The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-07-26

this city. The peculiar circumstances I'M
der which she married her present husband
well illustrate the familiar adage that
| truth rivals fiction in romantic incident.
The young lady's name was Miss Julia
| Spencer. and she left this city over twenty
/ years ago, in company with her father,
bound for Australia. The father went to
| that country to secure a legacy of nearly
hundred thousand pounds, left him by
! the death of his uncle.
/ A few weeks after arriving in Melbourne
| Spencer died. After Spencers death his
| daughter, who was but twelve years of
age, was adopted by a family in Mel
bourne with whom she lived for several
| years, and from whom she received the
benefits of an excellent education. Mis-
| fortune, however, overlook her benefactors.
/ The head of the house lost his fortune in
| speculation, his death followed his bust
ness disgrace, his widow was compelled to
/ live on the charity of her relatives, and
Julia Spencer, by this time elegant and
accomplished young lady, was compelled
| to become a waitress in a hotel. At the
| hotel where she served the table she be-
| came acquainted with a pleasant appear
| ing woman who evinced the greatest inter-
| est in her welfare. She finally persuaded
! her to leave the hotel and accompany her
| into the interior. where she promised her
a situation as governess.
They travelled by stage for two days,
and after stopping a day at a small road
| side inn, were driven in a rude wagon to
| spot they did not reach until nearly morn
/ ing. Julia, worn out with exhaustion, was
| shown room, the unkempt appearance of
which she scarcely noticed as she retired.
| nearly dead from WEAKNESS and tedious
| night travel.
At noon the rough voice of an old col
ored woman bade her get Up. and in
| lew minutes she was eating the meanest
breakfast she had ever known.
She found herself in a woodchopper's
/ camp In the Australian bush, surrounded
by men of the lowest grade. while the wo-
man who had accompanied her on her
journey had disappeared. She was told
| that she to assist in cooking, but in
the afternoon the old negress, who had
taken sudden fancy to her, found an OPP
portunity of acquainting her of the real
fate which awaited her. The woman who
| had lured her from the hotel in Melbourne
was merely a procuress for the numerous
! logging camps in the vicinity and received
/ so much a head for each victim secured.
Julia, on fully realizing the horrors of her
| situation, was told to retire to her room
while the old negress promised to devise
| some means of enabling her to escape.
| 1t was late in the afternoon when the
poor girl. nearly distracted with fear and
/ anxiety. heard the voices of several men
/ who were playing cards on old stump
not far from her window, and she soon re-
allied from the remarks that reached her
| ear that she was the most concerned of
/ any one in the issue of the game, herself
| being nothing less than the stakes.
| Soon the miserable wretches who were
/ gathered about the game began quarrel
! ing and terrible oaths and accusations of
/ foul play were hurled yiciously across the
cards Peering through the cSrtains ain, Of her
| larger and taller than the others, rise
| his feet and shoot one of the others who
| had drawn a knife and was in the act of
| lifting his arm to strike. The large man
| sprang onto the stump and faced the surg
ing crowd that gathered at once from all
| parts Of the camp.
| He had a revolver in each hand and was
! hurting defiance at those about him.
| Il paid my good money to get into this
game and she's mine. You'll find a cold
! deck in that rascal's sleeve if you hunt for
Several who had pulled their weapons
! and were scowling ominousy at the des-
| perate man on the stump, leaned over the
corpse of their comrade and began exam
sure enough, the sleeve was well sup
piled with the higher cards, and they
| dropped out as two men held the body up
from the ground, face down.
yen greeted fS r the re- . aP6peaanTee OF the
went up almost as one voice. Gathered
| about the edge of the crowd were several
| slatternly, woe-begone-looking women, who
| would have taken but little interest in the
| scene but for its tragic termination. They
had been lured into the same hell-hole Just
as Julia had been, and had been played
| for over the old stump.
Their fate had been decided over the
| cards and they came up to look with gloat-
man whose pay haS s4t bTee been ef the
winning one when their poor souls and
| bodies had been the stakes
After the cards had fallen from the Door
| wretches' sleeve there was no longer any
protest even from his friends.
| His death met the common approval of
| the camp and there was nothing left to
| do except to drag the body aside and bury
| the friends OF the dead man were con-
| structing a rude litter for his body his
gigantic slayer, with the two revolvers
still in his hands, was striding toward
| Julia's door.
Before he reached It the old negress came
| into Julia's room. and falling on her knees
| lifted her clasped hands to heaven with a
| fervent Thank God"
Still remaining on her knees she clasped
| Julia in her arms and whispered to her
that the big man who had just killed the
woodchopper over the cards was govern
| ment detective, and that no matter how he
| might appear to her she had nothing to
Scarcely had the negress left the room
when the other door was kicked open with
| an oath, and the giant who had been the
| central figure in the recent tragedy, en-
| tered. His face bore such a brutal look
and his voice and manner was so rough
| that the assurance of her personal safety
given a moment before by the negress lost
all its weight with Julia. The moment the
man closed the door the scowl left his face
and, bending over her. he said in low and
gentle tones: Have no fear, miss: l am
| here to rescue you: 1 am a government
agent sent from Melbourne. If 1 seem to
treat you roughly before the crowd. bear
in mind 1t is only for effect TO ena-
| bic me to get out of this place with YOU
| alive. Everything now depends on your
GOODNESS and faith in me-"
A moment later he had dragged her
through the door by the wrist, and was
saying, in the old. coarse tones:
| Come with me, you little wench. have
q cabin all prepared for you"
1t was nearly twilight as he dragged his
| captive through the drunken, leering mob.
| threading a lane of obscene Jest and rail-
lery. One man who laid his rough caress
upon her. he feled 70 the ground with a
| blow that sounded above the tumuIt.
"well hit, Jack" cried a voice. 'I'u
back your right against anything in the
| bush"
The occasion and the blow suited the
caprice of the mob, and they sent up a
shout OF approval.
Jack Homestead had won the girl fight
ing, and IL was clear that he would main
tain his right in the same way.
1t was some minutes before the man who
had sunk under his blow able to fink
away and wash his blood-stained face.
The blow treasured the shrinking girl
She felt that there was no vague pretense
in his protection. and she pressed closer TO
him.
Don't be too willing to go. hold back a
liitle." he said in low voice and then he
began dragging her roughly along once
more she resisting they went. So amid
the railery and coarse badinage of the
crowd the two disappeared over the hill
and were soon in the detectives cabin.
Courage. young woman" he said in as
suring tones. LAS soon night falls we
will get out OF this, provided these