The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 287: 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. POTENT iV, ry = ; cena 7 Aas " \ A THE ESCAPE, CHAPTER CIX. MEETING BETWEEN JOEL FLINT AND HIS FATHER.. THE THE accidental meeting of Joel with his father for a moment stunned him. He knew very well who it was; but the old man was so shabbily dressed, and presented such a picture of misery, that the young gentleman did not deem it proper or wise to stop for any explanations, well knowing that, under the peculiar circumstances under which each of them were placed in the eyes of the law, his father would not dare to make any disclosures in the public streets, Joel, therefore, made the best of his way from the spot. He crossed the road, and observed all that took place afterwards. In a short time, old Flint, staggering from weak- ness and from want, rose to his feet, and hobbled away as best he could; and to shun the chance of being interrogated by the police, he preferred to go by the back streets, for they were more lonely, dark and least frequented, No. 36. He had not gone far, however, when Joel followed him, The rain now began to fall again ; and, to secure himself from the storm, old Flint crouched ina spacious doorway in one of the squares, Joel, as we have said, followed, and also stood under the same doorway. “Filthy night, old man,” said Joel. ‘Yes sir, a very nasty night ; but more than nasty for those who have got no home to go to.”’ “Ts that’ the case with you, then ?” asked Joel, with,an assumed foreign accent, “T am sorry to say it is,’”’ the old man replied. “ But your address is not that.of such a very poor man?” “That may be, sir,’ was old Flint’s reply, with a sich. “I know that appearances are against me, or, otherwise, I should succeed much better as a beggar than I do.” ‘““Why, from the tone of your conversation, I should judge you were once a gentleman.” ‘“So I have been, and a rich one also.”’ *‘ And what reduced you so low?” “ The knavery of friends.” “Indeed ! How?” ‘‘ My only son proved a villain,” Gonmichbook On