Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-02-22
The Locket
By HENRY D. STANLEY
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

lOcket or peculiar material and
workmanship few about from her
bosom as she whired. On the third
finger of her left hand was ring
with an inexpensive stone. When the
music ceased she took the mans arm.
and they strolled away into a side
| room, where there was no one except
/ themselves. Seating herself on sofa,
/ she said:
That's our last dance"
you don't care to waltz
while waiting my chances in the
matrimonial market would be passing
away. In ten years | shall be thirty
and my opportunities for marriage re-
duced at least rs per cent, at thirty
five say 80 per cent. and at forty
won't have one chance in a hundred
that have now"
You will always have me whatever
be your age"
81 wouldn't trust to your constancy
We girls as we grow older become
either fat or skinny. And know you
too well to believe that you will ever
love either kind
81 swear
Don't swear. Go out. as you pro-
pose to, to the mining districts and
when you return, If unmarried and I
am unmarried and you want me, you
will doubtless get me. But you won't
want me-"
She took off the ring on her finger,
unclasped the locket from about her
neck and handed them to him.
Keep them" he said. mot as typi-
cal of an engagement, but as trinkets."
''Since you wish it l will
"Goodby. l leave by an early train.
I must go. l have things to do yet
before going to bed"
"GOodby and good luck be with you"
Twenty years passed. The man dur
ing all that time had all he could do
to keep his head above water; then he
struck bonanza. Returning to his
former home for the purpose of Or
ganizing a mining company, he reach
ed it in the winter season, when the
gayety was at it's height. On his way
from dining with a friend he passed
the building where two decades before
he had parted with his love- Seeing
the place lighted up and hearing the
strains of music. he entered. Couples
were dancing, and there was the lady
from whom he had parted whirling,
while on her bosom was the never rest
ing locket.
How she had managed to preserve
her youthful looks and her beauty he
was at a loss to know. She must be
unmarried, for no woman who had the
care of a family could look 50 young.
AS she danced by him. the locket flirt-
ing as of yore. their eyes met. but he
saw at once that he was not remem-
bered.
"Who is that Lady," he asked of one
who stood near.
Miss GARRISON"
81 thought So" he said then to him
than She
He concluded not to make himself
known then and there, but announce
his return by note the next day and
ask permission to call. This he did
and received a very gracious note in
reply. stating that Miss Clarkson would
he happy to receive him. The same
evening he went to her residence She
was living in the same house, and on
being ushered into the drawing room
there sat a woman so fat that her first
effort to rise was failure. and in
stead of making second she held out
her hand to him.
Pardon me-" she said. Its very
hard for me to rise. l told you when
you went away that we women must
expect to grow fat or skinny. and you
see that belong to the first class"
He controlled himself sufficiently to
conceal the shock. but as to acting
like a returning lover he found it i'm
possible AS soon as he became com
posed he said:
"rhe first thing l wish to know upon
my return is have you still the ring
and the locket gave YOU"
1.-The ring is now locked in my hui
reau drawer upstairs. The locket
lent to my niece, Julia Clarkson. to
wear at a ball which she was to at
tend last evening"
He was satisfied with the eXplana-
ton and knew why he had been led
into an error.
The lady made 1t very easy for him,
She had not expected that they would
begin where they had left off twenty
years before Indeed. 1t was evident
from the expression on her former
lovers face that he had no mind to
keep his pledge that. though she were
fat and forty, he was still hers. She
asked him what he had been doing all
those long years, and he told her that
he had been struggling with adversely.
He failed to acquaint her with the
fact that he had come home to form
company that would give him an enor-
nous income Instead he left her to
suppose that he was still struggling,
Before leaving he tried to Stammer
something like his words when they