The Penn's Grove record., 1885-02-21
THE BRAss-BOUNu CHEST.

Flakes of n were hurrying through
the air and falling on the ~chrysanthe-
NUNS and faded hydrangeas in the gar
den at Fendall Court. Snow was a
rarity in this Lumid, mild SOuth-of-lre
land climate, and the feathery atoms
futtered about as if all astray, and
seemed as shy of lighting on the trem-
bling last tokens of the autumn as the
frost-touched flowers were loath to re-
ceive them.
A bright pair of eyes watched the
gathering storm from a window set
deep in the stone wall of the house.
Though Gladys Luttrell was eighteen
years old, the sight of the falling snow
was still fascinating to her.
81 will go out and make a pile of
snoW-balls to attack ReN as he comes
through the gate What fun p abe
exclaimed, flying away to her little room
to make ready for the adventure.
One farewell glance in her mirror
shovel her bright gray-blue eyes spark
ling with pleasure, the delicate color of
her cheeks heightened to a rich bloom,
and her gold-brown hair straying in
ravishing little curls and tendrils be-
meath Der fur cap. With her. lovely
fresh face to gloTify it, her dress. with
its many w disguised darns, seemed the
perfection Of a costume. As she left
the room, she picked up from the sofa
a little muff made of a pheasant's
breast, and pressed it to her lips.
The foolish little girl frequently
wasted a kiss on this muf, for Rex had
shot the pheasant to make 1t for her,
and had had it lined with a soft white
rabblt-skin. A trimming of ~pheasants'
feathers adorned the tight-ftting Jacket
she wore, and concealed all the shabby
edges, giving her quite the all Of a Rus
sian princess-so Gladys said.
She hurried down the stairs, and ont
into the long winding avenue, amid the
nne old trees of which she soon "a
ished.
"Well aimed, you saucy mink - pres
emily exclaimed a clear fresh voice ; and
Rex Kendall stopped for an instant be-
tween the headless stone lions guarding
the gateway to get rid of a liberal
handful of snow which some rosy fin
gers had sent flying down the back of
his neck. .'YOu shall pay a penalty for
that, miss, when l have had time to
think of the punishment | can Inflict."
REX. your laugh IS only OF your lips,
and Your eyes are quite sad what is
the matter, dear ?" Gladys asked, let
ting the remainder of her snow-bdlls
fall UNDECIDED to the ground. Before
you saw me l noticed how serious you
looked.n
''You are right, Gladys. have got
the very bluest kind of blues ; and,
since you have surprised part of my Sc
cret, L may as we'll tell you ALL"
Gladys's arm stole through her low
er's and together they began slowly
r~etracing their steps to the house, Gladys
burying both hands in her muff and fix
ing her eyes sorrowtully on the road.
"Three months ago." began Rex, "a
fellow in Rockdale told me a story upon
which ! Was fool enough to rebuild all
my half dead hopes. He said that he
had received through a friend in Amer
lea news which he thought would prove
to a certainty the death of Herbert
Fendall. l investigated the matter
eagerly and joyfully enough, as you may
imagine but l found the whole story
as baseless and visionary as the thou
sand and one others which have misled
US. Il made a solemn VOW to myself
that If this last quest ended in nothing,
/ would abandon all hope of seeing my
self rlghted in this country, and would
seek a new career for myself. l am go
ing to Australia
''Oh, Rex !"
If the young man had declared that
he was going to take his own life,
Gladys could not have exhibited more
distress.
Sand you could 20 all that long
journey away from me ?" she said re-
proaehfully.
"'Gladys. don't make 1t harder for me
than it already is I" exclaimed Rex,
with a catch in his voice. my daf-
ling, it is for your good that | g0l We
can never marry on the miserable pit.
lance that | get here. whereas in Aus
tralia | could in a few years make
enough to buy the dear little cottage
we so often talk about and you could
have the pair of ponies with rough tails
and names which you declare you dream
of so frequently"
SCR perhaps, if you made a fortune,
we could continue to live at Fendall
Court, restoring only a little of 1t, you
know, " said Gladys, entering into the
spirit Of her lovers project with sur