The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-01
\ KEY TO THE MYSTERY.

I was buta poor mechanic in those
days-a locksraith by trade-in-
dustrious. Jealous and in love. as
many a good fellow before me has
been and will be again, doubt not.
But marriage was thing of the
future, and each time it came near
er it seemed to slip ahead again, and
leave poor Emily and me as far
from our goal as everand with faint
er hope each time.
| had mother and an invalid
sister to support, and somehow or
other locks wouldn't get out of re-
pair. or need repairing in sufficient
numbers to enable me to add little
wife to my list of womankind.
Emily was deft little seamstress,
and slowly, but steadily went on
earning her wedding outfit saving
cheerily:
Remember the tide in every
mans life, John. Some day You'll
take it at its full, and fortune viii
follow"
Bless the patient little woman she
did predict the truth.
An order came one day for the re-
pair of a trunk lock in a distant
part town. wondered a little, as
with my bag of tools | hastened to
obey the direction, that had been
sent for-such a distance from the
place-and whether there were not
locksmiths in that neighborhood.
BY an odd chance Emily's word
came into my mind. Was my tide
about to turn.
/ found the house-a small, plain
cottage, with nothing about it indi-
cative of magic power, but rather
suggesting that the inmates were
waiting as well as John Rhodes, for
the way to fortune.
a sweet-faced girl, refined and
well bred, admitted me and with
smile led the way at once to the
work she wished dore.
II was in the front bedroom-a
well worn trunk that had seen its
best days and was rather rickety
about the buckles and lock.
| set about the repairs at once, as
the young lady's manner indicated
haste, and while busily employed
thought how much better this little
five roomed house would suit Emily
and me than the very evident supe-
rior condition of the fair girl | was
working for.
La an arm chair by the window sat
an elderly lady who seemed to
watch my work with gentle curiosi-
ty, and beside her sat the young
girl, speaking in low tone, as if
pleading.
you work hard, sir?" said the
lady, kindly.
'Yes, ma'am, from sunrise to sun
SET" answered, filing away at the
old lock.
My mother has a great sympa-
thy for workers, laughed the young
girl, patting the elder lady's pretty
hand, land thinks ! am to be pitied
because l belong to the hive of hu-
man bees"
Hooked at her. She couldn't do
hard work, / thought, with those
SLIM fingers and rosy cheeks-mu-
sic or teaching, perhaps, at the
most.
"Never mind, mother dear, my
tide will turn some day." she laugh
ed again, as finished my small job
and arose, and then what q fortune
twill lead on to-
She was like my Emily cheering
herself with bits of pretty sayings,
got out of books, and it made me
feel kindly toward her, as if would
like to serve her.
My change came, strange to say,
before long. As she paid me my
due, which | made purposely small
for the sake of Emily's cheering
words, she asked quickly:
"Would lot of odd KEYS be of
service to you? We have such a big
bunch that it is only in the way,
and We would thank you to take
them.n
1t suited me very well, as I could
work them over and save on them.
so took them gratefully as she
held them up, jingling, in big
heap.
"Ah, she said, half sadly. "if we
only had now the closets and ward
robes and all the locks those KEYS
once fitted, how quickly would our
cares fade awayl 'ris hard, hard to
be so poor when our loved ones suf-
ferm
| could not answer for she did
not seem to speak to me, bat felt
still more willing to help her.
She let rae out the door kindly.
Il am glad / went by Your shop
by chance" she said, "and decided
to give you job, for l think YOU
look conscientious. Good bye,'
l wen. home thoughtfully pom
dering over this new experience.
Was the tide coming in?
As | hung up the tool bag in its
place | remembered the KEYS the
young lady had given me, and took
them out to see if / could fit them
TO some locks then awaiting KEYS.
As / took up the bunch one kew
struck my notice. The like had
never before seen, and / knew that
il was never wrought BY locksmith
this side of the Atlantic, but came.
no doubt, from strange lands, where
they needed such curious things to
hide strange doings. Ii was a fat
piece of steel about two inches long.
and had four sits in the square end.
two on each side.
/ wondered what use it had ever
served, and If it belonged to the
young girls happier days; but be-
ing slow thinking man, and little
given TO romance / hung I'D the
key bunch and went to work at nv
locks, thinking no more of the
strange key or the inmates of the
cottage.
But the next day was made TO
cecall them by a strange coinci.
dence.
/ was sent far IN fo,,o of .,,,,,, T. =,