Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-09-17
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! THE LOCK OF
: YELLOW HAIR.
= BY
; W. BERT FOSTER.
Copyright, 1901. by W. Bert Foster.

L SOpyEikuts AsSas W we Aois So7SeA'
So>o>o>o>o>o><o<o<o<o>o<o>
IH~7 7ERTAINLY there was nothing
llA about Abram Smollett to sug
@~I gest the gay Lothario. 81
B4a8 was the most commonplace
not to say plainest, looking Of mortals
q respected member Of the board o
trade and a thorough business man.
don't suppose any woman excepting
Smollett's wife ever looked twice a
him, and yet Mrs. Smollett was inordi
nately Jealous.
Smollett's marriage, rather late II
life, was a quite unexpected one. III
was AZ II he was q day when the pa
pers announced the surprising event
The sly rascal had never let a breatl
Of 1t out, and the very day Of the cere
mony he shrewdly "pinched" johnson
and Joe and Ed Latelle in c., B. ant
O., clearing enough to pay the EXPENSE
Of his wedding journey.
Only there wasn't any journey. No
sir. They settled down in Smollett
ND town house like an old married pair
was smollett's closest friend, 80
knew something about the match. l
was purelya marriage for love II eve
there was one, and the bride, who wa
one Of the daintiest, prettiest little crea
lures you ever saw-she was 20 year
Smollett's junior-began ut once to en-
Joy herself by being wildly jealous o
her homely husband.
If the bridegroom had been jealou
of the bride, there might have beel
some apparent sense In 1t. But poor oil
Smollett! Why, he was as homely a.
a hedge fence.
Lydia, however, never seemed to Sex
this incongruity. She had loved smol
lett ever since her school days, wher
he used to carry her wonderful French
dolls and smuggle pounds and pounds
of candy into the boarding school t.
her, and now she thought that Of cours'
every other woman the poor fellow hat
ever spoken with must have loved hin
too.
A long while ago smollett had part
ner, who died and left his daughter,
child Of 10, to Smollett's care. Thii
daughter was Lydia, and 1t was lonl
before her guardian had even daret
think Of marrying her. 1t Is one Of th'
mysteries Of the decade how she eve
managed to show the perverse fellow
that she cared for him.
Well, they got along delightfully."- fol
two years. excepting when Lydia got i
into her foolish little head that Abran
was spending more time in his offlc'
than he ought and became frightfull!
Jealous of the typewriter, whom sh'
pictured In her own mind as siren o.
unlimited power over the other sex.
When she made an unexpected de
scent upon the Office. however, sh'
found a long legged, redheaded boy
battering tho keys of the machine, ant
the only woman on the premises wa,
the scrubwoman, Of whom even Lydis
could not be Jealous.
Smollett is as methodical In bis hab
its as well regulated town clock. Or
q certain day every spring be leaves
of fannels, and on certain day In thu
fall he puts on overshoes. Once II
every two years he has his watcf
cleaned at the jewelers.. The time fol
renovating his chronometer came
around lately. and Smollett left 1t will
Q jeweler In the shopping district
Stocks were rather shaky about tina
time, and he had to be at his desk earl!
and late to watch matters. He coult
not find time to 90 around after hi
timepiece, and its absence was always
bothering him, for he had to depend
upon church clocks, French mante
clock that was never known to be righ
half a day at q time or his wife's chate
lains and was always missing cars ant
being late at appointments.
So dear Lydia, with the best OF inten
tons, found the jewelers. ticket and
went herself after the watch, saying
nothing to Smollett about It When sh'
presented the ticket to the jeweler. h'
looked at 1t and then at her.
'SThis Is a gentleman's watch, miss
Lydia blushed prettily. "Oh. yes; I'll
my husbands" she said.
He brought 1t from the safe and said
IT think It's all right, ma'am." H'
snapped the case and opened the baci
of the watch to look at the works. Al
he did 80 tiny lock Of hair slipped on
upon the showcase.
The jeweler glanced at 1t and thel
at Lydia. Her hair is golden brown
The lock which had dropped out OF tn
watch was yellowl
The jeweler was a wise man; be wa
married himself. he glanced slyly a
Lydia. Her eyes were flashing, and
red spot burned In either cheek. sh'
had seen the lock Of hair. but he, out O
the goodness Of bis heart, tried to shielt
the victim. he closed the watch with
out putting back the hair and startet
to pack the timepiece In q box.
"You have forgotten something" sai'
Lydia In a hard voice
II beg pardon"
"You have forgotten something" sh
repeated. pointing to the yellow lock
which he had sought to hide with hi
coat sleeve.
"Oh. thatT said this blessed Ananias
Il guess you're wrong. ma'am. That
q bit Of hair customer ofmine want
ed me to put In locket for him
81 saw 1t drop" said Lydia, with
calmness that quelled the 5eweler'
glib tongue "Put 1t back In th'
watch"
He obeyed. She paid the bill ant
swept regally from the store. That u
why smollett. going home that nigh
after a particularly vexing day ant
longing to forget business for few
hours In the society Of bis charming
little wife, found In her place IN ice
berg.
She did not meet him In the hall a
usual. Tho maid opened the door
When he went up to her room, she hac
locked herself in and would not an
swer. At dinner she came down lat'
and brought into the room with her al
L u,o,,h,ro fhof poeitivo1v O0yp SmOl