Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-11-23

,.he boy BERTHE Jared better than his
sister; his vocation, even in early LIE,
was settled. He would be nothing but
soldier. In vain Horace Temple painted
the delights of the law, the church, the
civil professions; he would have none OF
them.
To his same regiment belonged Captain
Vivian Selwyn, the nephew and heir OF
Lord Huldibrand Selwyn of Selwyn Cas-
tie, brave, noble, generous young ON
Ger, perhaps better liked than any in the
service: a man beloved by all, by COM
radcs and men: a man whose heart and
hand were ever open to help, to reiieve,
and to assist.
The fair-haired young ensign looked up
to Captain Selwyn with something Ike
alteration: he thought him the grandest
man. and the greatest hero the world ever
saw. He was happy for days If the cap
tain spent ten minutes in talking to him.
The time came when the "Queen's
Own" were ordered off to India, and Hor'
ace Temple bade his only son farewell
The quiet reserved, solitary man never
knew until that moment how dear ms
children were to him-he had not realized
it.
There was a rebellion among 4he ma
tiTe troops, and the Queens Own were
ordered off to Quell it. 1t SO hapner"
that the commanding officer, Major Ihrei
ton, wanted to send some important pa
pers to Madras. They were papers that
had been taken from an Indian chier
made captive, and related to conspiracy
spread far and wide among the native
troops.
1t was the youngest of them all who
offered to go-Ensign Temple. They call
ed him BERTHE and Beauty among them
selves, because of his fair, boyish race
and golden curls. But there was not one
among them whose heart did not beat
faster when the young hero stood up and
asked il the dangerous duty might be his.
They gave him the papers. and he went
out; four soldiers went with him. They
rode out of camp one morning while the
haze of heat covered the sky like thick,
coppery mist, and never a one returned.
They were half way to their journeys Q
end when they met the detachment OF na-
tives sent out by the rebels to waylay
them and regain the papers. Ensign Tem-
pie, with a deep saber cut on his brow,
with innumerable wounds on his chest,
his neck and arms, managed to escape.
He rode into the camp, and lived long
enough to redeem his promise to place in
the hands Of Gen. Vinay the dispatches in
trusted to him, none the less precious that
they were bathed in his blood.
1t was night when he arrived, and the
general was surrounded by his staff. They
were grim old warriors, most of them,
but to this day they tell with trembling
lips of the bright-haired boy who rode so
suddenly into the camp, streaming with
blood. with death in his brave young face
They tell how he placed the papers in the
generals hand and fell at his feet, saying
with the smile of a child:
"You will tell them at home that did
my duty"
There was a stir among them. Dark,
bronzed faces grew pale and quivered as
they raised the boy and carried him away
to die.
But there was one happiness in store
that the young ensign and his little troop
had been waylaid. Captain Selwyn, with
a small body Q. men, was sent after him
at once, and the captain was just in time
to see the young hero die.
They had laid him under the shade Of a
large palm tree. The evening sun had
COOL calm breeze had risen.
"Ah, captainv' said the boy; II longed
to see your face and touch your hand once
more. You have always been my hero,
and 1 have loved you so well. You will
go back to England some day; promise
me that you will go and see my father,
that you will say with my last breath |
sent him my love; tell my sister Violante
l thought of her as l lay dying, with in
finite love, and tell them for me that
died q soldiers death. doing my duty as
soldiers do. told my father l might live
to be a general, but my laurels are few,
and have gathered them young. Captain
Selwyn, I am not afraid of death, but
will you let me hold your hand while
dep
And Captain Vivian Selwyn-used as
be was to sickness, to wounds, and death
felt his face grow white and his lips
culver, as he stood by and watched the
young soldier die. Tears filled his eyes
as he noted the deep crimson wound on
the fair young brow.
Heaven bless him." he said with rever-
pnt lips. England may well be proud of
her soldier sons, when they live and die
like him.
With his own hands he cut off two Of
the golden curls, resolving to keep them
until he returned home, and then to take
one to his sister, and one to the father of
the young hero whom they were never
more to see.
Captain Vivian Selwyn redeemed his
promise. That was how he came to meet
Niolante. He fingered on at Woodeaves,
trying all in his power to win the love of
that pure young heart; he succeeded at
-l~.~ l.
his secret no longer, and one evening,
when Mr.. Temple had been obliged to re-
turn to his office for papers, and the two
were alone, he surprised her into confess
ing that she, too, loved him.
Against my better judgment" she said
with a saucy, bewitching smile, but l
cannot help it"
After two days of deep thought and con-
sideration, Horace Temple, bewildered as
ever. gave his consent: and the marriage
of Lord Vivian Selwyn and Violante was
arranged to take place in September.
(To be continuedb