The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-06-21

per Syndicate.)
Mary Ellen did not know that the
place she was entering was a pawn
shop. 1t was tucked away in quiet |
thoroughfare off Regent street and |
Mary Ellen just happened to be stroll |
ling through the quaint Soho district !
when an antique locket in the win |
down caught her attention.
She bought the oddly beautiful |
locket and was persuaded to purchase, |
also, an equally curious old ring that
the shopkeeper had in his possession.
Mary Ellen was a shy, imaginative
little person, whose world was peo-
pied by fanciful characters. She was
queer; she was merely different
enough from the average girl to be
mysterious.
Back in New York there were sew
eral suitors who wanted Mary Ellen's
dainty hand for their own. Tt was
partly owing to the persistent wooing
of these admirers that Mary Ellen
found herself in London. She had fed
from the temptation to marry when
she was not really as much in love
dS ICI ldnCJ lOlO ncI SnS CIiOu1u DS.
And her dream man possessed all the
qualities that existed, respectively, in
each of her suitors
She held her new locket closely in
her hand and looked at the face in
it. She began to wish that she had
lived in the age when he had lived
in the age of powder and patches.
An idea thrust itself into her dreams.
She would return to America as the
betrothed wife of the man in the
locket. This would be a fitting way
for her to avoid marrying any one Of
her suitors. She had long sought an
excuse that would satisfy them Her
! fictitious lover would be the excuse.
| And the antique ring would lend color
/ to her story
Few girls but Mary Ellen would
| have conceived so fanciful a plan Of
| clearing her patch of lovers. and his
name is Davie,'" she said to herself
when she had discovered an engraved
| inscription inside the locket: With
| love, Davie," the line ran
Il shall call my fiance David Wood
man, and say that he is an actor My
miniature of him was made in the
/ character of Sir Charles Surface"
Mary Ellen laughed at her own in.
! genuity. Indeed. so delighted was she
with her fabric of romance that she
sailed for home a week sooner than
she had expected.
The romance woven around the man
in the locket came to be acknowledged
as natural one Mary Ellen had
gone abroad and she had met her fate.
One night Jimmy Vale stood in the
ballroom of the Deerwent home look,
ing at Mary Ellen as she danced with
one of the men. She was as light as q
zephyr. and even had Jimmy not been
possessed of a hopeless love for the
girl he would have enjoyed the grace
OF her.
Someone touched his arm THAT
slim, quaint, beautiful little dancer in
mauve-who is she?" David Garland
asked him.
Jimmy turned to look at the man
He was the guest of the hostess. anG
they had merely shaken hands in be
ing introduced.
''Tn present you-with pleasure
Jimmy fastened to say.
When Mary Ellen looked into the
blue eyes of David Garland she woulC
! have turned and fed had not Jimmy
restrained her wait a minute, MARY
Ellen. I want to present Mr.. David
: Garland, Miss Moore" Jimmy added
with his best society bow Then, with
: out another word he left them
David was so like the man in Mary
Ellen's locket that the girl was
stricken with amazement. She coulC
scarcely raise her eyes to his scrutiniz
ing gaze.
There are two reasons for M
wanting to meet you,' she heard hin
saying. Zone is-that locket,' b;
: said, looking at her treasure.
I bought it in London" Mary Elle1
confessed, blushing, and taking thu
: locket in her hand. And this ring
!, bought at the same time" she ad
mitted. extending the ring for him tt
see
Her heart beat fast; her dream wa
coming true. This man and the mai
whose face was pictured in her locke
were in some way connected.
81 say, this is most curious" Davi,
was saying, half to himself as he e2
: amined the ring on Mary Ellen's fin
ger. He looked up at her. DO yol
know that you are wearing my grand
mothers engagement ring?"
Mary Ellen shook her head; sh
I could not speak
/ "And | believe there is a miniatur
of myself in that locket." David added
| "Are-are you Davie?" Mary Ellel
! asked, breathlessly.
/ I'm Davie," he laughed
| He then explained that his Grand
| mother Garland was so keen on him
| that she had had his miniature painte
and set in a locket She had had
done in powder and patch costume be
cause, in that dress, he was more lik
~ g. L.