BIG PETER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144860, 11 December 1915, Page 5

BIG PETER.

STRONG ROMANTIC LOVE STORY.

By JOHN SHUTK ,

Author of “The Bullion Bah}',” etc., etc. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS; Big Peter: A miner on the Kampurli Gold Field. The real Lord Cambray. The Swell and Scotty: Chums of Big Peter. Robert Walker; A solicitor’s clerk. Endeavours to sell a secret to Big Peter. Mr. Feuron; Acts as solicitor to Big Peter. Lord Carabray: Selfish, old, and with a vicious past. Lorrimcr; Servant to Lord Cambray. Miss Parker: Aunt to Margaret Parker: With whom Big Peter is in love. Mrs. Saunders:, A poor widow whom Big Peter helps'. Tommy aniuudels: Her, son. CHAPTER XVIIL—PRISON. Peter was sitting in his prison cell in Camicslcr Gaol, committed to take bus K.al at tiio next asswco lor wiltm iniirucr. Jhe police court proceedings had been short cuougu. rue murclciod man had been iucnimcd uom ins puckotliook, wnitli had bceu round on tne Otidy, and the man who nail been in Ins company on mo night Petor iia.r met him m Loudon tiad lestniOvl to j'eter’s attack on mm tnim. I lie policeman had been unuid uirougn me number written iu tins same pocketbook, and had aim given evidence 01 tne murderous tin eats Peter nan usen. The very stick with which he hud attacked the police uad been shown to have nad slicking to it traces oi blood and hair, wined was no doubt that ol tne inimicrud man.

I'etcr had listened to the evidence as to a sort of humble dream- Dm ho had said nothing. lie would give tio amount ol himself at all, uov would ho .summon legal help. Une determination he kept all through—by uo wold OI ids would he make it possible for his name 10 cotuo out to be sealed wiin this shame. It was a determination nos very closely reasoned. I’or nit teas possible lor him to withhold his real name now, it would not be possible to keep it secret when ho should come to stand his trial. , ,

Lint ho seemed incapable of logical thought. The .shoe!; hau been too great. He conk! only stand there and sillier, as the dreadtul evidence was piled up against him ; and unless he was prepared to tell everything nothing time ho could say would avail him. Ho would not say what ho was thqrc at all for, and the evidence ol the keeper who had found him lurking about in the woods behind Cumbray Uustlo was only one of the lesser circumstances that wont strongly against him. As he said nothing, but simply pleaded "Xot guilty.” and reserved his defence, the police couvt proceedings were very short, and he was lodged in Carchostor Gaol almost before he had a'olio up to tho full realisation ot what had happened to him.

Ho was silting on the edge of his plunk bed when uis door was unlocked and a warder came into his cell loliowed by a tail man in the dress ol a country gentleman, who held out his hand and said quietly, “\tell, I'filer, you seem to have got yoursclt into an awkward moss.”

r Jhe light was so dim that Peter could not at first recognise his visitor, but the voice seemed lamiliar, and in a moment he found himself grasping tho hand of lus late partner on tuc goldfields, the man whom he had always known as tho Swell. "I can leave you hero for n quarter of an hour, Sir Dawrenco,” said the warder. "My orders is not for longer, so you must say what you've got to say without wasting lime.” Then he wont out and locked the door behind him. "How did you come here:'” exclaimed Peter, "liy Jove! though,; Pin glad to see you. 'liter© isn’t a min in the world 1 would rather see than you.” The Swell, who now looked indeed like a swell, and no longer in tho least like a. goldminer, took his seat by Peter’s side on the plank. "They don’t offer you much accommodation here, 11 he said coolly. “‘Well, we won’t waste time bv talking nbont me. 1 happened to bo hero when you were brought to this not very satisfactory place of residence, and 1 recognised you. The Governor of the prison served in my regiment, and 1 found out all about you from him. and got him to stretch a point and let me see you for a bit. What's it all about, Peter;-' Did you come across that scoundrel and lose your temper with him?’’ Peter stared at him. "What, Walker!” ho exclaimed. "You don't think 1 ranrdored Walker, do yon;'” The .Swell looked a trifle uncomfortable, which was unusual with him, and murmured something about manslaughter. Then Peter told him tjic whole story, and at the end of it ho drew a deep breath’of relief. "Well,” he said, "you,have taken a weight off my mind. 1 was going to stand by you. anyhow, but there’s no use denying that 1 didn’t think it was an entire mistake your being where you are. 1 havo scon you Jose your wool once or twice ‘out there.,' and 1 know you don’t think much of consequences when that happens. I thought ho might have gone for you, perhaps with a gun or something, and you’d gone tor him in return. However, 1 never thought it was really like you to attack a man with a stick, and in tact, old fellow, 1 apologise for thinking anything about it at all. And now let's Jeave that and think what’s to be done.”

