Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-12
THE TWIN LOCKETs.

=.
pose that soldier could have wanted
of two empty lockets 2'
"The hundredth time you've ask
ed that question, Marionl Positive
ly, for PVe counted" -
"On your fngeFs2 But honestly,
l do want to know"
"Weli, to venture a suggestion
entirely unlike any of its ninety
nine predecessors, I'll suppose now
that this young F.F.V., whose val
uabIes have luckily or unluckily
fallen into our possession, was only
monomaniac on the subject of
lockets-as you are likely to become
and hence supplied himself with
the article to this unusual extent" "
s'Ridiculous, BegieW
t'To anticipate question one hum
dred and one, Pn state that most
probably he was a thief and stole
them from some jewelers. case"
Marion Lincoln scarcely needed
this last remark of her teasing COM
paniOn, but sat leaning back in her
chair, holding up before her two
lockets of exquisitely wrought gold,
and upon which rare jewels blRzed
and burned like so much intense
passion.
Reggie Storrs seemed to own the
fascination in spite of himself, for
he crossed the room to where Mari
on sat, and bent over the jewels.
<sNNhat a. strange dcsigB,N said
Marion. ga heart formed Of rubies
with an opal center. These lockets
must be heir-looms in some family,
they look so very old. l wonder
what beautiful faces have looked
out from these now empty places"
"The opals seem to have been
more recently set than the other
Jewels, do you notice, Marion 2"
eyes, l believe that is true.
wish / had seen that soldiers face
Fred said it was one of great beauty
with refinement stamped on every
feature, but so very sad that II
haunted him for weeks"
"Well, Marion, / hope you'll
know the story some day. 1t can
not be lost. Some one knows it, i
not we. Let it rest now, though
and come with me for q row on The
river. It's our last, you know, be
fore go to Germany-for foul
years."
The thought of his departure
passed over Regie's fair sunny fac,
like a cloud over a June sky
throwing the very shadow of 1
shadow. The sunshine was but toC
slightly eclipsed for Marion to no
tice il, so absorbed was she still il
! the mysterious jewelry.
"Regie, l want to make a cOmpac
with you, to last till you return
Will you P"
His face flushed little. Marion
did not see that either,
"Well, anything in reason, yol
know"
"Oh, it's very easy! Only this
You take one of these lockets, an,
l will take the other. When yol
find your lady-loVe you are to pu
| her likeness into the locket ant
wear it. And, when my lord come
on his red roam steed of steeds,' b
shall give me, instead of a conquer
or's spoils, his picture to wear i
this. What say you? And, oh, yes
When you return, We'll each 'fes
up, and see which lOcket, yours o
mine, tells the fairer tale 2"
''Really, Marion, you remind III
of the story about Sheridan, whe
/ he insisted on the undeftaker's fun
nishing the corpse with the rest c
/ the funeral. You are so determine
/ to invest these trinkets with re
nance, that you are willing to b
the heroine yourself. Still, agree
though warn you it's dangerous.
1 eAvaaAkAsW,pr pAarsA -
| tone that made Marion look up q
she handed him the locket, but sh
saw only the teasing smile whic
hung about his rather hands0m
mouth.
"Come, now," she said, rising
"the river sparkles right royal
this afternoon, and we must go s
far as the Cove, since it is to be th
last row."
Arm in arm the two passed gail
down the walk to the foot of th
garden, where "Ihe Scan" lay tosi
ing up and down on the river
Seated face to face, down the streal
they glided, past groves of tree
where the birds sang; past litt
sandy beaches where, with clOtht
tucked high up on plump brow
legs, groups of children tossed pei
bles and waded after shells.
OF all the fair things that brigl
sun shone upon, none was half {
fair as that fairy boat with its ga
liant freight. More gaily than Il
sparkling river, their fancies bean
ed and sported. They did not cal
how deep the river was, so that
bore them on; they did not think
any depth in their own hearts b
yond the delicious pleasantly whiC
Law at the surface. The twin locke
lay hidden now and forgotten, an
told nothing of the possible shadoV
ed past, presaged no story of Il
future.
The next Tuesday Reginald Stor
sailed for Europe, and Marion lie
the hills, the river, and her uncle
home, for the city, to learn Il
world, people said. But the gla
of the worlds gaslight and the sho
and sham of its appearance, hI
little power to draw her to itsel
but rather made her look within h
own heart to find there q world 81
5 had not dreamed of.
, At twenty-one, Marion Linco
3 was n beautiful woman, not alol
: on account of physical beauty, tn
! here she was literally endowed ;
/ ! beauty deeper and truer than Il
4 Law in her soul. And it was II
I which made people turn again
look at her, and wonder why tn