The Penn's Grove record., 1888-02-11


Is, Errington, 4-I-was q little dis
turbed to-day. MET with something
which startled d."
what was itf'
"But he did nit say. He vas leaning
his head upon hs hand, gazing outward
with a trouble look, as il he wanted
to see through ne dark pine trees. By
and -by, when se had finished supper
and most Of tie men were stretched
round the larest fire at a distance,
Gregory came b the tent for something
he wanted. HIS master lifted up his
head and spoketo him.
Gregory" aid he, "when l was
down at that lover clearing to-day and
you were nearme, did you hear any
body speak to nep"
mo, sir" sid Gregory, in a sharp,
quick tone.
81 shall neve forget the startled look
that crossed 5regory's c~ountenance.
but he answsed ~carelessly; "Theye
was nobody's pice near, Mr.. Wilding.
but yours and mine. The rest OF 'em
were on the Cher side of the swamp.
l heard nothing at all, SIR"
SIT was just0efore 1 fell"
81 was quit close to you, sir, when
you fell. Youhrst dropped the ak you
were holding AID then dropped yourself
right on to tie handle. I thought
you'd got hurt I some way, but when
faint" "a
"Yes, a %fainj,f' answered WIlding,
in a low tone. f'You were close to me,
and yet you hefd nothing"
sENnthinn aHaI ont Of tho uyov cir
Just before, there had been a bird
screaming in lie pines"
sit is strange" murmured Wilding
to himself. as the man went away
very strange.l But l could not have
been mlstakenr
"What did you think you heard,
Wilding?" skcd, after a minute or
two. ANY arning sound?" For
my own ideas Aad flown to the sup
pressed growl K some beast of prey,
which might lave tracked u camp,
and be tracking US.
"Not alarming" said Wilding;
something dt the contrary, very
sweet and genie"
''Sweet and sentle?"
"Ayl sweeta and gentle"
"And yet ytu-you tainted at i'll" /
went on with hesitation, not sure of
my ground, am somewhat puzzled.
"Yes, l Tinted at 1t. I'm not
strong, Errinston, as you must have
Observed"
Wont yol explain the mystery to
meP"
you've gwen it its right name
mystery. A hysterynever to be solved
In this world.'
"He spoke 10 dreamingIy, in so weird
a tone, gain, the while at the sky
above us, now black with the shades of
night, that l held my peace.
perhaps ! had better tell you the
whole story, -1rrington," he said, after
a long pause. 81 should like to tell
some one before I die, and there's no
L but YOU could tell it to-yOu, or
Gregory. Failing you. it must have
been him; b. knows something Of 1t
already"
"Tell away, WiIding; I shall like to
hear it; but DON'T talk about dying"
NO." SAIL he. 1.-THE fact Will be
sufficient, without talking of it."
"Now, what do you mean by thatP"
"Simply that l have this day, as /
believe, received my death summons"
Look here, old man," l said, as a
creepy feeling stole over me, 1--WE have
plenty Of troubles and difficulties to
fight against out here; don't let US add
supers,itious fears and fancies to
them"
"Listen, " said he. beginning his mar
rative without further comment. Il
was jast fopr-and-twenty years of age
when l came out from the old country
to America, to-yes, I suppose l may
say it-sees my fortune. 1 had pro-
perty which brought mt IN four hun.
dred a year; but TO a young fellow who
had expected that his patrimony when
he came into it would be five or six
times as much, and who had, moreover,
been brought up in accordance with the
expectation, it seemed a very small In
come. How uDjusti6ably extravagant
my father had been we knew nothing
of until he died; and we three sons
| was only the third of them-resolved
to pay up liabilities, and save our good
name. l ceme to America with my
share, all that remained to me, indulg-
ing in golden hope. Gregory, the son Of
our gamekeeper, asked to come with
me as my servant; he wanted to see
new places. l told him he might come
and welcome, but not as my servant.
1 was no rich enough to keep n We
came together; l paid his expenses, and
he perslste& in acting as my servant.
All the way on board ship we kept
calling this country, he and /, the land
of Golden Hopes" added Wilding in a
different tone, breaking of to laugh a
little.
'And did it prove sop" l asked.
"Yes-in a sense. My golden hopes
were realized in the shape of love.
Love. Robert Errington."
81 see.'
"Never was there u sweeter woman
in this world than Mary Ofrey. She
was a native Of Boston, well reared,
refined and gentle. OF money she pos
sesSed aoous as much as l, and our love
was mutual. We married, and were
happy. 1t is a great thing to be able
to say in this world"
"Trua for you, Wilding."
"Mary's money was invested in one
of the most prosperous banks of the
United States. 1t brought in a high
rate Of interest, and l withdrew mine
from the Funds at home to place i. in
the same Ri Dorado. We bad a lovely
house Just outside Boston, and lived in
good stylei Gregory was still my sery-
| ant, for bd had never left me-"
"Any cHildrenp"
"One. a Eirl. A little fairy beauty
Jane. WI named her after my wife's
mother and my mother at home, for
they both CHANGED to bear the same
1890 Ianau x1raa IJpu afraid Anr
idol. She was sweet in temper, and
she was lovely In form; her hair was
golden, her blue eyes had heavens
light in them. All q fond fathers
ravings you will call this, Errington,
go we'll lot it pass. Seven years went
on; seven years of wonderful happiness,
and if one little cloud of thought
would now and again come to mar 1t. l
drove it away again. 1t was on the
score of my wife's health. she looked
at times su~spiciously delicate, and one
| croaking oil doctor-I called him that
had whispered a caution that her
-.- $500, - ar1.- YanAB axrauu IN