The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-07
XII ing she could n6t won

The London and West India Line packet
to take them TO southampton.
So It carao to pass that they STOOD 70
rethcr on the Fonda Delgada broak"ater'
and torether saw the Harpoon sau Oh To-
ward the setting sun.
Then cane soft dreamy fortnight IN
,be fair island Of St Michael The ing
l;eh consul thcro most Hospitality enter
taircd thcn--with much moro pefscnei
enthusiasm. indeed, than hc generally
considered it necessary 20 show toward
shipwreckcd voyagcrs-a class q pcorie
of whom consular rcpres cntaiives abroad
must ret rather tired with then eternal
misfortune and their perennial want Of
clothes. Indeed. the only drawback 10
Augus;a's enjoyment was that the consul,
a Gallant cx naval officer With red hair,
equally charmed by her adventures, her
literary fame and her person, showed .
decided disposition 10 fall in love with
her and red haired, and therefore ar
dent navel officer is, under those circuin-
stances. somewhat alarming persopagc.
INT the firno went on without anything
serious happening: and, ct last. one morn
inp after breakfast @ man camo running
mn with the information that the mail
was in sight.
And so Augusta took an affectionate
farewell Of the golden haired consul, who
gazed at her through his eyeglass and
sighed when he thought Of what might
have been in the sweet By end by; and
the ships bell rang end the screw began
TO turn. leaving The consul sill signing
on the horizon, and in due course Augusta
and Mrs. Thomas found themselves stand
ing on the quay at Southampton, the
center Ct an admiring and enthusiastic
crowd.
The captain had told the extraordinary
tale TO the port officials when they boarded
the vessel, ard on getting ashore tho port
officials had made haste 10 tell every liv-
ing soul they met the wonderful news
that two survivors Of the i'll fated Kan
garoo-thc history Of whose tragic end
had sent thrill of horror through the
English speaking world-were safe and
sound on board the West India boat.
Thus. by the time that Augusta, Mrs.
Thomas end Dick were safe on shore,
their story, or rather sundry distorted
versions Of il, was flashing up the wires
to the various press agencies, and running
through Southampton like wildtre.
Scarcely were their feet set upon the
quay, when, with a rush and q bound,
wild men, with note books il their hands,
sprung upon them and beat them down
with rain Of questions Augusta found
Il impossible to answer them ell 20 once,
So contented herself with caying Yes,
Eyes, YES" 10 everything, out Oh which
rnonosyllable she afterward found 70 her
surprise these fierce end active prcssmcn
contrived tomal,e up . sufficiently moving
tale.
However at last they found themselves
in first class carriage, ready 70 start, or
rather starting Tie interviewing gen
tlenen, two Of whom had their heads
iammed through the window. were forcibly
torn away-s.ill asking questions-by the
officials Of the company.
Augusta sunk back with q ich Of relief.
On the seat opposite to her somebody had
thoughtfully placed number Of the day 5
papers. She took up the first that came
to hand and glanced at it idly with the
idea Of trying to pick up the thread Of
events. Her eyes fell instantly upon the
reports of the probate divorce and admir-
ally division of the high court. Tie first
report ran thus:
BEFORE THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE
PRESIDENT IL TIL MATTER or ME-
son, DECEASED.
This was application arising out Of the
loss Of tho r. VI. 5. kangaroo Oh the 18th
Of December last. It will be remembered
that out Of about thousand souls on
board that vessel the occupants Of one
boat only-tweuty-fy people in all
were saved Among the drowned was
Mr. Meeson, the head Of the well known
Birmingham publishing company Of Nee
son, Addison, Roscoe & Co. limitedl, who
was at the time on visit 20 New Zealand
and Australia in connection with the bust.
ness Of the company.
Ny Fiddlestick, @ G., who with Mr..
Pearl appeared for the applicants (Gnd
who was somewhat impertectly heard,
stated that the facts connected with the
sinking Of the Kangaroo would probably
still be 50 fresh in his lordship's mind that
it would not be necessary for him TO detail
them, although lie had them upon affidavit
before him. His lordship would remem.
Der that but one boat load Of people had
survived from this, perhaps tie most ter
ri0le shipwreck Of tho generation. Among
the drowned was Mr.. Meeson, and this
application was on behalf % the executors
Of his will for leave to presume his death.
The property which passed under the viii
was very large indeed amounting in all,
Mr. fiddlestick understood, 20 about two
millions sterling, which, perhaps might
incline his lordship to proceed very care
fully in allowing probate to issue
The President-Well, the amount of the
property has got nothing to do with the
principles on which the court acts with
regard to the presumption Of death, Mr.
Nddlcstick
Quite so, my lord, and think that in
this case Your lordship will he satisfied
that there is 40 reason why probate should
not issue 1t is, humaneiy speaking i'm
possible that Mr.. MecsOn can have escaped
the general destruction.
The Presidcnt--Hayc you any affidavit
from anybody who saw Mr. Mceson in the
water!
No. my lord; have On affidavit from q
sailor named Okcrs, the only man who
was picked mp in the water after the
Kangaroo foundered, which states that he
believes that be saw Nj. Meeson spring
from the ship into tie water but the
affidavit does not carry the matter further
He cannot swear that il was Mr.. Meeson.
Tie prcsident-Well, think that that
! III, .g,t,.. g. .fts.Ycf,