Show in the ivans of it vor richard by IRVING BACHELLER R copyright by irvina bacheller cheller Da DOCTOR FRANKLIN SYNOPSIS solomon binkus veteran scout and interpreter and lils lila young companion jack irons passing through horse valley now new york in september 1788 1768 to warn settlers sott lera of an indian uprising rescue from a band of redskins red skins tho the wife and daughter of colonel ilare of ingland england 1 jack distinguishes in tho the tight fight anti and litter later a margaret hare diore from tho the river jack and maraaret rail fall in love on reaching F port ort stanwix colonel hare says both lire are too young to marrai tho the hare family mail aall for england and the irons family move to albany unrest grows in tho the colonies because of tho the oppressive measures of tho the english government solomon and jack visit boston in november 1770 jack goes to philadelphia and works in benjamin franklins printing plant nearly three years later margaret L ret writes him from london rem reminding I 1 nd him that her youth la is passing and saying phe mile has appealed to doctor F franklin bankus has received a letter from washington to be carried across the ocean and jack sails with him arriving in england cinkus Is arrested but jack has the letter and proceeds to london CHAPTER V 7 london and the philosopher tile the stir and prodigious reach of london had appalled the young man the thought thrilled him that lint somewhere in tile the great crowd of which 1101 lie was vas now a part were tho the two liu hu ninn inan beings lie ho had come so BO far to see iio put on ills his lest est clothes and with tho the letter which had find been carefully LN treasured under life his pillow at night anti and pinned to ills his pocket lining through tile the day set out in a cab for tile tho lodgings of doctor franklin through a maze of streets where people were thick as tile the brush in the forests of tryon county lie he proceeded until after a journey of some thirty minutes the cab stopped at the home borne of tile tho famous american on bloomsbury square doctor franklin wits was in and nd would see him presently so tho the liveried servant informed the young man after ills cord card had and been taken to tho the doctors office no he was waa shown into anto a reception room and asked to wait where others were waiting an hour passed and tile the day was wag growing dusk when all tile tho callers save jack lad had been disposed of then franklin entered jack remembered the strong well knit frame and kindly gray eyes of tho the philosopher ills his thick hair hanging below ills his collar was now white lie was very grand in a suit of 0 black manchester velvet with white silk stockings and bright silver buckles on his slices shoes there was it a gentle dignity in ills his face when he took the boys hand and said with a smile you uro are so big jack you have built a six foot two inch man of that small lad I 1 knew in albany and well finished too great thighs heavy shoulders a mustache a noble brow and shall I 1 say the eye of mars its a wonder what time and went meat and broad bread and potatoes and air can accomplish com but perhaps industry and good reading have done some work on the he job jack blushed and answered nn it would be liard hurd to fix alx the blame franklin put his land hand on tile tho young shoulder and sold said she la Is a lovely girl jack you have excellent good taste I 1 congratulate you her pulchritude has n R background of good character and she Is alive with tho spirit of the now new world I 1 have given her no chance to forget you if that had possible since I 1 became tile the ago agent int in england of yourself and sundry american provinces I 1 have seen her often but never without longing for the gift of youth ilow how Is 13 my iny family they are well I 1 bring you letters p COMO come up to my office and well liell give an hour to the news when they were seated boated before the prate grate fire in the large pleasant Plen sant room above stairs whose windows looked out upon tile the square the young man sald bald first I 1 shall give you sir a letter frow from major washington it was entrusted to a friend of mine who came on the same ship with me lie he wits was arrested nt at deal but fortunately the letter was waa in my pocket arrested I 1 why J 1 I think sir or the charge was that lie cna helped to tar tai and feather a british fail jcck feathers Pen and tar are poor arguments alio doctor remarked as aa lie he broko broke tile seal of the letter it was a long letter and franklin ant for near halt half an hour thoughtfully rending reading and rereading it by and by lie folded and put it into ills pocket saying na its lio lie did so BO an angry man cannot oven even trust himself I 1 sent some letters to america on condition that they should be read by a commit tw teo of good men und tind treated in absolute confidence and returned to me certain members of that committee had so much gunpowder in their hearts it took ire and their prudence and my reputation have been seriously damaged I 1 tear fear tile contents of those letters aro are now probably known own to you are arc they tile the hutchinson rogers and oliver letters the same 1 I think they are anro known to every ono one in america that reads we are indignant tant these cheso men born tin and d raised among adiong ua its should have said that ti i colony colon V ought not to enjoy nil all tile the liberties of a parent state and that wo should be 10 subjected to coercive measures the they y had expressed no such opinion save in these private letters it looked like n base effort to curry favor with the english government ern orn ment 11 yes they were overworking th the curry comb said franklin frankiln 1 I had find been protesting against an armed force in boston the government declared that our own best people were in favor of it 1 I knowing better denied tile the statement to prove their claim a distinguished baronet put the letters in mv hands ile he gave me leave to send them to america on condition that they should not bo be published of course they proved nothing but tile tho treachery of hutchinson rogers and oliver now I 1 seem to be tarred by the same stick jack told him of ills his prospects and especially of the lio generosity of his friend solomon binicos and of the plight