The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-11
MYSTERY OF The
LOCKLESS KEY
Love Found a Way to Over
come an Obstacle.

/ was spending some time at an At
| lantic seacoast resort would rather
not name it-and was one day stand
ing on the beach looking at the bathers
when l saw bathing master run for
the water, jump in and swim from the
shore. A woman had swum out far
beyond her depth and was seen to go
down. She was brought ashore in an
unconscious condition, having sunk
! twice before the man reached her. l
assisted in her restoration, persisting
after others had given her up, and
| brought her back to consciousness.
While working over her | noticed
around her neck gold chain to which
was attached a singular looking key.
Her first act after opening her eyes
was to grasp the key.
Later sent TO her rooms at her hotel
| TO learn of her condition and was in
vited up to her parlor. She was lying
On a lounge dressed in becoming
morning gown.
II suppose i must thank you for
bringing me back to life" she said,
though | would be more grateful had
you let me die
You have experienced great trou-
BILE" said when we suffer we
think there is no more happiness in
store for u.s."
She put her hand to her bosom as IL
20 assure herself that something she
carried there had not been lost
Your key is safe | said. Il kept
an eye on it while we were working
with you and saw you grasp it the mo-
ment you revived"
1t occurred to me to make an attempt
to thaw this woman out of her melan-
choly. l spent two months at the re-
sort. meeting her constantly on the
beach and being with her in sailing
parties and other amusements. | sue
ceeded in restoring her TO a normal
condition. but in doing so | lost my
heart.
well remember the evening I asked
her to be my wife. We were sitting
on veranda overlooking the beach.
Through sheer kindness" said, 81
have tried to bring you to more
healthful frame OF mind Now wish
to see you happy that you may make
me happy"
Her reply was a sudden clutching for
the key
Tell me-" | said-'T have earned
your confidence what is the mystery
Of this key?'
Listen" she replied. "and you shall
know.
II am married woman Words can
never express all | have endured from
my husband. After a long course of
brutality he left me Before doing so
he hung this key about my neck. with
the words: ! am going to be a wander
er and may never return. | give you
one chance for happiness. If you can
find the lock that the key flts, you will
learn something that may prove of
great Importance TO you He believed
that | could never find it and wished
only to tantalize me. though ! could
never understand Why. Now have a
fancy that in that box there may be
something that would release me from
my legal connection with him"
why do you think that?"
From hints he dropped from time to
time"
SHOW me the key"
She did so. and | examined it close
ly. 1t was neither door key Eor
trunk key. 1t looked rather as If it
fitted the wards of a lock intended to
keep valuables, studied the matter
for some time. then said:
Il can understand how woman
would consider the problem impossible
of solution. To man it looks COM
easy. Confide the matter TO
me. and | viii see what can do
She took the chain and key from her
neck and handed them TO me. Then.
without looking further into the future,
hoping for something's did not know
left her and the next day re-
turned to the city
We met again In six weeks.
81 have solved the problem of the /
key" said.
she was too excited to speak. and /
continued:
81 had a hundred duplicates of the /
key made, then sent one to every safe 4
ty deposit company in each OF the lar
ger cities of the United States. asking 4
the manager If 1t would fit any of his
used for storing valua-
bles Last night | received letter
from the president of st. Louis com
pany stating that the key would open
1 compartment in their vaults standing
In your name"
"WellT she asked breathlessly.
THAT is all know. win you go
here TO learn the rest?"
81 will start tonight"
Within week she returned and.
flushed with excitement. told me that
she had found valuable securities that
ihe supposed her husband had squan-
Tered: also a confession that he had
served a term in the penitentiary for
hat defalcation.
Before he married your" asked.
yes"
"You knew nothing of thisf"
"No."
There will be little trouble In Sc
'uring an annulment of such a mar