Part 12 (1/2)
”Of course, uncle”
”Got yourself knocked into ame?”
”Yes, uncle; but I'm not much hurt”
”Hu at the lad through his half-closed eyes ”Said it was not true, then?”
”Of course, uncle,” cried the boy, flushi+ng indignantly
”Humph! Thankye, littered as he stared blankly at the fierce-looking old man For the declaration sounded horrible His uncle had been one of the bravest of soldiers in the boy's estiloated over the trophy formed by the old officer's sword and pistols, sur in the study Many a time, too, he had in secret carefully swept away the dust More than once, too, in his uncle's absence he had taken down and snapped the pistols at soinary foe, and felt a thrill of pleasure as the old flints struck off a tiny shower of brilliant stars from the steel pan cover At other times, too, he had carefully lifted the sword froht blade came slowly out of its leathern scabbard, cut and thrust with it to put eneed to carry it to the tool-shed to treat it to a good whetting with the rubber the gardener used for his scythe, for the rounded edge held out no pro off a Frenchman's head And now for the old hero of his belief to tell hie was true was so staggering, so beyond belief, that the blank look of disave place to a smile of incredulity, and at last the boy exclai!”
The old soldier returned the boy's s akin to despair, as he drew a long, deep breath and said, slowly:
”You find it hard to believe, then, Aleck, my boy?”
”Hard to believe, uncle? Of course I do nobody could believe such a thing of you”
”You are wrong, h, ”for everyone believed it, and the court-raced”
”Uncle! Oh, uncle! But it wasn't--it couldn't be true,” cried Aleck, wildly, as he sat up in bed
”The world said it was true, my boy,” replied the old man, whose voice sounded very low and sad
”But you, uncle--you denied the charge?”
”Of course, my boy”
”Then the people on the court-ht the word of an officer and a gentlee”
”Then you don't believe it was true, my lad?”
”I?” cried the boy, proudly; ”what nonsense, uncle! Of course not”
”But, knowing nohat I have told you, suppose you should hear this charge ain, ould you do?”
Aleck's eyes flashed, and, regardless of the pain it gave him, he clenched his injured fists, set his teeth hard, and said, hoarsely:
”The same as I did to-day, uncle nobody shall tell such lies about you while I a chahtly for a fewvoice, he said:
”Yes, Aleck, boy, for they are lies But the mud thrown at me stuck in spite of all my efforts to wash it away, and the stains remained”
”But, uncle--”