The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-12

set oi1f. through the quaint streets or Preston and continued until they
 they reached the open country. ust as old Sol was peeping above the
 horizon the ring was formed and the
 brawrly youngsters, stripped to the Ivvaist faced each other in the attitude assumed by Gribb and Belcher and the other worthies of the prize ring or that time Mandersley went after ms
 man hammer and tongs, wild With anger. and strived furfously to- land a blow that would decide the battle and win for him the heart and hand of the widow. Gregson was cool ana
 wary and c1ever1y evading the f1erce onslaughts of his foe soon found an
 opening. One tremendous smash to
 the chin of the enemy stretched Harry the turf and for 9 few minutes l it was feared that he had been killed.
 The kind-hearted Bob heaved a sigh of relief when at last his opponent at son proved himself good sport, for as soon as he was able to rise, he shook Gregson's hand.
 .sYe are the best man." he said, Nan the widow is yours
 l Bob returned to Preston and with i in a few hours the news had spread ever the town and reaehued the ears of the widow Whenf Bob called on the fair charmer that night he was given a glad reception, and before he left 1 that night, with a kiss warm upon his 1 lips the widow had agreed with Bob that the name of Gregson, even if not aristocratic was to be preferred to Gawthorp.
 1 As the result of his contest with
 AEanderseley, Bob became a. hero, and
 was hailed by his friends as the man 1 to bring the glory of prize ring championship to Lancashire. Many blooa1 lads tried to topple Bob from his pedestal, but he defeated them all with ease, and when he led 5ae fair widow
 to the altar Bob was recognized cham pion of the country.
 One of Bob's opponents at that per l iod was Bill Ho1Idrop, a young fellow who was also laying siege to the heart | of the widow. Halldorp,s inamorata- had been vastly impressed by the TO-
 mantle affair of the widow Gawtho horp
 she would wed him on the condition that he lowered the coIors of the
 conqueror of Manders1ey. Bill irn-
 mediateIy challenged Bob, but that l Fearing the scorn of his sweetheart, Halldrop begged for another chance, l but in the second bout he fared no 1 better. Poor Bill was heart-broken, l and was contemplating suicide, wh en 1 the widow sought him out, and, with
 tears of pity in her eyes and her
 heart overfIowing with sympathy for | his 1nisfortunes. she begged the game
 but feeble aspirant to pugilistic hon.
 ors to forgive her and to name the
 day when she might become Mrs. 1 HalIdrop.
 Becoming a professional pugiIist, l Bob Gregson, defeated the famous | Joe Berks, and was dreaming of the championship when his wife died. l Broken-hearted, Gregson gave up for l the time his pugiHstic ambitions, and l gained commission in the army. He l soon ah3ndOnad that nrOfasSiou and | sought to drown his sorrow in drink Reduced to his last penny, he re-
 turned to the ring, and challenged
 John Gully to battle for the cham
 pionship of Great Britain. Gregson
 had the best of it throughout the
 greater part of the battle, but in the
 end Gully was the victor by the nar-
 rowest of margins. In a second bout l Gully-afterward a Derby winner and a member of ParHament-c1earfy