Boy's Love
PART I
It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that ashort, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touchof scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write aletter. It was headed, "Duke of York's School, Chelsea, S.W.," andbegan, "My dear Mother."
When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon thedesk, and rested his head upon his hand. And then after a minute thehand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--somethinghard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop afteranother forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the deskbeneath.
And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get ridof the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heartbelow, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting. This was hisletter:--
"My DEAR MOTHER,--This is my last day at school. To-morrow I am goingto Warnecliffe to join the 25th Dragoons; they call them the BlackHorse. I am very glad to leave school and be a soldier like my father,but,"--and here the blurred writing was an evidence of the trouble inthe boy's heart--"but I don't like losing my chum. You know, he is TomBoynton, and we have been chums for more than three years. He isorderly to the dispenser, and has leave to go out almost any time. I amvery fond of him, and haven't any other chum, though he has another chumbesides me. I think he likes me best. I do love him, mother; and I layawake all last night crying. Tom cried, too, a little. He is going tothe Scarlet Lancers, and I don't know when I shall see him any more. Iwish we were going into the same regiment.
"I got your letter on my fourteenth birthday, the day before yesterday.Tom is seven months older than me. He would have left school before ifhe had not been orderly to the dispenser. We both got the V.G. JackGreen is going into my regiment. I shall come home when I get myfurlough--and if Tom gets his at the same time, can I bring him too?Tom hasn't any father or mother at all. This is a very long letter. Ihope you are very well.
"I am your affectionate son, EDWARD PETRES."
He read the letter over, brushing his cuff across his eyes when he cameto that part of the paper which showed traces of tears, and then hefolded it and directed the envelope, after which he had finished. Thenhe got up, took his cap, and with the letter in his hand, went forlornlyout of the large room.
When he had got rid of it, he went in search of his chum, Tom Boynton,whom he met just coming away from his last service as "Dispenser'sOrderly" with a heaving chest and eyes almost as red and swollen as poorTed's own.
Ted turned back with him and took hold of his arm.
"Taken your last physic out, Tom?" said he, with a gallant attempt atmanly indifference to the dreaded parting of the morrow.
"Aye," returned Tom in a choking voice and with eyes carefully averted.
The dispenser had just bade him "good-bye," and had told him in wishinghim "God speed" that he was very sorry to lose him, and would mostlikely have to wait a long time before he again had help as efficient;and then he had given him a tip of half-a-crown, and had shaken handswith him. So Tom's heart was quite as full as Ted's, and of the two,being the older and bigger and stronger, he was far the most anxious tohide the emotion he felt.
"Have you seen Jack?" he asked, giving his head a bit of a shake andcrushing his trouble down right bravely.
"Jack Green?" asked Ted shortly. He was not a little jealous of JackGreen, who was his chum's other chum.
"Aye! Where is he?"
"I haven't seen him--not all the afternoon," returned Ted curtly.
"I'll go and find him," said Tom, disengaging his arm from Ted's closegrasp.
The two lads parted then, for Tom swung away in the direction of theplayground, leaving Ted staring blankly after him; and there he stoodfor full five minutes, until, his eyes blinded with pain, he could seeno longer, and then he turned away and hid his face upon his arm againsta friendly sheltering wall.
Hid his face upon his arm against a friendly shelteringwall]
But by-and-by his jealousy of Jack Green began to wear away. Perhaps,after all, he argued, Tom only wanted to hide his trouble. Tom was abig lad, and was even more ashamed than Ted of being betrayed intoweeping and such-like exhibitions of weakness. So, by the time theyturned in for the night--the last night--Ted had forgotten the pain ofthe afternoon.
"Tom," said he, going over to his chum's bed, which was next to his,"Tom, I've come to talk to you."
"Yes," whispered Tom in reply. The lights were all out then, and mostof the boys were fast asleep, so big Tom drew his chum's head down tohis, and put his arm round his neck.
"It's the last night, Tom," said Ted in a strangled voice.
"Yes," said Tom, in a whisper.
"We've been chums for three years and more," Ted went on, "and we'venever been out of friends yet. P'raps I shall get an exchange to yourreg'ment yet."
"Or me to yours," answered Tom eagerly.
"I shan't have no chum now," Ted went on, taking no notice of Tom'swords.
"You'll have Jack Green," said Tom.
"Yes, there'll be Jack Green, but he ain't you," Ted answeredmournfully. "He'll never be my chum like you was, Tom; but if ever I'vea chance of doing him a good turn, I will, 'cause _you_ liked him."
"Will you, Ted?" eagerly.
"Yes, I will," answered Ted steadily. "And, Tom, it's our last timetogether to-night--we mayn't ever get together again."
"I know," sighed Tom.
"I wish," Ted said hesitatingly--"oh, Tom," with a sorrowful catch inhis voice and a great gulp in his throat, "I--I--do wish you'd kissme--just once."
And so Tom Boynton put his other arm around his chum's neck, and the twolads, who had been friends for three years, held one another for aminute in a close embrace; an instant later Ted Petres tore himself awayand sprang into his bed, dragging the clothes over his head, and buryinghis face in the pillow in a vain attempt to stifle his sobs. And beforeanother day had gone over their heads they had parted, to meetagain--when--and where?