Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-03-18
MYSTERY OF THE
L0CKLESS KEY
Love Found a Way to Over
come an Obstacle.


the water jump in and swim from the
shore. 4 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. |
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 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 lounge. dressed in becoming
morning gown.
II suppose | 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 us
She pat her hand to her bosom rs if
to assure herself that something she
carried there had not been lost.
"Your key is safe" | said IL kept
an eye on it while we We're 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 melaD-
choly. | spent two months at the re-
sort, meeting her constantly Oh the
beach and being with her in saiins
parties and other amusements. sue
ceeded in restoring her to normal
condition. but in doing SO lost my
heart.
l we'll remember the evening l asked
her to be my wife We were sitting
on a veranda overlooking the beach.
Through sheer kindness" said. 81
have tried to bring you to IL mo-"
healthful frame of mind. Now | wish
to see you happy that you may make
me happy"
Her reply was sudden clutching for
the key.
Tell me- I said-"I have earned
your conference.-the is the mystery
of this key!'
LISTEN" she replied. land you shall
know.
81 am Il married woman Words can
never express all l have endured from
my husband. After long course Of
brutality he left me. Before doing so
he hung this key about my neck, with
the words: 4 am going to be a wander
err and may never return. l give you
one chance for happiness. If you can
find the lock that the key fits, 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
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 l examined it close
~. 1t was neither door key nor
trunk key. 1t looked rather as if it
fitted the wards of lock intended to
keep valuables. l studied the matter
for some time, then said:
II can understand how woman
would consider the problem impossible
of solution. To man It looks COM
paratively easy. Confide the matter to
me, and will 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-I did not know
what left her and the next day re-
turned to the city.
We met again in six weeks.
II have solved the problem Of the
key" said
She was too excited to speak. and |
continued:
II had hundred duplicates of the
key made, then sent one to every safe
ty deposit company In each Of the lar
ger cities Of the United States. asking
the manager if it would fit any of his
compartments uScu LOT StOILllS Nulud-
bles. Last night l received letter
from the president of st. Louis COM
pany stating that the key would open
a compartment in their vaults standing
in your name"
"Well!" she asked breathlessly.
THAT is all l know. VIII you go
there to learn the rest?"
Il will start tonight"
Within week she returned and,
flushed with excitement. told me that
she had found valuable securities that
she supposed her husband had squan-
dered; also confession that he had
served a term in the penitentiary for
that defalcation.
Before he married your" l asked
Eyes"
"You knew nothing Of this?"
mo"
"There will be little trouble in Sc
curing an annulment Of such mar
rage. 1t was no marriage"
The result proved that | was right.
In time the courts annulled the mar
rage, and soon after real marriage
letter came to my wife from the
wanderer, written on his deathbed, Civ.
ing the information | had ELECTED by
my investigations