Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-04-27
FLORTNE'S
AMULET
BY INA WRIGHT HANSON
Copyright, Is0l, bD Ina Wright Hanson

of her white gown and in her bronze
hair. For some time / had not dared
to approach Florine without being for
tilted with disagreeable speeches; oth-
erwise | should have been guilty Of
proposing TO her. Considering that her
monthly income was quite equal to my
annual one, a proposal OF marriage
from me would be palpably absurd. 1
sighed, and my sigh aroused Florine.
"Oh. I'm glad it's your she said
brightly. Il saw visitor in my tea
cup"
| frowned and took a chair on the
other side of the table.
II wish you wouldn't" said.
wouldn't what? Give you cup
of tea? Well, you needn't drink it.
Are you afraid it will hurt your com
plexion?"
Her tone was bantering, but her
eyes had hint of concern in their
violet depths. l looked away as l an
swered:
'sThe other night at pit you turned
your chair around three times, and
then when you lost you attributed it to
the misplacing of your rabbit foot"
81 did make mistake" she said
gravely. 1T wasn't the rabbit foot;
it was the day. Wednesday is my un-
lucky day"
IF you keep on folks will think you
are weakninded," I continued. keep
ing my gaze carefully from the danger
Gus charm of her face. Il have actual
" heard it said that you wear an ANU
letr'
Florine was silent so long that l
was compelled to glance at her. She
was regarding me with what might be
termed a complex look. Her mouth
was dimpled with smiles, her lifted
brows were derisive, but her eyes were
troubled. ignored the eyes.
"This superstition business detract5
from your real WORTH l went on re-
lentlessly ':It is the flaw in the dia-
mond, the blight in the rose, the-the'-
Fly in the ointmentW she suggested
politely.
''To have It told around that you
wear an amulet / reiterated in fine
scorn.
Then Florine laughed. When Florine
laughs
"You poor old dearw she exclaimed
as soon as she was able. Il don't be-
neve you have the ghost of an idea
what an amulet isr'
/ was solid on that score, for l had
Just learned the definition from the
dictionary.
can object, usually a peculiar bit
of stone, metal, bone, paper, wood or
the like, worn by superstitious people
as a protection against witchcraft
bad luck, disease, accidents, etc. y
charm
"Oh, don'tr she choked. "You are
too absurd" Then she went off into
another gale of laughter
Il don't see where the absurdity
comes in,' / retorted. IF that isn't
an amulet, then what Is it,"
/ supped my tea with dignity while
Florine recovered herself.
81 knew girl once who wore an
amulet" she said at last. ut was the
well, the picture OF somebody she
liked"
Picture-ah. To be sure, / wasn't
an Adonis, neither was 1 afraid of
breaking the camera, but for one rea-
son or another l had faced a photog
rapher. Picture. was it? Was she the
girl? wondered.
ut wasn't bone, metal, stone, paper
or wood" she went on. and she
didn't wear it as protection against
anything. She just wore it because
she liked it, because she liked the man
whose picture was in it"
''It wasn't an amulet then," l said,
setting down my cup.
''It was an amulet" contradicted
Florine "Unimaginary folks get their
definitions out of the dictionary. Other
people
"How about walk?" / interrupted.
I couldn't even pretend to be disagree
able any longer; neither could ] mus
ter up determination enough to leave
her-lovely, laughing sprite that she
was. Perhaps there was less danger
in walking.
but 1 am going to have another
caller" she demurred.
do you see him in your teacupW
/ asked.
"No; 1 see him at the gate" she
laughed, although he may be coming
to see mamma. He is very fond Of
mamma. Possibly / shall be at the
summer house soon."
1t was clearly a dare, and l took it.
l went to the summer house. Around
the summer house are trees and flow
beautiful place but a dangerous one
when a man has no right to tell what
dims his eyes and impedes
his speech.
AS I sat down something at my feet
caught my eye. picked 1t up. 1t was
a heart shaped locket set with rubies.
1t flew open in my hand, disclosing
two scraps of white cloth | exam
ined the pieces with some interest, es-
pecially as / noticed that my mono
gram graced the upper one. They were
two corners from one Of my handker
chiefs evidently. Anyway it was my
When my eyes fell on the
other piece bewildering lot of
thoughts chased through my brain, for
that piece bore my profile, traced clev-
erly in purple Ink, Florine's amulet
n picture Of a man she likedp No
more letting n naltrv fortuna etand ha-
tween us, IL she really cares, and 1t
must be she cares, or
When l got so far | jumped up and
started joyfully for Florine's presence.
Then another idea assailed me. Sup
pose Fiorine should think that my find
Ing the amulet influenced my declara-
ton; that it was an affair of honor, so
to speak. ] laid the locket carefully
under small fir and went back TO the
summer house, | was scarcely seated
when Florine came flying down the
path, her 1imsy gown floating like a
lovely white cloud around her
You can laugh or you can scold.
don't care.' she asserted tearfully. Il
did wear an amulet, but now it's
goner'
She sat down by me and dabbed at
her pretty eyes with a square inch of
lace edged linen.
neither laughed nor scolded. 1 be-
gan telling her a story:
"Once upon time there lived beau
tifuI princess adored bv every one In