The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1906-03-07
The Lost Locket
IOriginal.1

story. I could give you a thousand
guesses and / don't believe they would
be sufficient.
/ am a professional finder.
During shopping hours | saunter
about In front of the stores where they
sell the most expensive goods and
watch for people, mostly ladies, to
drop articles, which | pick up and for
the return Of which | claim a reward.
Not a very exalted profession, you
will say, yet will show how 1t may
result In making people happy, for it Is
best that lost articles should fall into
the hands Of one who makes 1t her bust
ness to return them.
One day ] saw a young and very
pretty girl get into a carriage, and as
she did SO a delicate gold chain she
wore about her neck caught on some
projection, broke and dropped in the
gutter. / picked 1t up Immediately
after the lady had beer driven away.
Attached to 1t was a gold locket. on one
side Of which was an embossed star
with five points. each point studded
with a small diamond. n large diamond
In the center. On the other side was a
single large ruby. | opened II. and on
the inside was a photograph vignette Of
a young
kft an advertisement describing ii
with ii prominent newspaper. to appear
In the Issue of the next morning. The
next evening | received Il note from its
owner informing ne thar II | woCll
bring It TO her | wogll lie very l.hcsll.
~ rewarded. ! never hurry n .Ech
matters. knowing t.iaf tie longer MISS
Ing articles are beng fcsfosel lie more
anxious the owners VII be about .hcu
and tie more iitegal tie rea.;gI. l.
this ease. however. | resolved u returs.
the loc.et tie nest 6ay
,.he next morning | received aa3tl.el
note. asking nc - BRING tie ioel.et -
an en..ro.y different address FROM q
first. l wrote II "a u u ask w,Gt
would lie the reward i. IL. .Je...t &a
returned. The Lady replied GgG ng me
u cal upon l.sr at olsc.s. She i.ap.oree
ne not TO dispose OF the loclsct to .tl.
one else. Th" writer of the second note
wrote In u mans hand that The article
had "A very large intrinsic value TO him
and animated that I might name my
WI price.
= resolved to SEE the lady first and
called at the address, (Which | found 70
be Il handsome residence. | found the
young lady whom | had seer drive
away In her carriage. She was entire
iy unable TO conceal her anxiety TO get
possession of the iocket and asked me
what reward would induce me to re-
tur II. | told her | could the better
make up my mind II she would confde
tie reason why she so eagerly desired
1t. She looked very much confused.
but would not tell me. Then | told her
that was in some doubt as to the
ownership. since another had answered
my advertisement. This excited her
beyond measure. the blood mounted to
her cheeks, and she was greatly dis
tressed. She begged me to tell her
something Of the other claimant, but |
would give her no information and left
without making any promises.
mex called at the Office of the man
who had written me. / was shown into
q private room: a man entered and
shut the door behind him. / no sooner
looked at him than l recognized the
original Of the photograph in the lock
ct. / spared with him for delay, and
he finally asked me point blank:
was there a photograph In itT"
There was" l replied.
Describe It." he said eagerly
I purposeiy described another man.
His face fell at once. l have never
seen more keenly depicted dlsappoint-
ment.
THAT will do" he said and told me
to deliver the locket at the house
where the owner lived.
NO." I replied, Il will not do that"
'vThen / will give you any price for II
in order that l may send II there my
self. 1t cost $500. ! will give you
$1,000"
Come to my apartments at 4 o'clock
tomorrow afternoon" l said. ''and you
shall have my decision"
As loon al l reached home | wrote
the young lady to meet me there, fix
ing her appointment a quarter of an
hour before that Of the nan She came