Part 1 (1/2)
With Rifle and Bayonet
by FS Brereton
CHAPTER ONE
A SAD MISTAKE
The last few rays of a cold Septee and populous village called Redford, in the county of Surrey, lighting up the pretty red-brick cottages and casting a deep shadow beyond the quaint and tumble-down old porch which led to the church A few h the iron bars of a ravel drive and cast a ruddy glow on the s of a fine countrythe sunset, a ed in angry conversation, while outside, on the great staircase, the subject of their dispute, a boy of about eleven, was slowly ain to let his head drop upon his folded arainst the banisters, and sob as if his heart would break At last, afteronce h froive a violent start Instantly the lad dried his eyes, and choked back his sobs Then, with a sudden gesture, as if of deter, and with his head now held proudly erect in the air, ran up the reht
Meanwhile, in the roo gloory words passed between them
The former, Captain Charles Somerton by nae, was evidently ill at ease He stood close beside his writing-desk, shuffling restlessly fro with a paper-knife His wife, on the other hand, was apparently calh a careful scrutiny of her features would have shown that passion had al woot the better of her there was a decidedly evil look upon her face She listened i spitefully at hi her lips as if on the point of interrupting
”My dear,” the captain was saying, somewhat nervously, ”you really must be more kind to the poor little chap Scold him if you wish to, for I have no doubt that, like all boys, he is constantly up to some kind of mischief; but if you have occasion to correct hi lad, you must remember, and I am sure that his worst deeds cannot hten him out of his life, and you do what I consider an extres, well knowing him to be a thin-skinned boy Poor little chap! If you are not ether smashed a piece of valuable china in your boudoir? How then is it that Frank is forgiven, while Jack, who is the younger by more than a year, has his ears boxed and is spoken to so harshly?”
”There you are again, Charles!” was Mrs Sory answer ”How often leader in all the o astray, for he is a quiet and good-mannered boy, and, unless led away by the bad example of the other, always conducts hiree with you there, Julia,” the captain replied, with so of the hypocrite about Frank His ood, but he can never look one in the face, and he is ready at any iven to getting into mischief, but I tell you candidly that I would far rather that he were so than a naoose
He's a plucky little fellow, and all that is wrong with him is that, like the e stock of ani in this world, but which occasionally lead one into trouble You say he is the ringleader; but to oes ahead where others are afraid and hang back
”But there, my dear, do not let us quarrel about this trumpery matter
Remember that when I, a ith one boy, reat object of our union was that the lads ood brothers and playfellows That was three years ago, and noe have the satisfaction of knowing that they are fairly good companions, and our wish is that they should continue so Treat them alike, Julia, and they will always be firm friends But make a difference between them, punish one for the other's faults, and you will surely separate the lads and cause them to dislike one another As for the bit of china, I ao to London, and, if possible, I will replace it, or buy you so more valuable”
Captain Somerton spoke in his kindest and most conciliatory manner, and patted his wife playfully on the arm But this subject of the two boys was a bitter one to her, and she was far fro appeased
”Yes, it is just like you, Charles, to take Jack's part!” she exclairy sneer ”It is always the same, and, upon my word, I have no patience with you Jack is a mischievous little monkey, and if there is to be an unpleasant scene between us whenever he misbehaves himself, then the sooner he is sent away to school the better If I had had o”
Mrs Sorily at her husband, and bounced out of the roo the door after her
As for the captain, he was evidently distressed that his atteave a deep sigh, and, sinking resignedly into a chair, lit a cigar, and s clouds, through which the red end of his cheroot gli ht, and with a kindly expression on his face Had a stranger seen him he would have taken hi the moustache and the military air; while, had anyone been in doubt, the rooms--ere all old soldiers--saluted hi to the dullest A few years before the event just narrated Captain Soined his coe in person the property which had come into his possession
Then it was that his first wife had died, leaving him with a child of five Three years later he had married a ho also had a boy
It had been a sad, indeed a fatal, mistake His second as unsuitable in every respect, and was the very last woman he should have selected She had no syst smart people in London, and when at home invariably upset the house, and caused her husband displeasure by her treatment of his boy Indeed, as ti sharply to Jack, knoell that by doing so she caused Captain Somerton pain and annoyance
And Jack--poor little fellow!--though at first he had, boy-like, quickly forgotten his scoldings, was now really in terror of his unloving stepmother
People who knew the Soe, soon learnt what kind of a woh outwardly all that was pleasant and entertaining to theed her character, and knew her to be a source of discord in a house which was, before her arrival there, one of the happiest in the land They sureeted Jack, and contrasted them with the tender embraces hich she almost smothered her own son
Then they discussed the subject by other firesides till it was almost threadbare, and came to the conclusion that jealousy of Jack's undoubted superior qualities and good looks was the main cause of her unkind treatment of hie, the captain's servants put their heads together many a time, with the result that all sympathised secretly with their master and his son, and cordially disliked the newto her
Even as Captain So their views in the study above, old Banks, the butler, who had been with the So forth with unusual vehemence to the cook and maids below