Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-11-02

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
II this way and that and gently tap
ped the stopper. guessing idly at the
contents.
Amelia looked longingly at the red
seal. Il believe it contains the old
Fabyan jewels-it was never known
what became Of them after the war
1 have heard that Dorothy Fabyan
stripped the gems from their settings
and concealed them somewhere. 1t is
likely she hid them In this flagon.
How strange that no one has cared
enough about them to investigate its
contentsr'
Suppose we leave the seal unbro-
KEN" suggested.
why should we do thatf" asked
Fanny, with wide open eyes.
1T never has been opened" I said
lamely. 80 many of the Fabyan wo-
men have owned the fiagon 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
nagon down from mother to daughter,
leaving the secret to be discovered by
the one who cared to open 1t. 1 con-
fess that the curiosity of all my an
cestors seems concentrated within me
at this very instant, and open the
fiagon I musty'
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 hagon, since you will not recog-
nize that 1 have an individual claim"
Amelia drew silver perknife from
her pocket and opened a shining blade.
''Or that l have a claim" put in
Fanny decidedly.
cor mine" l added.
1--WE must compromise" Amelia's
voice was growing colder, and invol-
unfairly l drew nearer the CRATE and
poked the fire into greater warmth.
Let US divide the contents into two
parts and call the flagon Itself third
part, each of US to agree to be entirely
satisfied with her share. Do you
agree?"
u do" said Fanny promptly. Il
"Sigh4 unseen? l queried.
Amelia nodded emphaticalIy.
Every well. 1 agree"
81 am the eldest. l shall take first
choice" began Amelia, with d slight
flush on her lovely face. 81 choose
half of the contents of the flagon"
Il am next" cried Fanny eagerly.
81 will take the other half Of the con-
tents. And you, Esther, what will you
chooser she asked RdagnsnImously.
Il will take the silver fiagon," 1
responded humbly, and they seemed
very well satisfied.
We gatheTed 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 mouthed chimney like a
short life that is quickly burned out
or womans fragile beauty that flares
for a 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 Orifice and saw nothing. We shook
the tiagon and heard nothing. We
turned it upside down, and nothing
happened.
10 afxv
white face.
Perhaps the Jewels are stuck fast
to the bottom" 1 suggested. You
know they have been inferred for A
century"
Get your curling tongs, Fanny"
commanded Amelia, darting a 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 q silver hagon to
which we had scarcely ever given Il
thought in our busy lives. Thanks to
Great-aunt Hannah, we were rich lie
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 excitedly.
once more we bent above the silver
hagon while Amelia thrust the tongs
carefully down the slender neck and
after painful interval drew forth
folded slip Of yellowed paper covered
with fine pointed chirography.
Fanny and Amelia leaned back pale
and breathless while l 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 1t. To this marvellous face wash