Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
My name is Frederick George Morton. In 1854, I was a lieutenant in the
Royal Artillery, and was slightly wounded at the battle of Inkermann,
on the 5th of November of that year, the day after my arrival in the
Crimea. It was before joining the battery to which I was appointed. I
have since quitted the service, on the death of my father, and am now
residing with my mother at Leeds. I was an old school friend of the
late Mr. William Anderton, and knew him intimately for nearly fifteen
years. I was present at his marriage with Miss Boleton, in August,
1851, and have since frequently visited at their house. During the
time I was at Woolwich Academy, I spent every leave-out day with them,
and frequently a good portion of the vacations. My father encouraged
the intimacy, and I was as much at home in their house as in our own.
My father was junior partner of one of the large manufacturing firms
in Leeds. The Andertons generally lived in London, when they were not
abroad; and on one occasion I went with them to Wiesbaden. I saw very
little of them in 1854, as they were away the earlier part of the
year, first at Ilfracombe, and then at Malvern, but I spent the 13th
of October with them. I particularly remember the date, as I was on my
way to the Crimea, where I was afterwards wounded, and the order had
come very suddenly. When it came I had just gone to a friend's house
for some pheasant-shooting, and I remember I was obliged to leave the
second morning, and I spent the night at Anderton's, and embarked the
next morning. I was to have gone for the first, but could not get
away, and I lost the shooting altogether. It was on a Saturday that I
embarked, because I remember we had church parade next day. That was
the last time I saw Anderton. I was in Italy all that winter with my
wound and rheumatic fever; and in the summer of 1855 I was sent for to
my father, who was ill for several months before he died, and after
that I could not leave my mother. We only took in a weekly paper, and
I did not hear of his having been taken up till three or four days
after. I started to see him immediately, but was too late. It was not
on account of any quarrel that we had not met. Quite the reverse. We
were as good friends as ever to the last, and I would have given my
life to serve him. I was on the most friendly terms with Mrs. Anderton.
He was dotingly fond of her. I used to laugh, and say I was jealous of
her, and they used to laugh too. I never saw two people so fond of one
another. He was the best and kindest-hearted fellow I over knew, only
awfully nervous, and very sensitive about his family and his name. The
only time we ever quarrelled was once at school, when I tried to chaff
him by pretending to doubt something he had said: it made him quite
ill. He often said he would rather die than have any stain upon his
name, which he was very proud of. On the day I speak of--13th October,
1854--I telegraphed to them at Notting Hill that I would dine and sleep
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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