Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-09-26
FOUND,
ONE GOLD ,,, ?,
XHE An TN G.
NLAN L PASCHAI
"Well, I'll be-hangedw
Copyright, 1908, by T. C. Mcclure

v's'~s'V's~'s~'s'~'e"~~' s'%-s"~-s'
"Well I'll be-hangedv
Blakely Cove finished his exclama-
ton Of surprise with milder word
than he had in mind, which was an irn !.
polite reference to the next condition
popularity supposed to follow imme-
diately after the one mentioned. But
somehow the profane word stuck. 1t
seemed an affront to the pictured face
which looked up at him from the tiny.
heart shaped locket he had just picked
on lower Broadway.
He stared as one who sees a ghost at
the trinket which had been concealed
from the eyes of the thrOng in the
crowded street only to come to him,
for the young, smiling, white browed
mans face which was enshrined in the
little gold heart was his own.
His own, yet not his. It was another
Blakely Cove of former existence, so
long ago, ten century years. A whole
lifetime he had lived since the time he
hung this locl1et over Dolly Kinks true
little heart. He had gone west shortly
afterward to make that elusive goal,
fortune. Ranching at first in Montana,
then wearying of the slow process and
the long wait before New York and
Dolly could be counted among the ra-
diant possibilities of life, he had gone
to the KlOndike.
What years Of struggle and suffering,
privation and danger had been his!
What wanderings over the frozen
slopes about the gaunt peaks of the
Chilkoot, and all to no purpose. Dis.
heartened at last, he had deemed it the
only manly thing to do to write Dolly
before plunging farther into an I'M
known country up the Yukon not to
wait for him any longer. He ''was up
against it and always would be-" and
what right had he to spoil her young
life?
He had completely 'lost his grip"
after that and, not caring whittier he
went, had drifted. At last after five
weary years, heartsick and home hun
CRY, he had turned his face southwark
toward Goods country" He had ''beat
his way" across the continent from Sc
attl9 the month before and, ashamed
in his tattered condition to apply for
help from his old friends, had been
hunting for work ever since. His last
job had taken him into the busy ranks
of the subway workers.
Lord! l hadn't known what it is
to be up against it then or couldn't
have looked like THAR he groaned as
he scrutinized the boyish countenance
of that other SELF 'And little Dolly.
1 wonder if ten years have changed
her much"
He pulled his watch from his frayed
pocket. In his worst times he had new
er yielded to the. temptation to sell it.
He pried it open now and held it up
alongside the locket, stepping into
convenient doorway to be out Of the
crowd.
What be saw photographed on the
gold was a sweet girl face, clouded
about with masses Of dark hair and
the whole framed in a craven, heart
shaped arabesque, to match the locket,
he had told her.
"a fine looking pair" people had said
of them. Cove glanced from the like
ness into a plate glass window near
and smiled drearily at the contrast. His
gaunt, unshaven cheeks and prema-
turely grazing temples and rough
clothes made the disguise complete.
'She'd never know me in the world"
he ruminated ruefully, "and I'm hun
CRY just for one look at her. If were
to put an ad. in the paper now-I think
1 can scrape up the necessary pennies.
By Jove, I'll do it!' And he started
off brisxly toward Park row.
His adj was short and concise, but it
covered the ground:
Found-Corner Broadway and Spring
street, one gold heart containing photo.
Owner can have same by communicating
with Yukon, 140
The next morning he was the first at
the window and waiting in feverish
impotence for the clerk to appear.
When at. last that important function
airy came he glanced at Cove and re-
marked yawningly: yukon, 14O? Here
you are Next"
Hastily he tore it open and read:
Yukon, 14O, Care Whirlwind, Downtown.
Dear Sir-I saw your ad. in yesterdays
paper do hope it is my locket you have
found I value it most highly and will
pay more than it's intrinsic worth for it's
| return if you will call or let me know
where to go to identify it tomorrow morn
ing about TO- I had notices inserted in all
the papers yesterday. Perhaps you saw
them Yours anxiously,
DOROTHY KIRK,
No. - Central Park West.
Of course-he might have known she
would advertise-he had been so alb
sorbed in his own plan for the restora-
ton of the locket and for sight Of
Dolly that he had not thought Of that.
l,a,I o,oo,+ his Iac CT piolyoI for rOoa