Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07
you and my uncle I'll never come back

answered bravery: mat 3 WeIi'
Harry for then you'll make all the
more effort, and for my sake I'm sure
you'll conquer. But, Harry, | wish
before you go you'd tell me plainly
what else it is that you've been dong
besides playing and losing your uncle'S
money"
"0h, biilly, Nlly, can't
mustn't. If were to tell you that
YOU could never again respect me
you could never love me-"
Milly was wise girl, and pressed
him no further. After all, there are
some things it is better for none OF US
to know about one another. and TINS
thing was Just one of them.
So Harry Walpole went away from
Cheltenham. nobody knew whittier ex-
cent Nlillv, not daring to conhde the
secret of his whereabouts even 70 MS
uncle. nor seeing that sole friend once
more before he went, but gong away
that very night, on his own resources
to seek his own fortune as best ne
might in the great world OF London.
Tell my uncle why have gone he
said to Milly; that it is in order to
conquer myself; and tell him that I'll
write to YOU constantly, and that yoI
will let him know from time to time
whether | am well and making pro-
gress.
1t was a hard time for poor old Sir
Thomas. no doubt, those four years
that Harry was away from him, he
knew not where, and he was lcf. alone
by himself in his dreary home but he
felt it was best so he knew Harry was
trying to conquer himself. How Harry
lived or what he was doing he never
heard but once or twice Milly limited
to him that Harry seemed sorely in
want of money. and Sir Thomas gave
her some to send him, and every time
it was at once returned, with a very
firm but gentle message from Harry to
say that he was able, happily. to do
without it, and would not further
trouble his uncle. 1t was only from
Milly that Sir Thomas could learn any
thing about his dear boy, and he saw
| her and asked her about him SO often
that he learned at last to love her like
| a daughter.
The four years rolled slowly away,
and at the end of them Sir Thomas was
one day sitting in his little library,
somewhat disconSolate, and rejecting
to himself that he ought to have some
body living with him at his time of life,
when suddenly there came a ring and
knock that made him start with sur
prise and pleasure, for he recognized
them at once as being Ilarry's. Next
moment the servant brought him in 4
card on which was engraved IN small
letters DR.. II. Walpole," and down .
in the lelt-hand corner Surrey Hos F.
pI,ai."
Sir Thomas turned tn. card over and .
Over with o momU;gry feeling Of dis .
appointment, for lie had somehow fan .
cjcd to himself that Harry tal gone off /
GOVERN, himself with glory among /u- /
las or A'ghlas, anil he couldn't help .
feeling that bcsi.a that romantic dream .
OF so'aict'y rehabilitation plain loc- .
tors life vas ao,udly proea'a. Ne>t .
moment Harry himself was srl-piHy .
his hand warmly. and prose and poetry /
were alike forgotten 81 ,hit one vivid .
all-ab>orbing delight Of ms bog re- F..
covered.
a, soon as the first flush Of excite 7
mcut was fairly over, and larry hal +
cried regrytfully. Why, uncle. how I.
much older you're looking " and Sir .
Thomas had exclaimed in his fl,herly .
joy, "Why. Harry. my boy. what .
tine fellow you've turned ont; Col .
bless ne J" Harry took n little bag ot /
Soyerc.grs from his coat-pocket and /.
laid it down, very red, upon the corner T
Of the table. Those are yours, .
uncle" nc said. simply.
Sir Thomas's first impulse was TO /
say " No, no, my boy keep them,
keep them. ard let us forget all about /
It" but he checked himself just in
time, for he saw that the best and /.
highest thing all round was to take /
them quietly and trouble poor Harry /
no more with the recollection. THANK I.
you, my boy" the old soldier an /
swered, taking them up, and pocketing
them as though it were merely the re-
payment Of an ordinary debt. l'' The I
schools for the orphan children Of Of I.
ficers in the army will all be the richer
for it, he thought to himself) And .
now tell NE, Harry, how have yop been ,
living, and what have you been dong F.
ever since last saw you:'
Uncle" Harry cried-he hadn't
unlearnt to think Of him and call him
by that fond old name, then" uncle, .
I've been conQuering myself. From .
the day left You I've never touched a
card once-not once, uncle
Except, suppose, for a quiet rub
bcr," the old Colonel put in softly.
mot even for a rubber, uncle
Harry answered, half smiling; Nor .
cue, nor Q dice-boX either, nor any
thing like them. I've determined to
steer clear Of all the dangers that sur
round lie by Inheritance, and I'm not
going to begin again as long as | h'e' .
uncle.
That's well, Harry; that's well. .
And you didn't 20 in for a direct COM
mission them was in hopes, my
boy. that you would still. in spite OF
every thing. 60 into the Queens ser .
vice"
Harry's face fell little. Uncle
he said. I'm sorry to have disappointed
YOU; sorry to have been compelled 70
run counter to any little ambitions you
might have had for me in that respect;
but felt. after all you told me tha,
day, that the army would be a very
dangerous profession for me and though
didn't want to be a coward and run
away from danger, didn't want to be
foolhardy and needlessly expose myself
to it. SO thought on the whole It
would be wiser for me to give up the
direct-commssion business altogether
and 90 in at once for being a doctor. Il
was safer, and therefore better in the
end both for NE and for YOU. uncle