Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-05-10

go, lis your son!
I know him not.
Ill be no father to so vile a SON"
RJ;riey (ITomcu NGUer TcIed).
g Yet have comfort if by any means
get q blessing from my fathers hand.'.-Idem.
Gerald sat with a troubled and moody air
upon one of the stone benches of the low hall,
which, formerly intended, perhaps, as a sort
Of waiting room for the domesticS Of the es-
tablishment, was now used as the guard room.
Although his thoughts were not upon the OBJ.
jects around him, he seemed to be assiduousIy
employed in cleaning and arranging bis ac-
coutrcmcnts--for, in spite of bis birth and the
fortune bequcathed to him by his uncle, he
was still left to fulfil the very hamblcst and
most irksome duties Of a military life
1t had been part of the severe Colonel
Lyles system of education to inure his adopt
ed son to every toll and priyation that might
give health aud hardihood to mind as well as
body aud upon the same principle, when he
enrolled the boy as a volunteer III his own
troop he had compelled him TO serve as a
common soldier. The Colonel's strict and
somewhat overwrought sense OF Justice, as
we'll as his peculiar political opinions had led
him, moreover, to declare that whatever the
artificial position of his adopted son in the
supposed scale of society, it should be by mer
it only that the young volunteer should rise
from the ranks through the yarCHs grades of
military distinction and upon his death-bed
he had urged his friend Seaman to pursue the
same system, as long as Gerald should feel
disposed to follow under him the career of
arms Although received, therefore, with
certain reservations, upon an equality of foot
ing into the family of Colonel Seaman, and in
some measure looked upon as the accepted
lover and future husband of the C0lonelS fair
daughter young Gerald found himself con
demned to 90 through all the inferior duties
aud occupations of q common soldier.
Long accustomed, however, by his uncie's
strict and unbending system of training, to
hardships little regarded by a roughly nur
tured youth of his years, he never thought of
murmuring against this harsh probation and
if, now, he pursued his occupation with
troubled brow, it was far other thoughts that
caused that look of doubt and uneasness.
The vaguest suSpicons of his mistress's
fickleness were sufficient to excite the jealous
temperament of youth like Gerald, whose
naturally ardent and passionate disposition,
whose hot Clynton blood had been only sub
dued, not quenched, by the strict education Of
his severe, cold uncle Lyle. But there were
thoughts and feelings of far more momeu-
tous and harassing nature which now assaiIed
him. The packet which he had discovered
among the bushes growing close upon the par
apet wall, and which bad evidently been con.
veyed by stealth within the precints of the
fortress, had borne the following superscrip-
tion " For the Lord ClyntOn-the5e"
1t was Lord CIynton, then-it was his own
father, who was prisoner within those walls.
Under sad auspices were his ial affections
now first awakened. He was aware of the
danger that must attend his unhappy parent
should he be discovered to be, as was proba-
bly, the case, one of those obstinate malgnants,
as they were termed, who, after having made
reluctant submission when the fate of arms
proved fatal to Charles |, had again joined
the royalist troops when the standard was
raised for the young prince, and fought in his
cause, until the final overthrow at Worcester
forced them into fight from the country. 1t
was in an attempt of this kind that the pri-
soner had been taken. Gerald knew how al.
most certain would be the old cavaliers con-
demnation under such circumstances. Bnt
there were evidently hopes of saving him
Communications, it was clear, had been estab-
llshed with the prisoner by persons outside the
walls Of the fortress. 1t was; known, proba.