The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-05-25


leave her behind, and endsavorsd to
teach her myself"
Hum! There was a-ha-governess
OF something, was there not?" said
Frere, staring into his teacup. THAT
maid, you know-what was her name"
Miss Purfoy," said Mrs. Vickers,
little gravely. Eyes, poor thing; sad
story, Mr.. Frere."
Indeed! l left, you know, shortly
after the trial of the mutineers, and
never heard the full particulars" He
spoke carelessly, but he awaited the re-
ply with keen curiosity.
"a sad storyw repeated Mrs Wick
ers. "She was the wife Of that wretch
ed man, Rex, and came out as my maid
in order to be near him. She would
never tell me her history, poor thing,
though all through the dreadful accusa-
tons made by that horrid doctor, beg
ged her almost on my knees. You Kuow
how she nursed Sylvia and poor John.
Really a most superior creature l think
she must have been a governess. Her
conduct was most exemplary. and dur
ing the six months we were in Hobart
Town she taught little Sylvia a great
deal OF course she could not help her
wretched husband, you know. Could
she?"
Certainly mott" said Frere, heartily.
Il heard something about him. too Got
into some scrape, did he not?"
Miss Purfoy, or Mrs. Rex, as she
really was, though l don't suppose Rex
is her real name, either, came into a
little legacy from an old aunt in Eng
land and left my service. She took a
little cottage on the New Town road,
and Rex was assigned to her as her
servant"
II see. The old dodge" says Frere,
flushing a little. "Well?"
well, the wretched man tried to ,,es-
cape, and she helped him. He was to
get to Launceston, and so on board a
vessel to Sydney; but they took the
unhappy creature, and he was sent down
here. She was only fined. but it ruined
her. You see, only few people know
Of her relationship to Rex, and she was
rather respected. Of course, when it be-
came known, what with that dreadful
trial and the horrible assertions Of DIR.
Pine-you will not believe me, l know;
there was something about that man
l never liked-she was quite left alone.
She wanted me to bring her down here
to teach Sylvia, but John thought that
it was only to be near her husband, and
wouldn't allow it."
"Of course it was" said Vickers, is
ing. "Frere, Wen go on the veranda.
She will never be satisfied until she gets
that scoundrel free"
Hes bad lot, then?' says FrerA
opening the glass window and leading
the way to the sandy garden.
"Oh, a very bad lot" returned Wick
ers; "quiet and silent. but ready for any
villainy. l count him one Of the worst
men we have. With the exception Of
one or two more, l think he is the
worst"
why don't you fog 'em?" says Frere.
II cut the hides off my fellows if they
show any nonsense"
WELL" says Vickers, Il don't care
about too much cat myself. Barton, wOh
was here before me. logged tremend-
ously, but don't thingk it did any good.
They tried to kill him several times.
You remember those twelve fellows who
were hanged? Mo- All, of course you
were away"
"What do you do with emp
ooh, fog the worst, you know; but l
don't fog more than man week as
a rule, and never more than fifty lashes.
They're getting quieter now. Then we
iron. and dumb-ells, and maroon them"
do what?"
"Give them solitary confinement on
Grummet Island. When a man gets
very bad, we clap him into a boat with
weeks provisions. and pull him over
to Grummet. There are cells cut in the
rock, you see. and the fellow pulls up
his commissariat after him, and lives
there by himself for month or so. 1t
tames them wonderfully
"Does it?" said Frere. cts a capital
notion. l wish had a place of that
sort at Maria
1--WE a fellow there now" says Wick
ers, Dawes. You remember him, Of
course-the ringleader of the mutiny in
the Malabar. A dreadful rutfian. He
was the most violent the first year
was here. Barton used to fog a good
deal, and Dawes had a childish dread
of the cat. When l came, he'd made a
sort of petition to be sent back to the
settlement. Said that he was innocent
Of the mutiny, and that the accusation
against him was false"