Nun's Escape.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13898, 8 May 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

Nun's Escape.

ROMANCE OF A CONVENT. A beautiful mm, wishing to be with her friends in London, has (says the Lond(on "'Daily Chronicle" of Feb. 24th) made a dramatic escape from St. Mary's Abbey Roman Catholic Convent. The account of the flight and of the exciting chase which ensued reads very much like a chapter from a Stanley Weyman romance. The nun who made this bold bid for the freer air of the outer world, and in the result triiimped over her pursuers, is aged 24, and named Madge Moult, Her home is at St. Paul's road, Camden Town, and there, greatly harassed by her experience, she ultimately arrived. It is perhaps, not surprising that the story of Sister Madges escapade did not leak out for a weak. To-day, however, everybody in this quaint old town is eagerly discussing it. As might be expected, many highly-coloured details are being introduced. .What is certain is that yesterday

week, shortly after 6 o'clock'at night, the veiled figure of Sister Madge escaped from the convent. . ' She had that day given no sign to the other inmates that her thoughts were centred on her home in London. On previous occasions she iiad spoken of her desire to be with. her mother, but now sho kept her own counsel. The time was favourable for her contemplated escape. .The Abbess and leather JJede Birchley were away, and there, were not so many watchful eyss as usual to elude.

"With beating heart Sister Madge hurried away. In each hand she held a brown paper parcel, containing all her belongings. For something like eight- years she had been an inmate of the convent, and- now she liad made up her mind to live there no longer. It was raining hard, and slio was without the protection of an umbrella. While- bister Madge trudges down the steep winding road which led to Ma'nJiingtree, let us go back to the convent. There- for some little .'time no one. missed-..her. It was not, indeed, until a few minutes after 7 o'clock, when the rest; of the .nuns had assembled for evening prayers, that her absence was noticed. A search of the dormitory which she occupied showed that everything belonging to her had gone. It was clear that. Sister Madge had made a bolt for freedom. , Nor was the customary, placity of the convent rudely disturbed. The coachman was summoned, the waggonette got ready, and in a few minutes two nuns Were off in hot pursuit. It was naturally supposed that the fleeing sister was wending her steps towards i Manningtree, the nearest railway station. . 1 It so happened that two girls who live in the immediate neighbourhood of the convent were walking home that night from Manningtree. At a placo known as Greens Mill; two miles from the convent, they were astonished to see a black garbed figure run past them breathing quickly. It was Sister Madge with her eyes fixed on the cluster -. of lights which' showed where the railway, station lay. By and by, when the two girls neared the convent, they had another surprise. They saw a waggonette come out bearing two nuns, who were telling the coachman in excited tones to drive as fast as ho could. It was just five minutes to 8 when a number of people at the railway station heard cries of "Help, help!" evidently coming from a woman in distress. A railway porter named Munnings, who imagined that someone had fallen into a large pond which is situated near by, picked up a hand lamp and ran down the narrow path from the station, whence the. cries came.

As he approached, similar cries for help rang out, mixed with entreaties, such as " Don't, Sister, please don't." Apparently the waggonette had caught up Sister Madge just as. she was entering the path to the station, and the two nuns' who had come in pursuit, leaping down from their seats, had tried to arrest her progress. Sister Madge, however, resisted, and clung to the palings. "\Yheu the porter put in an appearance, the three nuns became calmer, and for some moments they talked the matter over quietly among themselves. "1 shall not go back," said Sister Madge repeatedly, and in the end they all walked up to the station. By this time the coachman had led his horse up, and now stood in the booking hall. Seeing- him Sister Madge entered into conversation with him, while the two other nuns withdrew to a, waitingroom. "lam so sorry to have caused you all this trouble to-night," she said, shaking the coachman by the hand. "Good-bye." Then she, too, went, into the waiting-room. The stationniaster, who also had heard the screams, now saw the party, and, learning how matters stood, said he would leave them together so that they might come to some decision. After a time he went back to them. " Well, what have you decided to do?" he asked. "I am hot going back," said Sister Madge with determination. " I intend to go to my mother tonight." ' Now one of the other nuns intervened. " Dear sister," she said in a • pleading voice, "you have no money, and you cannot go to-night. Come back with us now. We will send a telegram to your mother, and you shall go to her to-morrow." Tears stood in Sister Madge's eyes as she glanced at the stationmastcr. "I must go to-night," she insisted. "My mother will pay the fare." So seeing that her heart was set on going home, the good-natured stationmaster lent her half a sovereign to pay her fare and incidental expenses. She was profuse in Ijer thanks, and said that the money would be ample for het» purpose.