Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-10-07
A Discovery

-hh4Itt-s ii't'tli W IS ' IT siha McGrc@or, for whom | had long had fancy. did not consider my. seii good enough for Virginia. and thete was fellow about her all tl. While with whom she seemed espe- clall! pleased A, feast Whenever I saw them together she looked al li,n with her big eyes in q way she never looked at any other man, certainly not a me.
 One morning at the bathing house We aii went down to the beach for a bath. Virginia had on Il pretty shade of brown nlohair that suited exactly the tint of her Titan hair Sl. cer talnly looked entrancin@. and couldn't keep my eyes off her She didn't an. pear to notice lny admiration, and iailGied that, being absorbed i'll thought with tue other fellow, she was not likely tu notice any admiration! but his There was one thing about her that at tractcd ny especial attention. About her neck was Il gold chain to which hnns 2 tiny brass key. I wished to xnow what the treasure was that 1t locked, but don't consider curious questions well bred
 Virginia was q good swimmer, l d fair one She stepped lightly into the surf, jumped over tue first two waves and took q header under the third
 When she came up she swam like ;s mermaid straight out beyond the roped inclosure. was talking 10 one of the girls of tue party Ut the time and as soon as 1 could get away went in after Virginia
 The wind was blowing up the coast from the south, crossing the waves rolling iu from the east, a condition productive of sea pousse. From the top of a wave 1 saw that Virginia had Deen caught ill one ol these whirl pools and Was belu. carried out At the same time she gave a shricL. The bathing maSlcr heard il and plunged in. while two m"u st;laiu@ on the beach, seeing her danger. nied the tifehOai fp the .tri larhcil.d il and hastefl"d to lie rescue
 Ai".lG'. ..tii,. z;sss.1..7' Ii for Virginia and h1 | si-e'.,}f> efGu}; >}',.cacelel in reach
 her. She fi'I become par;tyzed by t", .ht ;ta1l rol!t,I |" nnilitG whatever .1s herself While trying to get my ..:end oil something b! which to sup
 ,ft hct my fingers g"t caught ill he gold th:tu about hep neck 1 @rasprd it and he'd her ui' hy il t!! q moment before llic SimuItIn"ous arrival Of the lifeiaaI and the bathin. master, when it hro,." 1 held on to it while We were hotL being pJlIled into the boat.
 Ni.rnia WAS too exhausted aud eX- cited ln notice her loss then, and l said nothing ahoal il. As soon ;s We were satp ashore she thanked lHe for ny eff fort. but there was no warmth i'll her gratitude. She then left the beach. and I saw no more ot her till tue even iII1. should have given her the broken chain and the key still attached. but did not thought 1 would wait awhile She did not mention them. and finally l asked her if she had them on She said respectfully that she had lost them iu the ocean. 1 SympathiZed with her n her loss. rcinarkins that she seemed to prize them. The only reply received was q blush.
 kept the articles. thinking every day that would return them. but somehow couldn't make up my mind 10 do SO The truth is l coveted Nif ginin though l scarcely realized it. When Il fellow covetS Il girl he Is apt to hold on ,o anything of hers lie can get his hands on, have known q lover to carr. Il sioeSiring next his hcart l couldn't give up the chain that had cIasped Nirgnia's neck nor the key which l fancied might lock some man s love letters.
 That winter l was made much of by inc McGregol' family, they considering that they owed me Nirginia's life. One evening" being ri their house at | So cial gathering. the premises being thrown open. l concluded 10 reconnoi, fer with Il view to getting a sight of the mysterious iuclosure that contained Il was curious to know what. Passing Il bedroom he door of which was open. 1 say II ttl itttS t''A VI III ttH' 'tiitt ilip saic on q dresser, l listened, and not hearing any one on the floor stepped in and taking my key from my vest pocket, put it to the lleyholc of the box. 1t slipped in as though it had been made for the lock. l heSitated, bluShcd at the lShonorable act 1 was tempted 10 perform, remembered that aI's fair in love and war and turned the key. X tiny click and l raised the lid There was a faded rose falling to pieces, In deed, it was but scattered stem and petals There was a bit of folded pa per l opened it.
 To say I was astonished expresses nothing. First l recognized my own handwriting Next l saw that ii was q message I had passed to Virginia long before when lot of us boys and girls were amusing ourselves together with bits of nonsense. The only other thing in the box was photograph face down, I turned it. and. behold, it was my own honest face when l was half dozen years younger. l had just time to put the articles back in the box. lock it and get out when heard Nirginia'S voice