The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-05-09 00:00:00

CHAPTER XVII.
HARD TIMES FOR FDA.

GREAT was Polly Walworth's delight when from her
chamber window she saw her lover appoaching, in
his best double pleasure wagon, with his well-groomed
steeds; and although it seemed rather odd to her that
he had brought his "old folks" along (for such at
first glance she supposed the occupants of the back
seat to be), yet she was satisfied that he had reserved
the place beside himself for her.
This view of the case, of course, was quickly
changed, and consternation took the place of joy in
the heart of Polly.
"I declare if there aint that deceitful little minx
and her father, riding with Charley Stoddart !" she
exclaimed to her mother. "What on earth does that
mean ?"
"Oh, don't be so scared about your beau," said her
mother, laughing; "1 s'pose he's come across them
somewhere, and has given them a lift home."
"Which she's been mighty willing to accept, the
sly, artful little hussy! And it's half an hour past
milking-time, too."
Charlerdid not come in, but this gave Polly no
particular uneasiness, as the next night was his
regular "sparking night ;" but she thought he was
unnecessarily polite and careful in helping Eda out
of the carriage, and that his parting bow was more
profound than the occasion demanded.
When she had heard the whole story, as related
chiefly by Mr. Walworth, she tried to think no harm
had been done; but when Sunday came and went,
without the appearance of her lover, dreadful mis-
givings filled her mind.
The next day did not bring Mr. Stoddy ; but on
Tuesday, to the great relief of the distracted belle,
he came, withhis horses and his wagon, and invited
her and Eda to take a drive with him. This was
better than not seeing him at all; and although she
did not dare to practise her former duplicity towards
her cousin, she resolved to prevent her going, if
possible.
"He's come to take me a-ridin'," she said to Eda,
"and, of course, he has to ask you; but I suppose
you don't want to go, do you?"
"Most certainly not," replied Eda; "but I ought to
go in and thank him, after all his kindness to us, you
know." _

"Oh, that ain't necessary; ru make plenty of
excuses for you."
But Eda thought it was necessary, and Polly was too
much pleased with her ready acquiescence in declining
the ride, to insist on her objection.
That ride terminated Mr. Stoddy's attentions to
Polly. She came home with red eyes, yet with almost
as much of wrath as of grief in her heart. She knew
now that Eda had been the means of bringing her
duplicity to light, but how undesignedly it had been
done she did not know, or would not see. Her anger
was unappeasable; she openly accused her cousin of
perfidy, and of seeking to lure her lover away from
her. Eda was much distressed by these charges, but
it was idle to allege her innocence or to assure Polly
how much she had already interceded for her with her
offended beau. _ _

Polly's grief was really lessened, but her spite was
increased by the discovery that Eda scorned the man
for whom she herself was pining, and of whose
addresses she had been so proud.
The fascinated rustic knew the temper of both Aunt
Esther and her daughter too well to think of resuming
his visits at their house, in the new character of a
suitor of Eda. But after various ineffectual efforts to
waylay her in her walks, apart from some of her
uncle's family, Charley resorted to the extraordinary
experiment for him, of making his wishes known by
letter. As he really wrote a very good hand, he
thought it would be a good opportunity to show off
this accomplishment, and although he knew he was
liable to mistakes in spelling—that he was deficient in
grammar, that he had "no knack at composing "—all
these he considered trifles compared with elegant
penmanship.
Miss Eda was therefore greatly surprised at an
epistle which reached her through the post-office,
under cover of an envelope addressed to her father,
and in which the waiter plunged boldly in medias res,
by assuring her that her " transplendant beauty"
had " captivated " him, that he was "dyeing for
her," tat he was " reddy to marry her off hand,"
that he had a fine farm of his own, well stocked, and
a good }muse,. ; that"his parionta eonconted unany_
musly, also his sister;" that "the rose is red, the
vialet blew, the pink is sweat, and SO are you," and
begging a " speedee anaer."
He got it; a very speedy and decisive one, in kind
terms, of course, but terms which left him no hope of
success, and his offer was consequently not renewed.
Eda was sorry that she could not show this corre-
spondence to her cousin, in order to convince her of
her own good faith in the matter; but her strict sense
of honour would not permit her to divulge such a
secret. Her position became, thenceforward, a more
painful one than it had been before. Locked upon as
the direct cause of Polly's misfoltunes, she was
treated with corresponding harshness, and she feared
daily to hear that they would be required to- seek
another home.
What they were to do she did not know, for desti-
tution stared them in the face, and she almost feared
that she had done wrong in discarding her boorish
lover without consulting her father. Perhaps her
duty to him required that she should have made even
as great a sacrifice as this for his welfare; but she
could not believe that he would have either desired
Or permitted it.
When autumn came without material change in
Mr. Walworth's health, he was advised to spend the
winter in one of the West India islands, in order
that the milder climate of that region might admit
of his being much in the open air. He dreaded a
seclusion in heated rooms he longed for a sea-
voyage—which, it was believed, might itself work a
favourable change in his system; but whence were
the means to come for so expensive an undertaking?
' He had a little money left, not a third of the sum
requisite for such a purpose; but Eda had the watch
and jewellery which Belmont had given her, and these,
when some secret pangs had been assuaged, some
bitter tears suppressed, she offered to her father, with
a radiant smile of filial love, that concealed all linger-
ing traces of anguish.
It was only after a severe mental struggle, after
much urging and persuading from his daughter, and
some broad hints from Archibald and Esther, that
Mr. Walworth conditionally consented.to avail himself
of Eda's generosity.
Eda had not worn her watch or jewels sir ce she
had left the city, and her uncle's family now first
learned that she was the owner of such ornaments.
They were, of course, produced for inspection ;
their value was canvassed, and the sum which could
be borrowed on them, and the mode of doing it, were
discussed.

