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

MI 'aIthCld tuIHcu ROUND ana Iaceu tnt
Major; his c0untenancc stern, his lip
drawn in. Pardon me- Major Gore, but
would prefer to speak on some other sub
.ect. That is pelrel"
Ma ior Gore stared and bowed. He wa
not gifted with superfuous delcacy, ant
he presently entered on his questions again
"Why do the sailors call you the Don ~
Mr.. Valencia burst into a laugh They
know, suppose | don't Perhaps they
take me for u Spauiasd"
Nothing less than Don-whatevel
that important title may imply would t'av
el with chest Of jewels such as yours, in
terposed Geraldine Clytton in a tone be
tween jest and earnest as she moved tc
his place at tho ships side, and looked at
ter the bird, the harbinger of storm.
The words seemed to surprise Mr. Valen
cia.
"Who told you travelled with chest
OF jewels, Mrs. Clytton ?"
"Who told me? Oh, it's the talk of the
ship. That large, beautiful ebony chest
you know, in your cabin"
Had his face turned pale or was it only
Mrs. Clytton's fancy, as she closely watched
him. 1t changed and the next moment
sarcasm was pervading its every line.
Joking apart, though, Mr.. Valencia, y
she persisted, "does the chest contain Jew
els ?"
1t does Valuable jewels"
"And what shall you do with so many?"
"Bestow them on my wife when | marry
again." he replied, looking full into her
handsome face.
Had he OWNED her secret thoughts? For
once Mrs Clytton showed that she was an
noycd she turned to her cousin, speaking
tartily, Auta, how neglectful you are !!
Poor mamma keeps her cabin, ard you sit
here, never looking after her !"
Auta Gore, meek as ever, and lovely i'll
her meekness, was Fastening away, when
Mr.. Valencia offered his arm She blushed
as she took it.
"Your cousin is curious as to my jew
els, Miss Gore. 1t does seem strange,
suppose, for single man to possess 50
many They were my wife's. Had my
child lived they would have been hers; but
she likewise died My wife had passion
for costly gems Many Of them were heir
looms"
"But do not talk of your wife if it pains
You to do So" said Auta simply, remember
ing the recently passed scene. We can
not always bear to speak of the lost when
they have been very dear to US"
True But my case is an opposite one
/ did not love my wife, Miss Gore Her
memory is painful to me | had almost
said hateful"
"Oh ~ exclaimed Auta.
"She gave me cause to hate her." he con-
tinued, il low tone. at was not a hap
py marriage from the first she was older
than by some years. and we did not assim-
ilate | married her for money, not for
love, more shame to me still 1-l-tried
to do my duty by her. There's a conf
dence for you, Miss Gore. But Pm sure |
don't know why Pve told you unless it is
that you seemed to belong to me since
knew your name was Auta it was my
chld's let the confidence rest between
us"
She blushed again in the prettiest man
ner possible, by way of answer, and glanced
up an assent from her blue eyes, as Mr.
Valencia resigned her at the stairs leading
to Mrs. Cores cabin.
And the contrary winds continued, inter
spersed with dead caIms and the sailors
looked gloomy as death. How long was
the voyage to last? One thing it favored
and that was the close and ripening in
timacy between the passengers and Mrs.
Clytton might always be seen by the side
of Mr.. Valencia. For hours together they
would pace the deck, her arm in his
Whispers went abroad i'll the ship that he
surely meant to MAKE her his secoHd wife
1t might be So Mr. Valencia was not the
first man who has sucCumbcd, spite Of will
to the charms of an attractive woman.
Was it dream ? Mrs. Clytton sat up in
her berth, the drops OF horror gathered Ola
her brow. The ship was tossing about i'll
a fearful storm. and she suspected they
were in danger Not at that was her ter
ror awakened, for she was constitutionally
brave but at the whispered words Of two
of the crew who had come down to secure
or other that had broken from
its fastenings close by her head. Snatches
of words, at the best but their import all
distinct and terrible. The ebony chest
which had been the subject Of SO much
covetousness to her, did not contain Jewels
but the wife of Mr. Valencia the wife who
he was strongly suspected Of having mur-
dered The remains had been smuggled
on board i'll that chest, out of the way of
the South American authorities, and he
himself set afoat the false report that it
held Jewels. There had lain the cause Of
all the i'll the ship had encountered it had
led to the desertion of most of the crew at
Madeira and these two sailors lamented
in rather strong language that they had
NOT deserted too and they spoke mutin-
ously Of the captain for not hauling the
chest overheard, instead of keeping it there
to curse the ship and put their lives III dan
ger Geraldine Clyttons hair stood on end
as she listened, and her face turned cold
and damp with taintness.
The storm subsided. Not 80 the tu-
multi in the brain of Mrs Clytton. Over
and over again she asked herself, did she
really hear such words, or were they the
fancies of troubled dream In the broad
light of day, in the reassuring hustle of So
cial life, she laughed at the utter absurdity
of the strange tale nevertheless. down
deep in her heart lay doubt--true or un-
true? And she saw the sailors exchange
discontented whispers one with the other,
and heard them say, as they glanced around
with ominous faces, that they should never
see land again.
al cannot stand this suspense" she muir
murad nm tho evening Of the second day