Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-08-24
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CHAPTER XIV

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 Pur-
Toy had sent to save him, he found him
self a slave to a 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
Tree 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, whea, the year after,
John Carr blossOmsd as an "expiree,"
master Of fine wife and a fine fortune.
there were many about him who would
have made his existence in Australia
pleasant enough. But John Rex had no
notion Of remaining longer than he cmld
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 scoundreI
Sarah Purfoy did not scruple to tell him
tnat sne mad bought him, and regarded
MIN as her property. He knew that If
ne maze any attempt to escape from his
marriage bonds, the woman who had
rlsked so 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
II you desert me I will bring you to the
gallows"
In vain, in his secret eagerness to be
rid of her, he ragged and chafed. BE
was tied hand and foot. She held his
money, and her shrewd wit had mora
than doubled it. She was all-powerful.
and he could but wait until her death
or some lucky accident should rid him
of her, and leave him free to follow ont
the scheme he had matured. "Once rid
of her" he thought, in his solitary rides
over the station of which he was tbn
nominal owner, 'the rest is easy. sbou
return to England with plausible story
Of shipwreck, and shall doubtless he re.
ceived with open arms by the dear
mother from whom have been so long
parted. Richard Devine SHAH have he
own again."
One day the chance came TO him
His wife was ILL., and the ungratefni
scOundrel stole FIVE hundred Doundq
and, taking two horses, reached Sydney.
and obtained passage in 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 accumulate
that wealth in vain. As traveller, specu-
lator, sailor, he had toiled for fourteen
years, and had failed. Worn out and
penitent, he had returned home to find
corner of English earth in which to Law
his weary bones. The tale was plausible
enough, and in the telling of it he was
armed at all points. There was little
! fear that the navigator of the captured
| Osprey, the man who had lived in Chilli,
and 'cut out" cattle on the Carrum
Plains, would prove lacking in knowl-
edge Of riding, seamanship. or Spanish
customs. Moreover, he had determined
upon a course of action which showed
! his knowledge of human nature.
The will under which Richard Devine
inherited had been made when the tes-
tator was in the first hopeful glow of
| paternity. By it's terms Lady Devine
was to receive a life interest of three
thousand year in her husbands prop
erty-which was placed in the hands of
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 a sum of hun
dred thousand pounds, the remainder GO
ing absolutely to the son, If living. The
| trustees appointed were Lady Devine's
father, Col. WottOn Wade, and Mr.. ST.
las Kuaid, Sir Richards solicitor. Col.
Wade, before his death, had appointed
his own son, Mr.. Francis Wade, to act
in his stead. When Mr.. Quad died
Francis Wade continued alone in his
trust Sir Richards sister and her hus-
band, Anthony Frere, Of Bristol, were
long ago dead, and their representative,
Maurice Frere, content at last In the
lot that fortune had sent him, had given
up all thought Of meddling with his un-
cle's business. John Rex. therefore, in
the person Of the returned Richard, had
but two persons to satisfy-Mr. Fran