"Get them for Polly!" said Esther to her husband,
aside. "They'll be cheap if he shouldn't never pay
up and take 'em back, which isn't at all likely; and
any way she can have the use of 'em, and you can
afford it for such a hard-working girl as Polly has
always been."
The arrangement was duly carried out, and resultea
transferrinn- about forty pounds into the pockets of
the invalid, and in filling the heart of Polly Walworth
_
with
On the very next Sunday she astonished the neigh-
bourhood by wearing the whole set at church—watch
and chain, brooch, bracelets, ear-drops and necklace,
together with a few ornaments of her own. Such
another bedizened maiden the oldest inhabitant of
Crowvale could not claim to have seen.

Various were the conjectures among the envious
farmers, and their wives and daughters, as to the
cause of this sudden and extravagant display. Some
thought that old Archibald had found a gold mine on
his farm; others that Polly had captivated a rich city
beau; and others still, hitting nearer the truth, guessed
that the ornaments which had excited their admira-
tion had been Eda's, and that they had been bartered
for her board.
This solution of the mystery reached the ears of
young Stoddy, who had been moved to merriment by
the extraordinary appearance of his late flame, yet
who, with the very natural perversity of the human
heart, continued to pine for the sweet girl who had
rejected him.
After a few days lie sought a seemingly casual inter-
view with Theodore Walworth, and said to him, very
abruptly—
" Polly made a great splurge last Sunday?'
Not quite knowing what a " splurge ' might ' be,
yet guessing easily enough at the rustic's meaning,
the amazed man replied—

"Yes."
"They say them used to be Eda's things. Now,
sir, if that is so, I have jest got one thing to say,
meaning no offence."
"What is that ? " asked Mr. Walworth, unwilling
to resent the seeming impertinence of a man who had
been so kind, and whose broad face was now aglow
with something like an expression of generous indig-
nation.
Charley
.took out his pocket-book before replying,
and throwing it upon the grass
valid was sitting, he said— beside where the in-

-
s" Buy 'em bac
"Buy them back? What—with your money, my
good fellow? Impossible!"
"Not a bit of it! Buy 'era back! buy 'em back!
I have jest sold two good horses to get that money,
and now—buy 'em back! But don't let her know a
word of it—never r
Walworth thanked his friend with much feeling,
but again protested that it was impossible for him to
receive such a favour.
The reply was in mournful accents:
#§ yptl can—you 'all' j I shall have little uSe for

