The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-22

ness was generally understood to be
due TO grief over his friends trouble.
Not even Penfold himself suspected the
young man, though lie was angry
against him for not having hurried at
once TO his aid.
The jury found him guilty and he
was sentenced to penal servitude. He
gaze one frightful cry and then per-
niittod himself to be led away without
n word
For one long year he was herdea
with miscreants OF every type in COLI
Wet hulk. His associates could not
affect his brilliant mind or degrade his
strong nature. but the wrong that had
been done him made him doubt even
his Bible, and when he was sent at last
to the penal colony OF New South Wales
he was bitter against all tho world and
hopeless of Justice from his selfish,
ignoble human kind.
This bitterness of thought and soul
was fast robbing him of all incentive
and sinking him into condition
whore he was unable to hope. for bet
ter things, unable to do aught but
brood on the black past. when he was
lifted from 1t by obtaining a ticket
of-leave and being appointed gardener
for the Governor of the colony. General
Rollestnn.
Amid tho flowers and plants that
he loved, something of the old Robert
Ponfold awoke In him. He spent his
days, from dawn till night In simple,
indcfatigahle labor. lie took up his
reading again, Ho applied to the
general for leave to change his name
60 James Seaton, and completed tho
change from his hated past by growing
a wonderful silky beard that changed
him utterly.
Soon a new interest was added to
his life--a hopeless one, but sweet
despite it's pain. He fell in love with
the generals daughter Helen. although
she was quite unconscious of the exist
ence of such a humble creature as
James Seaton, tictet-o Of leave man. RE
gazed at her day after day from
distance. He cut the choicest flowers
for her. 1t was madness. as he we'll
knew, but IL was heavenly madness
and his nature was like all strong ma
trres-when they yield, they do so like
giants. The flood gates break and
there is no compromise.
One night he discovered that a gang
Of convicts was plotting TO rob the
house. Thereafter he slept in the
garden with a pistol. His vigil was
rewarded. He beat off the attack. He
shot one of the gang and wounded
two others, but he himself was so
badly hurt that he lay in the hos
pital for weeks.
Each day Helen's maid arrived with
flowers and delicacies for him One
morning when he was almost well the
young woman told him that her mis-
tress' fiance had arrived from England
for visit, and she mentioned his name
On learning that Helen was engaged to
be married the unfortunate man
could not resist sroan, though his
own love was SO hopeless. bur when he
heard the name of the man the 5nowl-
edge became insupportable TO him, and
he felt IS If he would go mad. The
man was Arthur Wardlaw.
In his two years of brooding PEN
fold gradually had gained the convio-
ton that Wardlaw had been guilty of
some deep though unimaginable treacf-
cry toward him. The conviction had
grown till he hated his former pupil
with the concentrated hatred that had
formed in his heart against the fate
that had overwhelmed him
He disappeared from the hospital and
kept himself out of sight till the hated
man had again returned to England
Then he was found by a detective. who
gave him a little note from Helen in
which she Informed him that in return
for his services she had obtained for
him the office OF shipping clerk with
the great sydney firm of White e. Co
That firm soon felt that it had obs
tanned a treasure in James Seaton He
had nothing left but work and hc
threw himself into it with all his great
energy and intelligence. Before long
he was in almost fun charge of a great
part of the business.
One day White & Co were employed
to ship an enormously valuable cargo
on two vessels that belonged to Ward
law & Son. on one vessel, the Proser-
pine. eighteen immense cases of gold
dust and ingots insured for 100000,
We're to be carried TO the London house
The other, the Shannon. was TO carry
forty cases of exactly equal dimen-
sions containing ingots of lead and
copper This cargo was insured for
only 5000. Tho chief reason for
Wardlaws visit tn sydney had been to
arrange for this shipment and to pro-
vide elaborate safeguards TO insure the
safety OF the metal.
PcnfoIi or Seaton, had charge of the
shipment Knowing the valuable ma
ture OF the cargo OF the Proserpine, lie
watched ever the cases White they were
i'm the custody of White X Co and even
took pains TO see them safe aboard
the vessel. There was something about
tho actions of the mate Wylie, that
he did not like, The man had loitered
sus2ioiouslE about the warehouses. and
he more than suspected the sailor Of
having attempted to tamper with the
eases.
I lie breathcd more freely when they
We're safe aboard the Proserpine. and
Returned to the Office to find that Miss
/ kollestun had presented u letter from
/ Wardlaw 6ireCtincr that thn lnAipS,