Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07

bupcalow-the Sepoys used to call
your mother the Bib, Iarry-those
black devils had broken in there. and
when. next morning early, ! burst into
The ruined place, with three men Of the
Forty-seyenth and faithful native
hsildar, we found your poor mother
well, there, Harry, | can't bear ia
think Of it, even now, my boy; but
she was dead, too, quite dead, with a
hundred sabre-cuts ak over her poor
blood-stained, hacked about body. And
in the corner, under the cradle, the
e;ght-months-old baby was lying and
| cryins-crying bitterly. That wa:
you, Harry.
The young man listened intently
with face now once more ashy-whlte
but still he answered absolutely no
thing.
81 took you in my arms, my boy,
the old Colonel continued in softer
tone land as you were left all alone
in the bungalow there, with no living
soul to love or care for you, | carried
you away in my arms myself to my
own quarters. All through the rest o
that terrible campaign ! kept you with
me, and while | was fighting at futtey
poor q native ayah was in charge OF yor
for me. Your poor father had OWED
me a tritling debt. and | took you as
payment in full, and have kept you
with ne as my nephew ever since
That is all your history, Harry"
There was another long pause du'
ring which Harry kept his burning eyes
fixed fast upon Sir Thomas, and Slr
Thomas looked down uncomicrtably at
his boots and said nothing. Then the
young mcn found voice again feebly to
ask, almost in whisper, one final
question:
Had you. ..... had you any particu.
lar reason for telling me this story
about my birth and my parents at this
exact time ..... Just now, uncle?"
Il had, Harry. II have rather
suspected OF late ...... that ..... that you
are falling somehow into Into your
poor fathers unhappy wee of gambling.
Ny boy. my boy, if you inherit his
failings in that direction, ! hope his
end will be some warningto you to de-
sist Immediately
"And had you any reason to
suspect me eff any other fault ...
off,. any grayer fault......of anything
really very serious. uncle?"
The Colonel held his head between
his hands. and answered very slovly,
as if the words were wrung from him
by torture =" If you hadn't yourself
asked me the question point blank,
Harry, would never have told yol
anything about it. Yes, my boy, my
dear boy, my poor boy; / know it
all .....all~... all absolutely"
Harry lifted mp his voice in one loud
cry and wall Of horror, and darted ont
of the room without another syllable.
Il know that cry" the Colonel said
in his own heart. trent ling. d" have
heard It before It's the very cry poor
Walpole gave that night at B0olJnl-
shahr, just before he went out and shot
himself"
".
Harry had rushed cut into the gar
den; Of chat Sir Thomas felt certain.
lie followed him hastily. and sav h.u
by the seat under the lime-,rees in the
far corner he had something heavy in
his right hand. Sir Thomas cane
closer, and saw to his alarm an horror
that it was indeed the small revolver
from the old pistol-stand on the ~s,io
the vestibule.
Even as the poor old soldier sazel.
half petrited, the lad pushed car
fridge home feyerishly into one Of the
chambers, and raised the weapon, with
a stem resolution, up to his temple.
Sir Thomas recognized in that very mo.
meut of awe and terror that 1t was the
exact attitude and action Of Ilarry's
dead father. The entire character and
tragedy seemed to have handed itself
down directly from father to son with
out a single change Of detail or circum-
stance.
The old man darted forward hur-
riedly, with surprising haste, and caught
IIarry's hand just as the finger rested
upon the trigger.
My boy. my boy! he cried,
wrenching the revolver easily from his
trembling grasp and 0inging it with a
great curve to the other end Of the gar
den. Not that way Not that way
haven't reproached you with one word.
Harry. This is a bad return, indeed,
for life devoted to you. Oh, Harry.
Harry, not by shutting off your re-
sponSibilties and running away from
them ike a coward, not by that
can you ever mend matters in
the state you have gotten them into.
but by living on and fighting against
your evil impulses and conquerlng them
like a man-thats the way, the right
way, to get the better of them. Promise
me, Harry, promise me, my boy, that
whatever comes you won't make away
with yourself as your father did; for
my sake live on and do better. I'm an
old man, an old man, Harry, and !
have but you in the world to care for
or think about. Don't let me be
ashamed in ny old age by seeing the
boy have brought up and loved as
son dying in disgrace, poltroon and
coward. Stand by your guns, my boy;
stand by your guns, and light 1t out to
the last minute
Harry's arm fell powerless to his side
and he broke down utterly, in his shame
and establishment, tllnging himself
wildly upon the seat beneath the lime
trees and covering his face with his
hands to hide the hot tears that were
bursting forth in feyerish torrent.
Il will co." he said at last, in
choking voice; Il will go, uncle, and
talk to Milly.'
DO" the Colonel said, soothing his
arm tenderly. "Do, my boy. She's a
good girl, and she'll advise you rightly.
&c and speak to her; but before you
90 promise me, promise me-"
Harry rose and tried to shake OFT Sir
Thomas's heavy hand, laid with a