•'lt’s what I have been thinking of all the time/’ said Peter. “I know who murdered Walker. I have had him in my power twice, and I have iol him go. JSow i have given my word; if I had him ' hero now 1 couldn't do anything.” “Well, if it's only the undertaking you gave to that charming .'oung lady.” said the Swell, “i should think the" last thiijg in the world that she would wish would be to keep you to it.” “My word is my word,” said Peter, ”and unless she releases mo from it I will say nothing/’ And then‘he broke out fiercely, “Think of her knowing that I am here in prison—charged with a brutal murder! What insist she think of mo! Perhaps she thinks as you did, that I killed him. though 1 didn’t mean to. and that all the time I was talking to her 1 had his blood my hands, and his dead body was lying within a mile of us. Oh! I believe it's tb** end

cf iivoryihinj. I don’l. care rhai ha tito lut. j have a/invi?. uk-L i.Uilti .o put up i-o aelL-ne.. ul a:i, ai.U let im j„1:11,1 u ia Us own ii-aj." 't..-U, il'.C S.VC.I COOl.y. ‘T siipno.e a’asuid .m-vs u r that rvri m; come uuo a Mjall’s hoed wnen he s slum up in a bcn-stiy p.aco like this, without anybody to taik to. Haven’t you sent lor your solicitor or anything.', You ought to have legal advice, .some circumstances are against you ia a most extra ordinary wav. But the ease is much weaker than it looks at unu sight, i louuti out ail aooui/ it that 1 could. Ino man had been dead at least a tonnigln, aceouling to tho nierliral evidence, and 1. .suppose yon can show where yon were all Unit time'" . “Ye:-. I can show whore I was if I let out who 1 am,” said Peter. “Well, my ilrar Icuow, you’ve g’t to do that. Its no good piuimg your head in a bnsu and Li ving to Keep it lucre, il you doji’t lea them who you arc, tiler will Had it out lor themselves. V cry alt. iy inoy are try.uig to do so now; and it won't ho so uilucult. Yon have gii cn a false name down here, hko a tool, and, ot course, that will go against yon until you ten youi reasons ior it; bat yon nave maiica roar true one up m I stud on or wultever else you liuio been, aim, ol course, you will lie uieiiltlled.” “I am not so .sure,” said Peter. ”1 know very lew people in xtngiancl, anil lateiy I nave euanged my rooms in l.onaoti; or rather 1 nave left my rooms ami .put my things m a store until I went back again and took others. I don't believe there's a soul that will miss me, except my lawyer, Mr. Pearon.”

‘ Well, that's the very man you ought to have had with you.” said the Swell. '’i*io tv 11 advise you Lctlui than I can. Why haven’t you . r >eni lur him?”

• will.” said Peter, after n pause, “lie’ll lind mo out lor hiniseh if I don’t, lor ho knows I came down to those parts and wid he wondering why he hasn’t heard from me. The tact is [ have been ashahied, to do it before, 1 could hardly bcßove that this has really happened to me. and I don’t seem to be able to think straight about.anything.”

“Give me his address.” said tho Swell, “and ). will go up to London and see him. And pull yourself toge-ther,-Peter, my boy. Fate .Ims played a dirty trick on you. hut you’ll pull through in the end. You have found your givi and you’ve got your pile : and you’ll got your title jjnd your ensile very soon. Wo shan’t be far off each other when you do. For I’ve come to live in this part of the world. Why, we shall he shooting with each other next autumn.”

Potor looked at. him with interest. “Win arc you Swell*'” he asked him. “You’ve never told mo, although wove been good friends. What did tho man call you when you came in—-Sir Lawrence ?”

"’Towers.” added tho Swell—“ Lawrence Towers. I was that when, wo wore digging together, bur I played tho fool when I was a young follow, i.Vtor. Clot rid of everything. Well, there was a woman in the ease. Put I am cured now. Arstvalhv cured me. and now it has given me hack, what I lost, and more besides.” The sound of a,key in the door shoved that the nennHtcd time had romo to an end. The two men parted with a warm grip of tho hand, and when the door was o-nco more looked norm him Pci or felt that everything might not ho lost after nil. (To be continued.)