The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 111: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

108 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO, footsteps. Upon searching more narrowly, I found this glove.” ‘“* Tt is Mabel’s,” cried Mrs. Morton. ‘*Yes—yvyes,” said Henry, as he eagerly snatched from the man’s hand this sad memorial of her he loved. ‘‘ Yes, it is Mabel’s. Now, God help her, what has been her fate ?” “Hush! Henry, hush!” said Captain Morton; ‘ let.us hear what more Robert has to say to us.” ‘Of course, sir,” added Robert, ‘‘I was not then content until I had examined all about the spot so thoroughly as to be con- vinced that nothing there had escaped my observation. And I did not search in vain. Some few paces further on, I found this paper. Jt was trampled upon, and seemed as if some one had in the hurry of the scuffle dropped it unknowingly.” Robert banded a folded paper to Captain Morton, who, before he opened it, said to the groom: ‘* Have you any more to say ?” ‘* No, sir.” ‘‘Very good, Robert; you can go.” When they were alone again, Captain Morton opened the paper with trembling hands, while Henry and Mrs. Morton waited eagerly to know what were its contents, for it seemed to be written nearly all over on its inner side. ‘‘ What says it ?” inquired Henry, eagerly,—‘‘ what says it ?” ‘‘ Hush! be calm,” said his brother; ‘‘ be assured that I will read to you every word of it.” He glanced his eye down the page, and then he said, ‘‘ This is not a letter. It seems to be a paper of instructions given to cone one. It is written evidently by some person of education, and——’ ‘* Tt concerns Mabel ®’ said Henry. **It does—it does. The mystery of this transaction thickens indeed. Wecannot reconcile this with anything that has oc- curred. Listen.” Captain Morton read from the paper as follows: ‘‘There can be no manner of doubt that it was an English officer to whom the child was committed on the battle- field; but whether he died of his wounds, and so was compelled reluctantly, no doubt, to abandon the sacred trust that was reposed in hitn, or recovered to fulfill it, of course I have no means of knowing. His narme was Morton, or Meriton, or Moreton, or some name extremely similar. What his rank in the English army was we do not know. You will, however, upon repairing to England, most probably find sources of information open to vou, of which we are here ignorant; and what appears now so troublesome an affair may be made easy enough. And now let me implore you, and yet I feel that to such as you I need not do so, to proceed with the greatest delicacy and caution. Our object is the hap- piness of that child of destiny, and not to overwhelm her with any misery. God forbid that we should dream of harshly tear- ing her from the arms of those who may have been to her all that the tenderest parents could be. ‘‘ But it is in vain for mortals to calculate upon all the chances comicbooks. com