Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1906-08-25
CHAPTER XIV

words, John Rex had successfully car
ried out the scheme by which he had
usurped the rights of his old convict
comrade.
John Rex often wondered at the
strange ease with which he had carried
out so monstrous and seemingly difficult
an imposture. After he was landed il.
Sydney by the vessel which Sarah Pur7
Toy had sent to save him, he found him
self slave to bondage scarcely less
calling than that from which he had
escaped-the bondage of enforced COM
partnership with an unloved woman. The
opportune death of one of her assigned
servants enabled Sarah Purfoy to in
stall the escaped convict in his room In
the strange state of society which pre-
vailed of necessity in New South Wales
at that period, it was not unusual for
assigned servants to marry among the
free settlers, and when it was heard
that Mrs. Purfoy, the widow of a whal-
ing captain, had married John Carr, her
storekeeper, transported for embezzle-
ment, and with two years of his SEN
tence yet to run, no one expressed sur
prise. Indeed, when, the year after,
John Carr blossomsd as an "expiree,"
master of fine wife and fine fortune,
there were many about him who would
nave made his existence in Australia
pleasant enough. But John Rex had no
notion OF remaining longer than he could
help, and ceaselessly sought means of
escape from his second prison house. For
long time his search was unsuccess-
full. Much as she loved the scoundrel.
xak i 4
that she had bought him, and regarded
him as her property. He knew that if
ne made any attempt to escape from his
marriage bonds, the woman who had
rlsked 80 much to save him would not
hesitate to deliver him over to the au-
thorities.
Il know you don't care for me now.
John" she said, with grim complacen-
cy; but your life Is in my hands. and
IL you desert me 1 will bring you to the
gallows."
In vain, in his secret eagerness to be
rid OF her, he ragged and chafed. He
was tied hand and foot. She held his
money. and her shrewd wit had more
than doubled it. She was all-powerful.
and he could but wait until her dea tn
or some lucky accident should rid him
OF her, and leave him free to follow out
the scheme he had matured. "Once rid
OF her. he thought, in his solitary rid PC
over the station of which he was tho
nominal owner, ''the rest is easy. 7 shall
return to England with plausible story
of shipwreck, and shall doubtless he re-
ceiVed with open arms by the dear
mother from whom l have been so long
10 I'D soho nd
own again"
One day the chance came to him.
His wife was Ill, and the ungratefuj
scoundrel stole five hundred pounds.
and, taking two horses. reached Sydney.
and obtained passage in a vessel bound
| for Rio
Having escaped from thralldom, John
Rex proceeded to play for the great
stake of his life with the utmost caution
This was the tale he hit upon: He had
been saved from the burning Hydaspes
| by vessel bound for Rio. Ignorant OF
the death of Sir Richard, and prompted
by the pride which was known to be a
leading feature of his character, he had
determined not to return, until fortune
should have bestowed upon him wealth
at least equal to the Inheritance from
which he had been ousted. In Spanish
America he had striven to accumulat t
that wealth in vain. AS traveller specu
lator, sailor, he had toiled for fourteen
years, and had failed. Worn out ant
penitent he had returned home to find s
corner of English earth in which to la,
his weary bones. The tale was plausibl,
enough, and in the telling of it he wa,
a -rr,o I'D or oil nfr,ko
fear that the navigator of the captured
Osprey, the man who had lived in Chill
and cut out" cattle on the Carrun
Plains. would prove lacking in knowl
edge of riding. seamanship, or Spanisl
customs. Moreover, he had determined
upon course of action which showed
his knowledge of human nature.
The will under which Richard Devin
inherited had been made when the ties
tator was in the first hopeful glow o
paternity. By its terms Lady Devin
was to receive life interest of tire
thousand a year in her husbands prop
erty-which was placed in the hands O
two trustees until her eldest son died
or attained the age of twenty-five years
When either of these events should oc
cur. the property was to be realized
Lady Devine receiving sum of hun
dred thousand pounds, the remainder &c
ing absolutely to the son, if living TIL
trustees appointed were Lady Devine'
! father, Col. Wotton Wade, and Mr.. S
las Kuaid, Sir Richards solicitor. Co
Wade, before his death, had appointe
his own son, Mr.. Francis Wade, to &C
in his stead. When Mr.. Quad die
t Francis Wade continued alone in hl
: trust. Sir Richards sister and her hui
D band, Anthony Frere, of Bristol, wer
t long ago dead, and their Representative
e Maurice Frere, content at last In til