money now; I am always going to be a bachelor—
always. Take it, and buy 'em back for that dear,
sweet girl."
Charley's voice trembled; there were big tears in
his large eyes, and he turned his head away.
"My good friend," said Walworth, rising and taking
his hand, "I see how it is. I had guessed as much
before, for though your letter passed through my
hands, Eda never told me, nor did I ever ask its con-
tents. But I cannot take your money. The time
may come—for I am going far away, and am com-
pelled to leave my loved ones to the care and protec-
tion of others—the time may come when they may
need such a generous and unselfish friend as you have
proved yourself to be."
"I expect to go away myself," replied Charley, re-
luctantly receiving back his purse. "I've long
thought of going west to buy a large farm of Govern-
ment land; and now everything is so gloomy like
around here, I've determined to go. It will be some-
thin' to do and to think
_about, and—and perhaps I
shall get over it."
Every word and look of Charley showed that his
honest heart was racked with the pangs of hopeless
love; and Mr. Walworth did not part with him with-
out bestowing some sensible advice upon him, and
assuring him that time would not only obliterate his
grief, but would enable him to smile at the remem-
brance of his present distress.
Miss Walworth's sacrifice for her father's benefit
was not to be rewarded by the privilege of accom-
panying him into a foreign land, watching over his
welfare, and ministering to his daily wants. Their
resources were not sufficient for this purpose, nor,
of course, could she be separated from Franky. The
dear boy could not understand the reasons for the
many privations to which he was subjected, and his
plaintive petitions for accustomed privileges, now
beyond his reach, added not a little to Eda's sufferings.
When her father had gone, her exacting aunt
yielded gradually to the temptation of relieving her-
self and her daughter more and more from household
duties, by daily imposing some task upon her, until
her condition became scarcely better than that of
Egyptian bondage. Work was even found for
Franky's tiny hands, who, in the dearth of amuse-
ments, gladly accepted occupation at first, but chafed
sadly when it became a routine and a necessity.
(To be continued.)

A JUDGE'S CENSURE ON THE NEW
SYSTEM OF PROSECUTION.
Hearing a case at the Worcestershire Spring Assizes
on Saturday, in which three persons were charged
with the murder of a child, in the neighbourhood of
Broomsgrove, Mr. Baron Huddleston made some
severe remarks with regard to the new system of
prosecution. The prisoners were William and Eliza
Andrews, man and wife, nailers, and Mary Ann Read,
a young woman of 23, the step-daughter of the male
prisoner. Superintendent Jeffreys said that a witness
had made a statement to him, and he wrote it down
with lead pencil. He handed it to the magistrates'
clerk. The learned Judge asked for the document in
question. Mr. Godson, prosecuting counsel, explained
that the document had been forwarded to the Director
of Public Prosecutions, in accordance with the new
rule, and had not been returned. The Treasury
prosecuted, and not the magistrates' clerk. The
Judge said he felt bound to condemn the new system,
by which everything was sent to London to some
central office, and to persons who knew nothing
about the case, for he found the effect was that pro-
secutions were not conducted so carefully as for-
merly. Re expressed the opinion that the present
was a very bad state of things, and not at all con-
ducive to the ends of justice. Here an important
document found its way to London and never again
appeared. What facilities such a state of things
gave to persons who wished to defeat the ends of
justice. Surely, in a case where three persons were
on their trial, it could not be supposed that an im-
portant document was to be excused on the ground
that it would save.the Treasury or the country 6s. Bd.
It was the duty of the Director of Public Prosecu-
tions to see that all documents relating to the case
should be before the Court, and this was a document
that should have been there, but was not sent.
Whether it offended or pleased he had always
stigmatised strongly such negligence. The prisoners
were found guilty of concealment of birth, and the
two elder were sentenced to twelve months and the
younger to six months' hard labour.

HORRIBLE CRUELTY TO CHILDREN.
On Saturday, at Stratford Police-court, Sarah
Lucas, aged 30, described as a "field worker," of
Kelly-road, East Ham, was charged, on remand, with
cruelly illtreating her four children, namely—Emily,
aged ten years; Thomas, aged eight; James, aged
sir; and Henry, aged three and-a-half —by neglecting
to provide proper food, clothing, medical aid, &c.,
whereby their health had been seriously injured.
Edwin Randall Elliott, the relieving officer of the
East Ham district of the West Ham Union, stated
that between eleven and twelve o'clock cn the morn-
ing of the 29th ult. his attention was called to pri-
Killer's children. He went to Kelly-road, East Ham,
and in a small back room of the house saw the
children. There was not a vestige of furniture in the
place. The children were in .'a wretched state, and
had no clothing on excepting a few rags tied around
them. They were covered wit,h sores and vermin,
and he was obliged to have the rags burned at once.
There was no food in the house. Considering their
wretched condition and the gross neglect they had
been subject to, he had them removed to the union
workhouse. Mr. Powell, the Police Magistrate, said
it, was a horrible case, and showed the greatest heart-
lessness on the part of the mother. He committed
her to prison for a month, with hard labour.