A ROMANTIC STORY.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8178, 3 May 1919, Page 3 (Supplement)

A ROMANTIC STORY.

SYDNEY MAN SAVES .N GIRL FROM RUN. AND WINS FORTUNE OF TWO MILLIONS. BATHURST, March 20. When Mr A. F. Stocks, a Bathurst dentist,.while practising at Paddington about nine years ago, handed David S. Kidd a cheque for To, on the latter s urgent request. Kiddremarked that the favour would not be forgotten. It lias not. Kidd has become the possessor of t2,0U0,0U0 in America, and has now written to Mr Stocks disclosing the particulars of tin case and inviting the Bathurst man fo his homo in Waverlev St.. Montreal. Mr Stocks has accepted, and is arranging for an early departure. AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY: The case is an extraordinary one. When Kidd was in Sydney he eked out a scanty existence by travelling as a tea salesman. In this way he met Mr. Stocks at his home. A coincidence of religious views led to a cordial friendship. Kidd related to Mr Stocks that

oil one occasion, in Montreal, he accidentally met a young woman of questionable character in a restaurant, and in reply to her approaches, gave her some friendly advice. The girl called at his home the same night .and reven'cd that she was the only daughter of Mr W. G. Byrne, a millionaire, then residing in Montreal. Kidd gave her a small Bible, and struck up a correspon-

dence with her father, as the iiltimati result of which the girl returned home though she died a few months later.

KIDD BECOMES A STEPSON. Meanwhile, Byrne had lost his wife and only son at sea. and took Kidd (who was married) in as a stepson. When the millionaire died he 'eft his ( state to Kidd, stipulating that 317,000 dol. were to go to the servants, and 1.380,000 dol. to the building of a Bvrne Memorial Church. Kidd was still negotiating about the will when in Australia, and secured an advance from the estate to enable him to go to America. After much legal complications he lias now come in for tlie property. He has been ord.vned n, Congregational minister under the name of the Rev D. S T\. Byrne, and is at present engaged in extensive popu'ar mission work in Canada His letter to Mr sTrcks. along with Press extracts, entirely confirming the remarkable store. have been shown to n Sunday Times reporter.