The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

88 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. ‘“‘The worst.” ‘Oh, I understand. Well, these things will happen. It isn’t the first throat you have cut bya g many, if you did it in that way. Ah, this puts me now in mind of old times and scenes. Don’t you remember——” ‘‘Silencef! What the devil is there in my past career that I want to be reminded of by you?” ‘‘Not much, I dare say. A shilling?’ “© What ?” ‘‘ A shilling to get the learned utensils for writing. Do you think I walk about with money jingling in my pocket to go of every body’s errands, and pay besides ?” : ‘“Pshaw! You are the same reckless man you ever were. You will joke when you come to the gallows.” ‘* Which you won’t live to see, old friend; for the hangman will be cheated if you don’t go first. I always give way to my betters. I wouldn’t be hung before you, no, not on any account, I wouldn't.” With a half swaggering, half crouching gait, the fellow now walked toward the vulage on the errand which the other had specified to him. It was quite dark when he returned, and at the mendicant’s order, Dashing Ned, who never traveled without a pocket tin- der-box, took out his flint and steel, and alight was soon pro- cured, and with some difficulty Solme succeeded in writing the following epistle:— ‘“*To her who is commonly named Mabel Morton: ** Mabel, you are not the child of bim who would fain, because he has done much injury to your ents, make you believe. You, of course, wish to know to whom you owe your being. You shall know so from the only person who now will tell you. or who really feels a disinterested interest in your welfare. If to-morrow evening at dusk you will be on the margin of the lake, at a spot where a cluster of trees comes so near to the water, that one, a fir, has loosened itself from the bank, and seems ready each moment to fall into the lake. you shall know all. If you doubt that there be any truth in this ask Rafferty Brolickbones, the servant to Captain Morton, who knows well that you are not a child of Morton’s, although he knows not who you really are.” | Having written this note as carefully as he could, under exist- ing aa umstanses, he folded it, and turning to his companion, e said: ‘‘Now, Ned, you see yon house, many of the windows of which are lit up from within ?” “Yes,” ‘TI want you to take this note there, and endeavor to bribe one of the servants to place it in the hands of her to whom it is addressed.” ‘‘Bribe one of them? What am J to give him ?” ‘‘Anything. Here is gold,” comicbooks. com