The Penn's Grove record., 1916-04-07
GRAY EYES
BY JANE OSBORN.

located, and, incidentally, she was the
favorite and best-beloved teacher OF
twelve-year-old Vivian, who had been
sent to school because of her inabil-
lty to keep peace with the gray-eyed
Mr.. Sneed, resident tutor of the Stone
worth establishment.
Easter holidays had come and be-
cause Madge had no family to return
to during the school vacation, she had
been glad to accept the task of return
ing home with Vivian to share the
duty of taking care of the young
Stoneworths. Mr.. and Mrs. Stone
worth had departed the day before for
southern climes to be gone a week.
Madge had dined alone with the lit
tie girls, and after i~ntrusting them to
the care of their maid to be put to
bed she had retraced her way to the
library, of which she had caught a
glimpse before dinner.
From Vivian's few comments Madge
had formed a. distinct mental image
O. (the tutor. SheNfancied him lean,
precise, pedantic and immaculate,
both in appearance andlin speech. She
heard a mufled step on the heavy rug
behind her.
SO you are Miss Peckham,' said a
~voice~so melodious andf magnetic, so
unlike anything Madge had associated
with the probable Mr.. Sneed, that she
gave a ~perceptible start.
May I introduce myself? We shall
have t6see more or less of each other
for ten days. l hope we shall get on
famously.
Il am very glad to meet you, Mr..
Sneed," said Madge,5 making a rapid
visual survey of the athletic young
man before her.
isn't it really quite a lark to be
here?" she laughed. 81 have never
been in such a wonderful house be-
fore. 1t is quite like a fairy tale,
though no doubt we shall have our
hands full. I am sure Vivian will be
docile enough, but Hildegarde1 does
not know me-. l suppose Billy is quite
o terror. Did you see that he had
been put to bed before you came
down."
The next morning, when Madge de-
scended to the breakfast room at
eight, she found her charges already
at breakfast.
Billy is the limit" put in Vivian,
with a knowing glance at Hildegarde.
1T is just dreadful when he is at
meals. I'm glad Mr.. Sneed made him
have breakfast upstairs"
Il am quite sure l shall be great
friends with that bad Billy brother of
she was glad that the complications
of the first morning had not been in.
creased by the addition of Billy.
That first of the Easter holidays was
n of those days that seems like the
longest and the shortest of a lifetime.
At Mr.. Sneed's suggestion, there was a
morning horseback ride in the mild
spring air, lunch in the sun parlor and
an afternoon spent first at music in
the music room, when Madge and her
little charges played for the entertain
ment of the tutor, and, later, hours
spent in the library.
After the girls had gone to bed,
Nudge made her way down to the IL
brary, this time because the tutor had
made her promise to meet him there
when they parted at dinner.
Haven't the children been wonder.
ful?" she said, as soon as they had
taken their places before the embers
OF the low-burning fire on the hearth,
Madge had changed her simple navy
blue dress for an equally simple eve
ming frock Of white that added a HIN
dredfold to her charms. In that won
derful day she had become we'll &C
quainted with the tutor and she even
wanted him to admire her.
1t didn't seem at all presumptuous
but simply as the elimination of d
wonderful experience when the tutor
told her that he loved her, that she
was the loveliest woman he had eveI
known and that the day with he.
had been the most beautiful in his
life.
And it is so strange" she was say
ing as they sat there in the glow OF
the embers. Il had such a distinct
impression of what Mr.. Sneed would
be like. l thought he would have gray
eyes, but not at all the kind of gray
eyes you have"
1T was because I had gray eyes
that you knew l was Mr.. Sneed. then
The funny part of it is that l am moi
Mr.. Sneed at all"
Who are you, them" she asked il
amazement.
Il am that very bad boy Billy whom
you told US you were quite sure yo,
should like. You see, l am really Wv
ian's brother"
But Mr.. Snead is Billy's tutor!'
i~nterposed the mystified girl.
Yes, he is. You see, l cut college
to go in business with my father, ant