The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-24
For The Term of His Natural Life

BY MARCUS CLARKE

4! Hang itr' said he, shifting his arm
/ from beneath her hand. don't let us
have all that stuff over again. Let old
/ times be old times. Sarah What do you
wantr'
There was a transport came in this
morning"
"Weng
''You know who was on board her.
| MauriceY'
Maurice brought one hand into the
palm of the other with rough laugh.
"Oh. that's it, is It? What a fat /
was not to think of it before. You want
to- see him, l supposeY'
| She came close to him. and. in her
earnestness, took his hand. II want TO
save his lifer'
Maurice Frere flung her off. 81 tell
you the mans as good as dead, for all
shall do to save him."
At this repulse her pent-up passion
broke forth. She sprung to her feet,
and, pushing back the hair that in her
frenzied pleading had fallen about her
race, poured out upon him torrent of
abuse. you! Who are you that you
dare to speak to ms like that? His little
finger is worth your whole body. He Is
man, brave man, not a coward like
you. A coward! Yes, a cov-<rd! a
coward! coward. You are very brave
with defenseless men and weak women.
Do not l know you? / have seen you
taunt a man at the triangles until
| wished the screaming wretch could get
loose and murder you, as you deserve.
You will be murdered one of these days,
Maurice Frere, take my word for it.
Men are flesh and blood, and flesh and
blood won't endure the torments you lay
on it,
There. that'l do" says Frere. grow
ing paler. Don't excite yourself"
I'll go to this girl you want to marry,
and tell her all know of you. I have
seen her in the streets-have seen her
look the other way when passed her
have seen her gather up her muslin skirts
when my silks touched her-I that nurs-
ed her. that heard her say her baby pray
ers-O, pity me! She would shudder at
| you if she would shudder at you if she
knew what / know. Shudder! She
would hate you! And will tell her!
| Ay. I will You will be respectab BILE,
will you? A model husbandv'
Frere caught her By both wrists, and
with all his strength forced her to her
knees. Don't speak her name," he said.
il hoarse voice. ''or I'll do you a mis-
| chief. / know all you mean to do. I'm
not such fool as not to see that. Be
quiet Men have murdered women like
you, and now I know how they came
to do it. III do what you want, on one
condition"
"What?
THAT you leave this place."
There Is nothing in the bargain to
prevent me helping him to escapeY'
Escape? He won't escape again. I'll
go ball. Once get him in double-irons a,
Port Arthur, and he's safe enough"
She put out her hand as If nothine
had happened. Good night. Captain
Frere It's a bargain, then?
"A bargain"
Getting into the cool street directly
and seeing the calm stars shining. and
the placid water sleeping with a peace in
which he had no share, he strove to cast
of the nervous fear that was on him
The interview had frightened him. for II
had made him think.
The reader of the foregoing pages ba
doubtless asked himself, What Is the
link which binds together. John Re,
and Sarah Purfoy -
In the year 1925 there lived. at St
Heliers, Jersey. matchmaker, named
Urban Purfoy. he was a hard-work-
ing man, and had amassed little money
sufficient to give his granddaughter an
education above the common In those
days. At sixteen, Sarah Purfoy was
an empty-headed. strong-willed, preco-
cious girl. with big brown eyes. She
was brimful Of vitality, and had little
religious sentiment. She courted noto
riety by eccentricities of dress, and was
never so happy as when she was misun
derstood She was the sort of girl O,
whom women say, 1T is pity she La:
no mother" and men, at is q pity she
does not get husband" and who say
to themselves, when shall / have q
loverY
There was no lack of beings of this
latter class among the officers quarterec
in Fort Royal and Fort Henry: but
the female population of the island wa.
numerous, and, in the embarrassment OF
riches, Sarah was overlooked. Though
she adored the soldiery, her first love,
was a civilian
The object of her affections was one
Mr.. Lionel Crofton. Crofton was tall
well made, and with an insinuating ad
dress His features were too strongl,
marked for beauty. His eyes were tn,
best part Of his face. and, like his hair
they were jet black. He had broad
shoulders, sinewy limbs and small hand,
and feet. His head was round and wei
shaped, but it bulged little over tn,
ears, which were singularly small, bu
lay clese his head With this man
barely four years older than herself
Sarah at seventeen, fell violently il
love- Touched by her affection, and rat
ing her intelligence and unscrupulousnes
at their true value, he told her who h
was He was a swindler. a forger ant
a thief, and his name was :ohn Rex
When she heard this, she experienced
sinister delight. He told her of hi
plots, his tricks, his escapes, his vii
lailies; and seeing how for years thi
young man had preyed upon the world
which had deceived and disowned her
her heart went out to him. II am glas
yer found me-" she said. Two head
are better than one. We will work to
ge.her."
Working through many channels, AM
never emitting to assist fellow worke
when in distress. John Rex, in a few
years, and in a most prosaic, business
way, became the head Of society o
ruff1ans.
Under the names of Mr.. and Mrs
Skinner, John Rex and Sarah Purfo,
were living in quiet lodgings. Thei
landlady was respectable, poor woman
and had son who was constable Thi
son was given to talking. and, coming
in to supper one night. he told his moth
er than on the following evening an at
tack was to be made on a gang of coin
ers, whose leader was named Green
This she repeated to Sarah.
John Rex, eating his dinner more nerv
ously than usual, ruminated on the in
telligence, and thought it would be bu
wise to warn Green of his danger. No
that he cared much for Green person
ally; but it was bad policy to miss dc