Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-29

The silver fagon had once been the
! property of Mistress Dorothy Fabyan,
/ our sweet ancestress, and tradition had
it that within it's polished interior the
fair Dorothy had secreted the precious
! jewels which her rich husband had
lavlshed upon her. When she was
dying she had given the fiagon to her
young daughter, saying:
Guard well the flagon, daughter,
and when you have reached years of
discretion you may break the seal and
| learn the contents-rubies and dia-
monds and pearls. Let no other woman
steal it away from you! 1t contains
what all women desire and but few
attain. 1t will be yours"
! "And it belonged to you, mother,
dearT' the young girl had tfmfdly ask
ed as she stroked the delicate, withered
| cheek.
Dorothy Fabyan had smiled proudly
ere she closed her beautiful eyes for
ever. AYE, it was mine for a sea
son." she said.
| The young daughter had died in her
teens, and the silver dagon, with its
| seal still unbroken, passed to distant
branch of the family, gay townspeOple,
who took small notice of Cousin Doro-
! thy's bequest save to thrust it away
on the top shelf of a cupboard and for
get its existence.
And thus it had come down to US,
the last of long line. At times its
| history had been forgotten, and for
| years it would remain merely an or
| nament on sideboard or mantelpiece.
Again some new owner would look
Iongingly at the seal, yet hesitate to
break in upon the secret it had con-
| cealed.
| Aunt Hannah had owned it last, and
she was so choice OF it that never did
vandal finger touch its surface or
! careless dust cloth even approach its
throne on the white marble. No hand
save Aunt Hannah's own came in con-
tact with the silver fagOn.
And now Amelia and Fanny turned
it this way and that and gently tap
ped the stopper. guessing idly at the
contents.
Amelia looked longingly at the red
| seal. II believe it contains the old
Fabyan jewels-it was never known
what became Of them after the war.
have heard that Dorothy Fabyan
stripped the gems from their settings
and concealed them somewhere It is
likely she hid them in this fagon.
How strange that no one has cared
enough about them to investigate its
contentsI'
Suppose we leave the seal unbro-
KEN" / suggested.
why should we do that?" asked
at never has been opened" 1 said
lamely. $50 ma Of the Fabyan wo-
men have owned the fiaSon and re-
spected the seal Of its contents, why
should we open it?'
Because its ownership must be de-
cided among u.s. replied Amelia firm
ly. THE Fabyan women passed the
fagon down from mother to daughter.
leaving the secret to be discovered by
the one who cared 70 open it. l con.
TESS that the curiosity OF all my an
cestorS seems concentrated within me
at this very instant. and open the
dagon 1 must"
ME, too" added Fanny.
81 suppose that is the best way" !
agreed I'VE are the last Of the race,
and none of us is married. Let US at
least satisfy our curiosity"
Besides that, we must divide the
contents or decide upon the ownership
of the ffagon. since you viii not recCS-
nize that l have an individual claim
Amelia drew a silver penknife from
her pocket and opened a shining blade.
COR that 1 have a claim put in
Fanny decidedly.
COR NINE" I added.
1--WE must compromise" Ameiia's
voice was growing colder, and invel-
unfairly I drew nearer the CRATE and
poked the fire into greater warmth.
Let us divide the contents into two
parts and call the fiagon itself a third
part, each of us to agree to be entirely
satisfied with her share. Do you
agree?"
II do" said Fanny promptly.
"Sight unseen?" l queried.
Amelia nodded emphatically.
VERY well. / agree"
81 am the eldest. 1 shall take first