Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-02-23


eestors seems concentrated within me
&C this very instant. and open the
hason ! mustr'-
Me, too" added Fanny.
suppose that Is the best way.~ I
agreed. I'VE are the last of the race.
and none Of us is married. Let M At
least satisfy our curiosity"
Besides that, we must divide the
contents or decide upon the ownership
OF the fiagon. since you will not recog-
nize that l have an individual claim"
Amelia drew a silver penknife from
her pocket and opened a shining blade.
"Or that l have a claim" put in
Fanny decidedly.
Cor mine" added.
I'VE must compromise" Amelia's
voice was growing colder, and fnvol.
unfairly I drew nearer the CRATE and
poked the fire into greater warmth.
Let US divide the contents into two
parts and call the fagon 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 unseenT I queried.
Amelia nodded emphatically.
"Very well. I agree"
Il am the eldest. I shall take first
choice" began Amelia, with a slight
flush on her lovely face. II choose
half Of the contents Of the nagon."
II am next" cried Fanny eagerly.
~ will take the other half Of the con-
tents. And you. Esther, what will you
choose?" she asked magnanimously.
I'll will take the silver flagon," l
responded humbly, and they seemed
very well satisfied.
We gathered about Amelia's chair
as she Clipped at the sealing wax with
her penknife. She flung the crimson
bits into the fire, and 1t made little
white hot sheets of flame that darted
up the black mouthed chimney like a
short life that is quickly burned out
or woman's fragile beauty that flares
for brief period and then dies away,
leaving gray ashes.
When the wax was broken and the
stopper had been with difficulty loos-
ened from the slender neck Of the YES
sci In turn we peered down the slen-
der oriflce and saw nothing. We shook
the fiagon and heard nothing. We
turned 1t upside down. and nothing
happened.
1T is empty" said Amelia, with a
white face.
Perhaps the jewels are stuck fast
to the bottom" l suggested. You
know they have been inferred for a
century"
Get your curling tongs, Fanny"
commanded Amelia, darting hostile
glance In my direction.
/ looked into the glowing Goals, Won
dering at the magic Of possession that
had seized upon us three cousins who
had been loving friends from child
hood. Here we were wrangling over
the possession Of silver fagon to
which we had scarcely ever given a
thought in our busy lives. Thanks to
Great-aunt Hannah, we were rich be-
yond our widest dreams, and still we
could not be satisfied without prying
into Dorothy Fabyan's silver flagon!
Fanny returned with the long silver
tongs that were used to wave her
straight black hair. "They should
reach to the very bottom of the jugw
she cried excitedly.
Once more we bent above the silver
flagon while Amelia thrust the tongs
carefully down the slender neck and
after painful interval drew forth a
folded slip Of yellowed paper covered
with fine pointed chirography.
Fanny and Amelia leaned back pale
and GREATNESS while l spelled out the
spidery words that explained how Dor
othy Fabyan. that clever housewife Of
SO many decades ago, had discovered
q most wonderful complexion wash
"Cleopatra's Balm Of Beauty" she call
ed 1t. To this marvellous face wash
she ascribed her own exquisite beauty.
The ingredients were almost impossi-
Bile to obtain in those primitive days,
anu ouc ldu even sOiQ ucI pEeClOuS
jewels to obtain the necessary ele-
ments of the balm. Now, she passed
the secret Of its making to her own
daughter and afterward down to the
coming generations Of the women Of
her family. and, as If the mere pos
session Of the recipe sealed within the
silver flagon could impart a magic
spell upon its owner. the Fabyan wom-
en- had been famous for their wonder
full beauty-all save poor Great-aunt
and myself.
"What greater jewels doth any wo-
man possess" concluded the old, old
letter. ''than diamond eyes, teeth Of
pearls, coral cheeks and ruby lips?
These jewels you will find sealed
within my silver flagon."
l ran my eye over the carefully
compiled directions for "Cleopatra's
Balm of Beauty" and ere l reached
It's close Amelia uttered a little angry
cry and snatched the bit of paper
from my grasp. In an instant it fiut-
tered into the fire, and my exclama-
Hon of distress brought both girls to