the latter was in lie ile must bo be A remarkable man said franklin with Pres tons help lie he will im he coming on to london in a ty WAY 14 0 IG day or so if necessary you and I 1 will go down there wo we shall not neglect him have you any dinner clothes they will be important to you at 1 I thought sir that I 1 should best beat wait until I 1 had arrived hero here you thought wisely I 1 shall intro duce you to a good cloth mechanic go to him at once and get one suit bult for dinner and perhaps two for tile the street it costs money to be a gentleman here its a fine art while you ire are in london have to get the uniform and fall lu in line and go through tie evolutions or you will be a north american savage you shall meet the hares in my house as soon as your clothes are ready ask the tailor to hurry flurry up they must bo be finished by wednesday noon you had better b c ater have lodgings near me I 1 will attend to that for you the doctor sat down and broto on a number of cards these theae will pro vi vl defor lefor cloth linen leather and hats bats he said let the bills bo be sent to me then not be cheated come in tomorrow at halt half after two jack bade the doctor good night and drove to the spread E eagle agle where before he went to bed be wrote to his parents and a long letter to tile the pennsylvania gazette describing his voyage and hla his arrival subsequently as tile the facts are here recorded ne next at morning ho he ordered every detail in his uniforms for morning and evening wear and returning again to the inn found solomon waiting in the lobby here I 1 be said the scout and trapper what happened hipp ened to you Sir ched an shoved me into a dark holo hole in the wall wait ye know jack with you an me it allias pears to be 1 1 alood luck burus thing the wits was ou on you sald of me ayes sir did ye hand low cm over safe last algat I 1 put em cm in franklins lands hands im ready for fer to so go h hum doctor franklin wants to see you ald jack put on your ybur sunday clothes an well go BO over to his house I 1 think I 1 can can lead you there if we got get lost well jump into h a cab when they set out solomon was dres dressed in one shoes alioe s and brown wool stockings L and drab trousers fro users a butternut butt er jacket and blue coat and a big black three cornered hat ills slouching galt gait and large body and weathered face and the variety of colors in life his costume begun began at once to attract tile the attention of the crowd A half drunk harridan barr idan surveyed him from top t OP to toe and made a profound bow as he passed A number of small hoys scurried along with them curiously staring into tild the face of solomon aint this like cowin into a savage tribe that aint seen na no civilized human abeln for fer years wot Is it a voice shouted Es s a bl arsted bush wacker from north Ilamerle rt 0 o e Is another answered jack stopped a cab and they got into it show us somo some of oct the great buildings and land us ua in an hour at 10 bloomsbury square U east 1 ast 11 ile ho said with a sense of relief they were Will whisked away in the stream of truffle traffic they passed the kings icings palace and the great town houses of the duke of bedford and lord balcarran Bal carras each of which wits was pointed out by the driver suddenly every vehicle near them stopped while their nille mile occupants sat with bared heads jack observed a curious procession on the sidewalk passing between two lines of halted baited ne people ople ailts lilts their majesties majest lest 1 the driver under ills his breath the king a stout red nosed blue man with big grey gray staring eyes wits was in a sedan chair surmounted by a crown lie ile was dressed in light cloth with silver buttons queen charlotto charlotte also in a chair was dressed in lemon colored silk ornamented with brocaded flowers the two were smiling and bowing its as they passed in a moment the procession entered a great gate then there was a crack of whips and the traffic resumed its hurried pace when they had been conducted to the presence of doctor franklin he took solomons hand and said mr bankus I 1 am glad to bid you welcome ho he looked down at the sinewy big boned right hand of th the 0 scout still holding it will you step over to the window a moment and give me a look at your hands ho be asked they went to the window and the doctor put on his spectacles and examined them closely 1 I have never seen such an ablo Sams onlan alst he went on 1 I think tile the look of those hands would let you into paradise what a record of human service Is writ upon them I 1 hands like that have laid the foundations of america they have been generous hands they tell me all I 1 need to know of your spirit your lungs your heart and your stomach heavy why I 1 go ge nally carry low cm in my pockets when I 1 aint busy said solomon 3 saw sir jeffrey amherst this morning and told him you were in london he Is fond of you and paid you many compliments and made we me promise to bring you to his home id like to smoke a pipe with ov oll jeff solomon answered they aint no nonsense bout him J I 1 learnt him how holy to talk injun an read rapids an build it fire with tinder an elbow grease ile he knows me plenty he staked his ufa life on me a dozen times in tile injun war how Is major washington the doctor asked stout as a pot 0 ol 01 ginger solomon Sol arnon answered 1 I hassled with him ne evenin down in virginne Vir ginny an ill never tackle him ablin you hear bear to me ilig right flipper Is as big as mine an when it takes holt think it were coln to strip the shuck off yer soul s 0 ua 00 hes in every way a big man said the doctor on the whole hes about our biggest man an officer lerer off who came out of the ambuscade at rort fort duquesne esna with thirty living men out of three companies and four shot holes in ills his coot coat must have an engagement with destiny evidently hla his work waa not finished you have traveled about some what Is the feeling over there toward england like a bolln pot everywhere england has got to step careful now tell sir jeffrey that if you see him just that talat dont mince matters matte rs jack ril pit send my man with you and a nd mr bankus to show you the now new lodgings we found them this morning I 1 1 I kissed her lips and she kissed mine and nd for a fow faw moments j TO BH 1319 CONTINUED |