Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-02-25

pointing to the imaginary Lady linen.
trude.
GLADYS, my dear child, leave the
room."
Gladys, white and trembling, stole
out of SIGHT behind porliere whence
she could hear unseen.
Where is Sir Herbert ?" repeated
Rex, clutching the back of chair to
steafy himself.
''Y0nder, in the well, under the SUM-
dial. saw him fall in, and then every
thing was dark to me, and to him too.
Ia, ha 7"
Miss Fendall started violently, and
exchanged glances with Rex.
Go on-explain further. Where
were YOU when you saw him fail into
the wellf" said the young man, fixing
his eyes on the crazy wOman's.
''lt WAS night; there was little
moon which made light and shadows
outside My lady had written a note
to Sir Herbert, saying that she returned
his love She told me nearly all her
thoughts, and what she did not tell
read on the sly in their letters. My lady
had ais, at that time another lover at
| Fendall whom sine detested. That night
New Years Eve-she gave me two
letters to deliyer-one TO her hearts
lover, telling that she belonged to him;
| the other firm refusal of the suit or
| the man who, against her will, had made
love To her. There was no name men-
toned in this last letter, and my lady
| did not seal the noteS-she did not
| think was sharp enough to read them.
/ W in rage with Sir Herbert that
day, becaTse / had heard him say some
thing scofiing of the Jews, my people.
To punish him, put my lady's refusal
/ in the envelope addIesScl to him, and
destroyed the fond loving message in
| tended for him. l meant to say the next
day that had made a m mstake, and so
right everything. In the meantime he
would have had his punishment Sir
| Herbert read the letter-the one refus-
ing forever another mainland his face
grew white and set. He ran down the
private stairway leading from his rooms
into the shrubbery. l called after HIM
but he did not hear me. He started
towards the lake swiftly and blindly, L
watching him, frightened Suddenly
he disappeared; there was no tree or
rock to hide him, and the moon shOne
clearly on the lawn. l knew what had
! happened but my tongue was dead.
| The railing had been taken away from
the Old well-that dreadful well. so
black and deep that they said the Evil
One used 1t as pasSage-way from be-
lowi A stone cover lad been made for
the well but 1t WAS set in place too
late to save Sir Herbert. The next
morning. before the news of his disap-
pearance was spread abroad, the work.
men covered The well with the heavy
block of stone; and no one ever thought
to lift it since. The lust master of Fen
dali has only a sun-dial to mark his
grave-odd, isn't it ?"
Here the woman burst into q wild
discordant peal of laughter, and then
sank swoOning upon the floor.
For the three witnesses of this scene
there WAS very little sleep that night, So
intent were they upon what the next
few days would bring forth. If old
RAchel's story was true-and during her
narration she seemed quite sane-a brill
liant future lay before Ihem-for Rex a
recognition of his rights and the reali-
zatiOn for himself and Gladys of all
their fondest hopes, and for Miss Fen
dali tranquil old age, happy In the JOY
or her beloved ones.
AS quickly as possible Rex had the
broken sun-dial removed which con-
cealed the forgotten well. A man
lashed to a long rope, with lantern and
pick-axe, was slowly lowered through
the aperture. Ii seemed to Rex an in
terminable time till he s:gnalled that
he had gone deep enough, and it was as
If years elapsed before lie pulled the
rope TO be drawn up.
Al last the workman's rough shock
of hair was seen again at the mouth OF
the well, and lie scrambled out as IL
9lad to feel tile grass beneath his feet
once more.
There are bones down there, your
hOnor-human bones, for had the skull |
in my hand. There was no water, and
[ picked up these bits of things lying
in the clay.n
R-x took from the man s work-stained |
hands what seemed the tarnIshed clasp
of purse, and some shreds of leather |
that might have been pOcket-book, to |
which a discolored silver shield still |
hung. Rex examined the bit Of silver, |
and then involuntarily barred his head. |
The crest OF the Fendalls, with the in
itials H F." beneath, was still plainly |
discern iDle; almost beyond doubt he
stood over the grave of his long-lost |
kinsman, strange resting-place though |
it was.
Other relics going to prove the fate
of Sir Herbert were found in the well,
and the various courts of law admitted |
that at last the mystery was solved.
The dust Of the missing Baronet WAS
laid with his ancestors in the old village |
church, the funeral procession being |
followed by the older peasantry, who |
had waited thirty years to show this
last honor to their masters memory. |
During the following January the
church was opened for a very different |
ceremony-the marriage OF Sir Rex
Fendall to Miss Gladys Luttrell.
''Only think, Rex" Gladys would |
often exclaim-''we have to thank the |
brass-bound chest for all our happinessi
L always believed there was magic in
it, and was not mistakenp'