Connecticut western news., 1910-02-03

at this very instant, and open the
 lagon I mustr'
 Me, too," added Fanny.
 ''I suppose that is the best way" agreed. We are the last of the race, and nore 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 aagCh since you will not recog- niZe that I have an individual claim,'' Amelia drew a silver penknife from her pocket and opened a shining blade. l "Or that I have claim," put in 1 Fanny decidedly.
 Or mine," 1 added.
 "We must compromise" Amelia 8 voice was growing colder, and invol- i untarily I drew nearer the grate and poked the fire into greater warmth. i Let us divide the contents into two parts and call the fagon itself a third 2 part, each of us to agree to be entirely i satisfied with her share Do you agree?"
 i Il do," said Fanny promptly. Sight unseen?" I queried.
 Amelia nodded emphatically.
 'Nery well. I agree"
 "I am the eldest I shall take first choice" began Amelia, with a slight flush on her lovely face. "I choose half of. the contents of the flagon." Il am next" cried Fanny eagerly. ''I will take the other half of the con- tents. And you, Esther, what will you choose" she asked magnanimously. IT will take the silver fagon," 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 it made little white hot sheets of flame that darted up the black mCuthed chimney like a short life that is quickly burned out or a womans fragile beauty that flares for brief period and then dies away. l leaving gray ashes.
 When the wax was broken and the stopper had been with difficulty loos- ened from the slender neck of the yes sel in turn we peered down the slen- der orifice and saw nothing. We shook the flagon and heard nothing. We turned it upside down, and nothing happened.
 Tt is empty" said Amelia, with white face.
 Perhaps the jewels are stuck fast to the bottom," I suggested. You know they have been inferred for a century"
 Get your curling tongs, Fanny" commanded Amelia, darting a hostile glance in my direction. I looked into the glowing coals, 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 a silver fagon to which we had scarcely ever given 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 fagon!
 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 jugr' she cried eXcitcdly.
 Once more we bent above the silver flagon while Amelia thrust the tongs carefully down the slender neck and after a painful interval drew forth a folded slip of yellowed paper covered with fine pointed chirography.-
 Fanny and Amelia leaned back pale and breathless while 1 spelled out the spidery words that explained how Dor othy Fabyan, that clever housewife of so many decades ago, had discovered most wonderful complexion wash "Cleopatra's Balm of Beauty" she call ed it. To this marvellous face wash she ascribed her own exquisite beauty. The ingredients were almost impossi- ble to obtain in those primitive days, and she had even sold her precious jewels to obtain the necessary ele- mcnts 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 fagOn could impart a magic spell upon it's owner the Fabyan wom- en had been famous for their wonder full beauty-all save poor Great-aunt Hannah 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 fiagOn." I ran my eye over the carefully compiled directions for "Cleopatra's Balm of Beauty" and ere I reached it's close Amelia uttered a little angry cry and snatched the bit of paper from my grasp. In an instant it fut- tered into the fire, and my eXclama tion of distress brought both girls to my side.
 You could not care for that silly