The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 25: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. 19 Young Flint could never attain distinction or honour of any sort while Frank was in the field, and this he knew. Frauk was beloved by all, and Joel the reverse, The best and the bravest at Bromley Hall chose Frank for their leader. While Joel was deep in cunning, and a coward at heart, Frank was open, brave, and generous to a fault, Joel hated his school-fellow with the bitterness of a deyil. Frank despised Joel, and treated him with supreme contempt. But while Frank had friends who would fight for him to the death, Joel also had a band of followers who, in secret, obeyed all his orders, Joel had money. How or by what means he got it need not now be said, With this money he bought up spies—dark daring fellows it were well to avoid; but of this Frank and his band of young Garibaldians knew nothing, They little dreamed that there were active spies and informers in their ranks ! But this was true. Joel Flint had two of his friends among Frank's followers. Well, then, might Frank, as he sat in a first-class carriage on his way to Dover, smoking a cigar, remember Joel’s ominous, poisoned-tainted threat, “‘ \When you are branded as a traitor, I will laugh with scorn! When you stand in the felon’s dock, a convicted thief and assassin, my vengeance will be complete! but not till then!” * * * * Dover was soon reached, but directly the train arrived, and after his companions were comfortably provided for in a cosy inn not far from the steam- boat pier, Frank hired a horse and dashed off into the country towards a neighbouring village. What his object was none knew, not even his brother Tom. His presence for some time was not missed, and . when it was very little comment was made there- upon, for, during the last day or two, Frank’s behaviour had been so mysterious and unaccount- able that no one could imagine what troubled him, As to the Fat Boy and Buttons, they vigorously laid siege to an immense veal pie, nor did either “sive in” until the savory dish was demolished and abundantly washed down with ale, after which, Fatty and Buttons indulged in a cigar, and soon were “gloriously tight,’’ singing and brawling loudly, but not very musically. At a furious rate Frank galloped and soon arrived at the village. He dismounted at the “Red Lion,” tied up his horse to a post, and bent his steps hurriedly to- wards a humble cottage. Before he reached it, however, his approach was perceived by a strong, rosy-faced youth, about his own age and size, who rushed forth from the cottage to meet him. | ‘What, Frank !” ‘ Brother Mark |” Such were the greetings of the two foster- brothers, For it must be explained that Frank and Tom Ford were twins, Their mother had disappeared suddenly, unac- countably, and mysteriously, when they were but a month old, and they had been reared from the breast by “good old Mother Tilton,” and at the same time as Mark, her only son, While Frank and Tom’s father lived, “ Mother Tilton,” as she was affectionately called by the twin brothers, was well provided for by their father, but he, a captain, had been, as it was supposed, drowned at sea, and therefore the two boys were left to the care of their old miserly uncle, who had been murdered in the “ Red House.” ‘Mother Tilton” had almost been forgotten and uncared- for by any one save Frank, who, at times, sent her small sums of money to help her along, This was discovered by their uncle, old Mr. Ford, who forbade his nephew’s generosity. But Frank took no notice of his uncle’s order, and gave the poor woman all he could spare or scrape together from his pocket-money,. : For it must be confessed that though Mark Tilton was far below his foster-brother’s sphere in life, being but a plough-boy working on neighbouring farms, Frank loved him intensely, if not even more than his own twin-brother Tom. A long time had elapsed since they met each other before, but Frank had written to him often, and poor Mark so loved him that he had frequently begged to be taken in his service as “a servant,” 80 as to be near him, The idea of Mark being a servant to him, Frank would never think of, if even his means had been ample enough to support one, but he sighed to think that such a generous-hearted lad as Mark was, should be doomed to the toil and drudgery of such labour as “a poor plough boy.” When they met, therefore, and shook hands, Frank turned very red, while tears gushed from poor Mark’s eyes, who was much tempted even to act like a girl and kiss his foster-brother. *‘ Did you take the letter to the seminary?” Frank asked, hurriedly. **T did, brother,” Mark answered, with a trembling voice, and lowering his eyes. “Well, speak out, Mark,’ said Frank, with a heaving bosom, and biting his nether lip; “speak out; don’t be afraid, no one hears us, Did she refuse to see me?” sé No,” “Then shall we meet at the old spot?” ‘‘No, no,” answered Mark, clasping both Frank’s hands. “No? And why not?” ‘* She is not there.” “Not there?” said Frank, turning pale; “not there? What mean you?” ‘She has been removed.” * Removed! Oh, Heavens! where? Speak !” “Nay, do not blame me, Frank, [have often taken your notes to Nelly, as you know, and always sent you her loving answers,” “T know it, But speak, explain; where is she? How is this?” “T do not know, brother Frank; all I could find out was that she had been removed.” iT: Why 9 “ Because her father, the banker, discovered that you loved each other. Mr. Flint was down here t’other week, and, I fear me, he has not mended matters much between you and her rich old daddy.” “ Him again,” said Frank to himself ; ‘‘it seems to me I am always to be thwarted by one or the other of them, father or son; curse’em, Who told you this?” ‘Polly, the young housemaid.” “Then you brought my letter back,” “No; I did not learn all this until I had de- livered it,” “Hal” said Frank, with a rising colour, ‘am I, then, betrayed ?” “TT did not betray you, Frank, I’d suffer death first.’’ Uu COMNNMUICVOO S CO