Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-04-01

10 DolH DS Ger Odlly iaOOr-managed
! to foil all of The efforts of Admiral Sir
Peter Hawkshaw to find me: for he
had done all he could to discover the
whereabouts of his nephews orphan
lis not for me to say one word
against Betty Green, for she shaved for
me as only a woman can slave, and.
besides, brought me up in the habits
and manners of a gentleman albeit
she did little for my education, and to
this day | am prone to be en-
barrassed when | have a pen in my
hand. can not say that | was happy
in the devoted, though savage, love
she lavished upon me- She would not
allow me to play with the boys of her
own class, and those of my class |
never saw. All my clamorings to
know something about my family on
either side were met by her declaring
that she had forgotten where my
mothers people lived; and as for Sir
Pete, she gave me such a horrifying
account of him that | never dreamed
it possible to receive any kindness
from him. At last, though, on her
death-bed she acknowledged a part of
the deception her desperate affection
had impelled her to play upon me.
The poor soul had actually forgotten
about my mothers family, and had
destroyed everything relating to them,
but directed me TO go TO Sir Peter;
and thus it was that, on the day after
T! saw Betty Green, my only friend on
earth, laid in pauper's grave, | went
to the house of my fathers uncle, with
the result narrated. When | got back
to the humble lodgings where | had
lived before Betty's death. looked up
small box of trinkets OF little value
which had belonged to my mother, and
from the sale of them | got enough to
live upon for a week, and to make my
way to Portsmouth at the end of it.
Either Sir Peter had forgotten to tell
me anything about my outfit, or else
| had slipped out so quickly-galled
by the fear of weeping before that
rascally footman-that he had no
chance. At all events. | arrived at
Portsmouth by the mail coach, with
all of my belongings in one shabby
portmanteau.
| shall not describe my feelings dur
ing that journey toward the new life
that awaited me. In fact, | scarcely
recall them coherently; all was a
maze. a tumble, and an uproar in my
mind.
We got down in the inn yard--a
coach full of passengers the only
one who seemed adrift and alone
among them. | stood looking about me
al pert chambermaid who impudent-
ly ogled the hostlers and got kiss
in return; at the Dretentious entrance
to the inn; at all of the hustle and
confusion of the arrival of the coach.
Presently | saw young gentleman
somewhat older than myself, and wear
ing the uniform of his majesty's sea-
service, come out of the inn door. He
had very elegant figure, but his face
was rather plain. Within five minutes
OF my first meeting with Giles Vernon,
had an example of what was one of
his most striking traits-every wom-
an in sight Immediately fixed her at
tention on him and smiled at him. One
was the chambermaid, who left eff
ogling the hostlers and gaped at this
young officer with her coarse, hand
some face ali aflame; another was the
landlady, who followed him to the
door, Sinking and tanning herself:
and the third was a venerable Quaker
ess, who was about entering the inn,
and who beamed benevolently on him
as he bowed gallantly in passing. |
know not why this should have made
such an impression on me; but being
young and a fool thought beauty was
as highly priced by women as by men,
and it surprised me that fellow with
mouth so wide and with something
dangerously near a squint should be
such lady-killcr. 1t was common
enough for young gentlemen holding
midshipmen's warrants to come down
by the coach, and rs soon as he saw
me this young officer called out:
Halo, my hearty! Is it ship of
the line or a frigate you are booked
for? Or is it one of those damned gun
brigs which are unfit for a gentleman
to serve in?"
(TO BE CONTINUED)
BY WHEELBARRoW IN CHINA.