Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-02-23

pose IN the CORRECTING anu i'hpgoViiS oi
each o,htr.
la the meanwhile time passed OIL
The patient vas now convalescen', and
could walk wi;hou, the aid OF cru ush or
Mrs. Evandale's cottage. and exhibited
no signs OF an intention Ia leave 1t.
A short time longer and the mystery,
such as il was, al any rate. was explain.
ed. Capt. Stanley formally proposed
iol the hand OF Margare, Esanda!e.-
An ciI friend Of .he family was consult
ed on the occasion. He saw no reason
TO doubt, he satG, the Cap,ains 8 respec,a.
billty, and sti!i less 10 question the noe
pendence OF his circumstances. and the
consequence Of these opinions was the
favorable reception of S,aniey's suit.
A day was liked foe the celebrations Of
he wedding. Three days Presionsiy
the bridegroom presented sle bride eiec,
with massive goid lockei, set ruund
with bri'iian,s, and nt singulary exqals.
i,e workmanship; one side Containing
his own portrait done IN miniature on a
small ivory plate, The other containing a
lock oi his own and Of Margare, Evan
dale's hair, neatly interviewer into small
diamond shaped pIa,ss.
Proud OF the love.token, Margaret
has,ened TO show it to her friend Mary
Walters. who was to be her bridesmaid.
Mary was a tall, gentle, pensive-looking
young woman OF about eight or nine
aud twenty. Her countenence was beau.
.lfuI, though pale and sad, and she al.
ways wore deep mourning, she had done
50 tor the last eight or ten ) years-ever
since it became certain tina, the Minerva
was lost, aud ,hs, her commander
and his unfortunate crew mus. all have
perished along with her. Mary had
been betrothed to Captain Evandale,
Murgaret's brother, aud they were TO
have been married on his return from
The fatal voy age he was destined never
to complete.
On the locket being put into Mary
Waller's hand. she started. grew pale AZ
corpse. and, sinking into chair. asked
hei friend, in faint and almost inaudble
voice, if she knew where Capt. Stan
ley had fallen in VITA it. Margaret, in
grea, surprise at her friends emotion, re.
piled ,ha, she did not; but supposed he
must have bought it.
Mo, no, Margaret, he could not, al,
least think he could not" said Mary.
ale who owned it would not have part.
ed with i. for money-ne, not for all the
worlds wealth; and how it should nave
been rescued from the depths of the
ocean | cannot conceive."
"Mary, dear, what do YOU meant" in
quired Margaret, tearfully, thinking her
friend had lost her reason.
"l'll tel you what | mean, Margare,,"
said Mary Walters, with iha, semblance
of composure often induced by intense
feeling, sha. locket was my last giit to
your brothsr. | gave j, to him Oh the
day he left This 10 proceed on his last ia.
tai voyage. know it well.' although
the original portrai, has been removed
and another pu, in its place. II was
brought from India by my father, who
had been at the taking Of Ssringapatam,
where he had doubtless obtained it in the
way Of plumber. It is Of India manu-.
fac,ure, aud if further proof were want
ing TO establish i,s identity. shall find
Ii here" Aud opening the locket with
a facility that showed perfect fatriliari
" with Its mechanism, she raised the
portrait il contained with the poin. Of
her scissors, and pointing to small cir
Gle filled up with intricate lines, which
were engraved in The centre OF the Thin
plate of gold thar divided the locke. into
TWO compartments, said: "Here IL is.-
These apparently unmeaning lines form
the initials OF your brothers name and
MINER. E. Robert Evandale,) and
NJ. w. Mary Wal,ers.) They were
engraved by friend Of mine, and made
purroseiy intricate. that they might no;
be too readily made out. Blu, | can trace
them exactly" And TO Margare, Evan.
6ale's unui,erable surprise. she did SO
with The poin, Of needle. bringing reg
ularly oqs OF apparent c9ntusion. and
making the letters appear quite distinct
Mary Walters now entreated he:
friend to inquire Of Capt. Stanley with
out moments delay where he had
purchased the locket. and desiring at the
same tue leave 10 retain possession OF
il until some accoun, of it was obtained.
On being asked regarding The trinke.,
Captain Stanley evinced good deal Of
surprise aud not little discOmposure.-
|, was indeed some seconds before he
could make any answer atall. At length
he said, with an of. hand air Of ind,tfer-
ence. which il was eviden. he did no. in
reality feel:
"Why. what's all this about locket!
Do they suppose stole il, ell! l 60. it
Of Jew in London. and that's all | car
tell about il. Bought il aud paid for it.
4 good round sum. too. | needn't say
how much; and | Won't. But let's see
il. Margaret" he said, for j. was with
her this conversation took place. land |
will fad you another that shall be no
subiec, Of imperlinens inquiry and re-
mark"
Miss Evandale now informed him ,ha,
her friend Mary Walters had eEuea,ed
To be allowed 10 keep the locket till she
had made enquiries which he had just