The Portland daily press., 1875-02-13
Charles Van Rheyn.
TCONCLUDED.l

ceTUs Is IL uOL DCdusiiui!
.'Very," / said, STOPPING overit.
t'Be you of the Romantic sexP' demanded
Hall of Van Rheyn. -.. ....--...
Sam -. What is it Mistress Hall
would ask ?" he broke off to question me, IN
the midst of my burst of laughter.
''She asks if you are Roman Catholic,
Van Rheyn." .......
''But no. Why you think that?" he added
to her. 'sMy father is Roman Catholic; L am
Protestant, like my mother"
ssThen why on. earth, Sir, do you wear
such an idol as that?" returned Hall.
This? Oh, it is nothing; it is not an idol.
1t does me good" '"} - -. ."
"Goodpp ferceIy repeated Hall. ''Does
YOU good to wear a brazen image next the
skin!-rieht under the flannel waistcoat.
wonder what the school will come to next p
.'.sWhy should I not wear it?'' said Van
Rheyn. "What harm does it do me. this! IL
was my poor aunt Annette's. The last Tune
we went to the aunt Claribelle's to see her,
when the hope of her was gone, she put the
cross into my hand, and babe me keep 1t Tor
Il tell you, Master Van Rheyn, it's just
brazen image" persisted Hall.
at is a Keepsake dissented Van Rheyn.
81 showed it to Monsieur Mons one day when
he was calling on Mamma, and told him it
was the gift to me of the. poor tante Annette,
Monsieur Mons thought il very pretty, and
said it would remind me OF the great sacri-
fice."
sBut to wear it again your skinr' went
ON Hall, not giving in. Giving in on the
matter of craven images was not in her ma
ture. Or any matter, as far as that went,
that concerned us boys. "Fve heard of poor
msdeiuded people putting horse-hair next
'em. And fine torment it must bel
81 have worn it since mamma died. quiz
city answered Van Rheyn, who seemed not
to understand Halls zeal. 'She Kept it for
me always in her little shell-box that had the
silver crest on is; but when she died, said
would put the cross round my neck, for fear
of losing it; and Aunt Gabrielle, who took
the shell-box then, bought me the blue rib
bon."
swell, it's horrid heathenish thing to do,
Master Van Rheyn, and don't believe Miss
Emma Aberleigh would ever have given ccun.
.tenance 10 1t. Leastways afore she lived
amid them foreign Frenchfolks," added Hall,
virtually dropping the contest, as Van Rheyn
slipped the cross out of view within his night
shirt. "What she might have come to after
she went off there, heaven alone knows. be
you agoing to drink this tea, Sir. or be yoa
not?"
Van Rheyn drank the tea, and thanked
her gratefully for bringing it, the gratitude
shining as we'll out OF his nice gay eyes.
Hall took back the cup and tucked him in
again, telling him to get bit more sleep and
he would be all right in the morning. With
all her prejudices and sourness, she was as
good as gold when any of us were i'll.
s.Not battle Not battle? l say you fellows,
here's a lark! Bristles thinks he'd better not
try the waterp'
II wasIa terribly hot evening, close upon
sunset! Finding ourselves. some halfdozen
of us, near the river, Van Rheyn being one,
the water booked 10 pleasant not to be plunged
into The rule at DR.. Frost's was that no
by should be compelled to battle against his
inclination Van Rheyn was the only one
who had availed himself of the exception. 1t
was Parker who spoke: we were all IN
dressing quickly. -
whats your objection, Miss Charlotte2
ssThey never let me 60 into cold water at
home," was the patient answer. I'VE take
"Afraid iii cold waterl Well, I neverl
What an everlasting big pussy-cat you are,
Miss Charlotte! I've heard before that puss-
les don't like to wet their feet.' VI
sour doctor at Rouen used to say I must
not plunge into cold water" said poor Van
Rheyn, nearly driven Wild. ''The shock
would not be good for me-"
81 say, who'll write off to Evesham for
pair of water-proofs to put over his shoes
Just give US the measure of your foot, Miss
Charlotte"
"Oh, botherl Shut him up in a feather
bedp' - 81 g. Az y 80 3 ak
'Why, the waters not cold, you donkeyF'
cried out Bill Whitney, who had Just .leaped
in. SITS as warm as new milk. What on
earth will you be fit for, Bristles9 You'll new
er make man."
snake man! What are you thinking OF,
yVI;+,,av Misc Charlotte has no ambition
that way. Girls prefer to grow. up into young
ladies, not into men -
us it truly warm 2' asker Van Rheyn,
looking at the river irresolutely, and thinking
that if he went in the rnockery might cease"
looked up at him from the water, 1t is,
indeed, Van Rheyn. Quite warm"
He knew he might. trust me-. and began
slowly to undress. We had continued to be
the best Of comrades, and / never went III
for teasing him as the rest did; rather
shielded him when i could, and took his
part. =.
By the time he was ready to go in-for he
did nothing nimbly, and the undressing
made no exception-some, of us were ready
to come out. One OF DR.. Frost's rules in re-
gard to bathing was stringent-that no boy
should remain in the water more than three
minutes at the very extent He held That
great deal of harm was done by prolonged
bathing, Van Rheyn plunged inland liked
it. ,aE boa --susTsE .rfii'lar- q .-u
at is warm and pleasant" he exclaimed.
''This cannot hurt me-"
Hurt you, you great babyV' shouted Par
ker. ., - 4t4,pH 2.
Van Rheyn had put bis clothes in the tidi-
est manner, upon the grass-not. like ours,
which were flung down anyway: waistcoats
here, stockings yonder. His things were laid
smoothly one upon another in the order he
took them off-the jacket first, the flannel
wastcoat uppermost. Though l dare say l
should not have noticed this but for shout
"Halloal What's thatq''
Those of us who were out, and in the sew
eral stages of drying or dressing, turned
round at the words. Jessup, buttoning his
braces, was standing by Van Rheyn's heap,
looking down at it. On the top of the fan
mel singlet lay the gold cross with the blue
ribbon. 1i'lq '"'
s'What on earth is it ?" cried Jessup, pick
ing it up; and at the moment Van Rheyn,
finding all the rest out of the water, came out
himself SIS it charm?"
SIT is mine-it is my gold Cross" spoke
Van Rheyn, catching up one of the wet tow
els to rub himself with. The bath this eve
ming had been impromptu, and we had but
two towels between us that Parker and Whit
ney had brought. In point of fact, it had
been against rules also, for we were not ex-
pected to 60 into the river without the pres
ence of a master. But just at this bend it
was perfectly safe. Jessup passed the blue
ribbon round hit neck, letting the cross hang |
behind. This done, he turned himself about |
Tor general inspection, and the boys crowded |
round to look.
"What do you say it is, Bristles"'
"My gold cross" if,.
you don't ns e. to tell us to our faces
81 wear it always,' freely answered Van
Rheyn. ga -
Jessup took it off his neck, and the boys |
passed it about from one to another. They |
did not ridicule the cross-I think the EN-
blem on it prevented that-but they ridiculed |
Van Rheyn.
"a friend Of mine went over to the tar
and-feather islands, said Milhchip, executing |
an aggravating war dance round and about
Charley. "He found the natives sporting no
end OF charms and enthusiastically all the
attire they did sport-rings in the nose and
chains in the ears. What relation are those
natives to you, Miss Charlotte?"
Don't injure it, please,"- pleaded Van
"We've got an ancient nurse at home that
carries the tip of a calls tongue in her pocket
for luck" shrieked out Thorne. s'And Pve
heard-I have heard, Bristles-that any fell
ow who arms. himsalf with a non, owl, oe |