encourage and cheer her up as well ; and W,inny allowed her at last to suppose that she had succeeded, for it struck her that it would be most ungrateful were she to allow her to think otherwise. But it soon became Nelly's turn to feel depressed and despondent, as the time sped on and no Jock Murray turned up. In vain they waited and waited ; the little human straw to which Nelly Farrell had clung, like the proverbial drowning man, failed to drift again within either her sight or reach, and at last she remarked with a sigh that ' 'it was no good waiting any longer, for that she was sure he wouldn't come now." Daring the breakfast of toasted bacon and boiled eggs, that each of the girls pretended to eat in, ordei to encourage the other, Nelly asked abruptly :— • " What do you intend to do on your husband's behalf ?" " I shall go to my solicitors the first thing to-morrow morning and ask them to do their very utmost for him, sparing no expense," said Winny. " Poor fellow, how sad it is that he should have to spend the whole of Sunday in a gloomy police cell," sighed Nelly, immediately adding, " to-morrow we — that is to say, you — will be able to get him out on bail. Money wjll do almost anything." "In England they don't allow of bail in murder cases," replied Winny in so calm and quiet a tone that it actually surprised herself. The next moment the thought struck her that her feelings had indeed undergone a great change with respect to her husband, and that the process was still going on, and was far from completed ; but she tried to get rid of the fast growing conviction as one that was wrong, and even downright wicked, but failed miserably, as she knew full well, in the attempt; indeed, a few minutes later her changed self became yet more apparent to her in the secret joy and relief that she was conscious of feeling when, in a soldier who passed the window and halted at the door, she recognised her cousin, Jim Ballinger, though Nelly Farrell, on the other hand, involuntarily shuddered at his appearance, owing to his being the individual who, though he had acted without animus, and even at her own request and behest, had nevertheless betrayed the man she loved to captivity and perhaps to death.