Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-02-22

ing Tor your life, what ls 1t that your mas
ter really has in that ebony chest 2"
My m ,ster has jewels in it, ma'am,
was the ready and evidently truthful ans
wer. Beautiful gems that belonged tc
his wife They were to have been he
child's but the little lady died too. WheI
Mr.. Valencia was packing them in the
chest he said he had half mind to leave
them behind, SO little does he care for them
Only there were no relatives to leave then
to-"
She heaved sigh of intense relief. ="
heard the sailors whispering the night Of
the storm, Vincent. They said the ship
could not get along for what was in the
chest they spoke Of dead body. Oh
course | knew it was nonsense"
Mr.. Vincent swayed himself to and fro i'll
perfect deirium of laughter. 1t was some
moments before he could beg pardon for it,
or speak at all.
That was my doing, Mrs. Clytton.
| When we were getting on board at Rio it
somehow came out to the sailors that the
chest had jewels in it. Knowing what a
| ight-fingered lot Jack is on occasions,
thought it well to put them on another
scent, and confded to them, as a weighty
secret, that the chest really contained the
ashes of Mrs Valencia, which were being
brought home for interment. And they
have believed it all this while. What soft
fellows sailors are"
Entirely reassured, thoroughly convin-
ced, Mrs. Clytton torgave the mans famil-
iarity and laughed with him, forgetting her
dignity. She dismissed the subject from
her mind from that moment. Vincent en-
tered on description of some of the treas
ures of the chest, and she listened until her
pretty mouth watered Two whole hours
that evening was she chatting by the side
of Mr.. Valencia.
The ship did arrive in port, and safely, in
spite of the prognostics of the sailors and
the passengers parted at Southampton, only
to meet again early in December, for Mr..
Valencia had given cordial invitation to
the Major and his family to meet him in his
paternal home in Norfolk his, now-and
spend long Christmas with him. And
they arrived early in December, nothing
10th, finding a home repete with every con-
vennence, every luxury, and worm welcome
from Mr.. Valencia, who in his turn had
been warmly welcomed by old friends
around. 1t was an uld-fashioned house, full
of winding passages, in which Mrs. CIytton
and Auta Gore lost themselves perpetual
ly
" 1t is perfect home !" cried the Major
in a rapture of admiration. "You have
given it everything, Mr.. Valencia, that can
assure happiness and comfort"
" Not quite perfect yet" dissented Mr.
Valencia. 1t wants one thing more, Ma
jor, which | suppose shall have to give it
mistress"
"Shal you add that? 2" inquired the Ma
jor, his eye resting, perhaps unconsciously,
ON his daughter
81 hope so. The happiness denied me
ond What do you think, Miss Auta ?"
Auta Gore colored SO vividly at the un-
expected question, that she was glad to
escape in very selfconsciousness and
Mrs Clytton, full of contemptuous pity
said Auta was growing more absurdly shy
every day.
The days went on for all parties in a sort
of Elysium Major and Mrs Gore had new
er been SO luxurlOusly off i'll their lives :;
Geraldine was indulging blissful visions
their whole basis, gold and Auta was in
the may depths of a first love-dream, whose
idol was George Valencia Her heart had
gone out to him in those days when they
were on the broad sea, when he had talked
to her in low tones. unexpected by any
body, and gazcd into the depths Of her blue
eyes.
And the ebony chest? 1t was in Mr.Val-
encia's private rooms III the west wing of
the house, its contents (as was understOOd)
as vet undisturbed. Geraldine Clvtton's
desire to see those priceless jewels, so
shortly, as she hoped, to be hers, was grow
ing irresistible, fevering her spirit with its
excitement. Why could he not show them
to her The question began to torment her
more than was good for her cquanimity,
and it gave rise to thoughtsn0t iustifable
But, let us hope that accident alone led
to the step SIZE finally took. On Christmas
Eve they were sitting out OF door, when
Mr.. Valencia in taking something from his
pocket, let fall "A key, with a small silver
chain attachedr to it, He did not perceive
the loss, and Mrs Clytton steathily secured
it 1t was one of the mildest days ever
known at that season, the sun shining, the
air balmy as in spring, the violets and prm-
roses raising their modest heads. Nothing
of the unusual beauty saw Geraldine Clyt-
ton that key, lying unsuspected i'll her
hand, was obscurrng her vision physically
and mentally Instinct had told her it was
the key of the chest, and she had resolved
to take a SLY peep for herself, like Blue
boards wife.
She had to wait for the opportunity, and
some delay there must necessarily be yet
her mind was in that feverishly excited
state that brooks it not. At the dinner ta-
BILE that evening an excuse was made for
Mrs Clytton she was Lying on her bed
with violent headache, and must on no
account be disturbed" Half an hour OF
impatient waiting yet, that they might be
fairly settled into the DINER, and then she
stole away on her expedition. She hated
to lose her dinner: but what was dinner,
even though taken by the side of George
Valencia, compared to the qualification OF
that irrepressibe longing-the sight Of those
glorious gems.
The moonlight was streaming in at the
corridor windows as she made her way to
the opposite wing of the house, shielding
with her hand the candle she had brought
Her heart was beating, her veins were
throbbing not at the dishonor Of the act
she was about to commit not at the dread
of detection, but with the morbid eager
ness for the Sipht shp had so lOnp and ar.