The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-01
4 TOY DRAMA.
london Truth.

bof the Hussare, wac a man whose iH-luek had
long. been proverbial among hisfrends he had
originally joined a crack cavalry regiment, in
which he was by far the most popular officer.
But good nature was more conspicuous quality
in Frank Poland's character than discretion, and
in an evil moment he backed a. brother officers
bills for avery considerable amount Needless
| to say that his friend abseonded, and was de-
clared bankrupt, and that Poland, being only a
younger son, with q small allowance was OBJ
liged to exchangelintoa regiment of Indian ma
+ tive cavalry. He was a married man, with a
'deHcate wife and a couple of young children, and
| the climate speedily made his wife chronic in
valid, while the children faded away and died
before their parents eyes. The unfortunate man
| was too poor to afford to send them to England,
and his father declined to assist him. saying,
with more truth than kindness, that nshad been
| the cause Of his own ruin, and must make
| the best of his altered circumstances. Grief
/ almost killed Mrs. Poland. and nearly broke the
| Majors heart-for he was not Colonel then He
would have resigned his commission and left the
country he looked upon as accursed; butnecessity
kept him at his post. and ha lived on a dreary,
hopeless existence among a people he hated and
| IN land which had become detestable to him.
/ Two years after the death of their second child
third was born to the Colonel AMI his wife-a
/ son. whom he called Rupert. The two loved this
youngest baby with a devotion that was almost
ptiful in its intensity, for they dreaded the fatal
air of place, and scarcely dared to hope that
he would escape the fate of his brother and sis
ter: but Rupert was strong, healthy child, and
FOR the first three years Of his life scarcely had
days illness. Poland began to think his luck
had turned at last He haA recently been pro-
noted to a colonelcy, and shortly expected to
command bis regiment; hie wife, too seemed to
revive in the delight of her boys existence.
and Rupert himself was as little spoiled
as any child could be-, considering the amount of
affection which was lavished upon him. But,
just when the prospects Of the family seemed to
brighten, new terror rose to torment the luck
| less Colonel His child began to- show Fremont
tory symptoms Of the same wasting diseases
/ which was so terribly familiar to his parentsl
and the chance of losing him, too, began to pre-
sent itself with dreadful persistence before the
imagination. SofaE indeed there was no cause
| for Immediate alarm. PolanPs perceptions were
quickened by his ovcrpowering anxiety and at
fectlon, or he would scarcely have noticed that
little Ruperts face occasionally wore hectic
/ flush, and that he seemed to tire of play sooner
/ than was altogether natural Husband and wife
for a long time, therefore, kept up the pain
| fnl farce of pretending to ignore each others
fears, but an explanation was finally inevitable.
Poor Mrs. Poland, ovainly striving to check her
tears, iraplored her husband 70 tell her candidly
| If thing was really wrong with her darling
and he was forced to admit that the doctor had
recommended sea voyage and a change of
climate
And how the poor child is to get either the
one or the other can't imagine" he groaned
Surely your father would do something if he
only knew"
The Colonel shook his head drearily:
| ~ can't ask him, dear: no, there is nothing
else for 1T. / must send in my papers, and we
must try to keep out of the work house some
how or another Anything to save Rupert"
And so the matter was settled. Colonel Po
land was to resign his commission: and the little
family was to- start for England by an early
steamer. But the very day before he sent in
MS papers it happened that an old comrade of
the Coionefs was passing through the station in
which he was quartered-Surgeon Major Brad
icy, who had been invaded home, and was
m, king the best Of his way to England with his
wife They stayed a couple Of nights at Bunda
no,ds ANA sympathized deeply with the Polands
in their dilen rna. Dr. Bradley seemed to take
a oreat fancy, To, ,Ssapert. He was childless him
self, and on the secol.% morning ne came TO the
Colonel and offered to tan - Sarge OF Inc BOY IN
til his parents returned to b. %iand
ut would really be rather a .Sol tnan otner-
wise" he protested. MY wife anu are very
dull by ourselves and if you could only trust us,
am sure we would take as good care of tie BOY
as if he were our own. But you must make up
your mind at once"
! The Colonel graspei his friends hand in 81
lence. He did not quite realize the position,
st don't want to press you" said Bradley,
but it certainly seems pity that you should
when there is such an easy way out OF the diff
Guilty"
/ So, after a long discussion between Poland
and his wife. it was settled that the Colonel
should accept his friends offer, and send Rupert
to England, while he and his wife remained at
Bundapore. There was very little time for
preparations or for a prolonged leave-taking.
The poor mother strove TO console herself with
the thought that her childs life would be saved,
but she suffered terribly in parting from him,
while the Colonei's feelings were none the less
because his manhood forbade him to parade
them. AS for Rupert, he had taken wonder
fully to his new friends, and as his old nurse
went with him, his childish sorrow was soon
consoled by the novelty Of the journey and the
change of scene and air.
| Two years passed, and the Polands were al
most reconciled to the separation by the COM
forting letters they constantly received from
DR.. Bradley. Rupert was growing up strong,
healthy boy. He was wonderfully sharp and
intelligent, and had by no means forgotten his
| parents The Bradleys were living near Tun-
| bridge Wells, as London. they thought, was not
good for children, and the country air suited
/ Rupert to perfection. Mrs Poland almost
lived upon these letters in which her little ones
/ life was so minutely and faithfully depicted
| that she was tempted to forget the dreary
waste of sea that lay between them In another
| year the Colonel would retire on good pen
| sion and then they would be again united.
Rupert had had only one misfortune-his old
native nurse was dead, bnt Mrs Bradley said
| that she had found an excellent substitute.
/ Only six months were wanting to complete
the Colonel's term Of service when. by the same
| mail arrived a couple of letters from England,
| one in black bordered envelope. addressed in
| a. Stiff formal hand; and tho other from DR.
| Bradley. The Colonel opened the black edged
/ letter, and handed the other to his wife. The
( first was from a. lawyer, curtly informing the
Colonel that his father and elder brother had
/ both been drowned on yachting trip
1 "t,ooo ,so, ,.cwo awfuls cried Poland. His
/ father had been his worst enemy, and his broth
er had meyer raised his little finger to help him..
But blood is thicker than water, and the good
/ man was grieyously shocked by the news As
he stared at the open letter, he suddenly heard
loud shrek, and starting round saw that his wife
had fallen fainting. to the ground
"Why, Bessie, what is the matter9' he ex-
claimed, and then his eye fell the letter from
DR.. Bradley. Picking it up he strove to revive
his wife as no began to read it. The first few