The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-11
THE EVENING STORY
Selma Seals a Letter.
(By Dorothy Rlackmore.)

| She had been playing golf and was
crossing the fields that lay between
the gulf links and her home.
The stone she had found was large
and she stopped to examine it. Brush
! ing off the dirt and dust that chung to
! it, she held it to the sunlight. It was
| purple-lavender-u an anne
thyst. "A matchless amethyst, should
call it, Selma exclaimed aloud pol
ishing it on her golf bag. And if it
had not been for last nights rain that
washed the dust off so that it glistened
it might be there yet. I wonder whose
| it is and how long it has been in the
grass"
The amethyst was almost square
| and a cubical inch in size. It hung on
a gold swivel as if it had once been
a watchfob charm. The lower side
seemed to be carved and Selma mois-
| tened her handkerchief to clean tho
dust from the cut surface.
| "A crest-a family CREST she solil-
oquized as she cleaned the stone
Selma could make out a heart held
high by a hand and several other
| emblems, together with the Latin
words, ''semper f1delis," which she
knew to mean always faithful"
When Selma arrived at her home
she said nothing about her find. She
could not have told why she wanted
to keep it secret, for it was not her
nature to conceal anything from her
family
AS soon as she could she adver-
tised the seal in the columns of the
papers, and although she kept the ad-
vertisement in for three weeks no one
| responded and Selma looked daily at
the beautiful amethyst seal. She wove
romances about the family whose crest
was carved thereon, and it became a
habit with her to examine the crests
and coats on every carria ee,
| a IfO hi re
| she saw that bore a family emblem.
One morning during the winter fol-
lowing the finding of the seal Selma
| received an invitation to a house
party at the country home of one of
| her girl friends in the south The in
vitation was written on paper that
bore the family crest of the old Vir-
GINA family of Langhorne. It was a
handsome crest, but not at all like the
one Selma knew so we'll
When she replied to the invitation
and sealed her letter she was pos
sessed with the desire to use the big
amethyst seal. Her artistic sense de-
| manded that she put a purple bit of
sealing wax on her invender envelope
and seal it with the seal of the I'M
known family. She knew it was not
altogether proper, but she did it,
Not ten days after her acceptance
of the invitation Selma received a
letter from Beth Langhorne demand
ing the reason why she, Selma Wal
lingford, used the seal of the family
of Meredith.
Selina's curiosity was aroused and
she wrote back Immediately to ex-
plain the story of the seal and to
| ask who and whence came the family
of Meredith.
Don't try to deceive me, Selma"
| wrote back Beth Langhorne. Per
haps you think L can't put two and
two together when I receive one let
ter from a girl and another from an
attractive unattached man and both
bearing the same family seal The
only part don't like IS that you didn-
tell me that you and Tom Meredith
were engaged. I suppose We'll see very
little of either of you at my house
party"
Selma could hardly wait until she
arrived at the old southern home af-
ter having read that letter. And vet
she hated to think that after all these
weeks, when she had begun to feel
that it was her, she must part with
the beautiful amethyst. Its lights, its
sparkling beauty fascinated her and
she would miss it. She knew it was
far too valuable for her to kept
belonged to this Tom Meredith, who ev-
identity had another seal with his fam
lily crest.
At the station family wagonette
waited and on the platform stood Beth
IanRhOrne, all smiles.
Il came all alone so that we could
have a confidential chat on the way
| home" she explained to Selma, as she
| kissed her. You little fraud. haven't
seen Tom YETI
| Selma protested even while she gave
| the old darby her trunk checks. Beth
swear it, never saw Tom Mededith;
never heard Of him until you mentioned
his name in your letter"
Beth laughed. Selma, be careful
you know you never could keep any
| thing from me-"
It's the truth. told you I found the
| seal and advertised for it without find-
| ing the owner and so-well, 1 just
couldn't resist the temptation to use 1t
that once" Selina's great truthful
brown eyes looked into thoses of her
friend and could not be mistrusted.
VERY well, but I predict that, we'll
that you will have opportunity to use
| the family crest again. Beth said.
teasingly. as they climbed into the
wagonette.
AS they whirled along the crisp coun-
try roads Selma learned much of one
Tom Meredith and his family and his
possessions and his charms.
Let's not tell him a thing about the
seal,'' Selma said; mot one word. and
III get the story of how he lost it
from him.
"In agree. if you'll promise to tell
me all about it, Beth replied, scent
ing romance at every turn of the wheel.
'T promise agreed Selma, laugh
ing.
That evening when all the members
of the house party had arrived and
were sitting about the old fashioned
log fire, the smell of the apple
logs permeating the atmosphere Tom
Meredith sat back in his chair and look
ed at the little girl from "up North
It was not long before he found him.
self near her. his chair close to hers
his soft, drawing southern voice ask
ing her questions that showed Selma