The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. rr a a Seal —— ee all other clerks, even from directors’ sons, they de- mand rich connections as securities, nothing of the kind has ever been exacted from you or your worthy parent. That shows what an excellent and sound education you must have received under me at dear old Bromley Hall; for, from almost nothing in the bank, you and your father have gradually risen to what you now are, and, in time, I have no doubt he will be president of the establishment.” Shaking hands, “ kind old Mr, Jonathan ”’ left his young friend in the bank parlour, and ascended the stairs to converse for a short time with Mr. Car- rington, senior. “Old Jonathan can preach as well as any of them. Not a bad sort of old fellow, though, but mighty stingy. He’s all right, and don’t care much for any- body, so that he gets a fat salary for doing nothing at Bromley Hall, while all the work falls to the poor tutors. Never mind, Rome wasn’t built in a day ; my turn will come one of these fine mornings. Who knows? I may have a bank of my own. They are going to increase my salary,eh? Well, they are very long-winded about the business, and should have done so long ago. What’s three hun- dred a year to a fellow like me, in times like these ? Why, I could spend that amount in less than a week, if I only ‘let loose’ a little.” Thus thought young Carrington, while old Jon:- than was upstairs, conversing with his father. But while Jonathan’s pupil was in a deep reverie about the large sum which old Flint had to his name in the bank from time to time, and reflecting upon the many scenes in which he and Joel Flint had taken part at Bromley Hall, Jonathan himself was detailing to Mr. Carrington, senior, the whole his- tory of the terrible school riots at Bromley Hall. But, it must be remarked, the servant who let Jonathan in had not gone up more than two flights of stairs, when Jonathan turned and left the strcet- door ajar. While he was conversing, therefore, with his former pupil, Bill, Jack, and Alf, the burglars, entered the establishment, and hid themselves. After a long time spent in conversation with the old master of Bromley Hall, Mr. Carrington and his son persuaded the old tutor to remain all night. i This was exactly what Jonathan wanted. Hour after hour passed in pleasant conversation, | about all manner of subjects, and at last bedtime arrived, Jonathan was shown to his room, and retired to rest. In another hour the whole house and the bank were as quiet as the grave. The night watchman went his rounds. All was safe and still. But little did the watchman dream that three determined villains were then in the bank, hid away. Neither did he suspect that old Jonathan was likewise awake, and moving about the house in his stocking-fect. He was about to descend the stairs, to assist in the robbery, when his quick ear caught the faint sounds of— “Help, help!” and of -a quick, violent scuffle going on in the bank below. Again all was still. ‘“Have they killed the watchman, I wonder ?” thought Jonathan, with bated breath. Hie descended the stairs cautiously and slowly. “I will go and assist them,” thought he, “or I shall have nothing for my share. In the morniug T shall be found fast asleep in bed. No one will LL CAL AC EEL LE LEE AC (E(@) | ever suspect me of having done anything—besides, I shall leave the house long before the bank opens on Monday morning.” He had descended two flights of stairs, and was about to go down the third, and last, when a door opened, and a hand was laid roughly upon his shoulder. “ Who are you ?” said some one, in the dark, and in a whisper. ; “ Who is he ? what brings him here ?” The whispered tones of the unknown men were so harsh, quick, and decisiye, that they made Jona- than tremble. “ Who and what are you ?” “Tama visitor, a friend of Mr. Carrington, the resident director.” “ What brought you down from your chamber, then, at this time of night ?” “JT heard a mysterious noise, and faint eries for help, as if of some one in distress,” “Indeed—and you came to his assistance, I suppose ?” “‘T did, or to ascertain the cause of the noise ere alarming the household.”’ *‘You did well, then, You may go to your apart- ment again, and leave the rest to us. Had you alarmed the house, you would have spoiled every- thing.” “Why, what is the matter ?” “Oh, nothing in particular—there are three pro- fessional burglars in the bank—that’s all!” “Burglars in the bank! impossible—and you ‘* Police officers,” “ But the ery of help I heard, then, arose from—’’ “The night watchman. He was seized, bound, and gagged ; but no harm will befall him.” “ But how did you know of this affair ?” “From information we received, we enterei the house juat half an hour after the burglars. We have been watching them several hours. When they have done their work below, we shall collar em, and transport ’em for life,’’ “But how could you watch them ?” “We bored a hole with an auger through the first floor ceiling. Haye a peep ?” Jonathan did have a peep, and through the hole could plainly see the three burglars hard at work trying to prize open the safe. “ Now are you satisfied ?”’ said one of the officers. “Yes, Tam. Oh! the villains! see how hard they are working. Why, Alf and Bill are actually perspiring. If they only worked half so hardin any honest labour, they’d make their fortunes,” [dare say they would ; but who told you that those two men trying to prize open the safe were called Alf and Bill ?” This question took Jonathan fairly aback, and for a moment he felt his heart in his mouth. “I heard them whisper their names just now,” said Jonathan, telling a lie, “The very men we suspected,” said one of the officers, who was Josey’s friend Radfen, “I thought they were concocting some villany or they wouldn’t have kept so quiet ‘as they have done for the past week or two.” “The third party as is guarding the door must be Jack, then,” whispered another officer. “Yes; that’s him.” “But why don’t you go and arrest them at once ?” “We are waiting for a fourth party,” said Radfen. * Two more, J think you said, Radfen ?” GComicbooks