Smyrna times., 1918-11-06
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THE LOCKET
BY MILDRED WHITE.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 49,. =.
VUOpyright, 1918. Western Newspaper Union. }

OAO AOuoe WHICH SnelIereu neri DuL
1t was the place where she spent the
hours when not engaged in Doctor
BrimsOn's office.
MOllie-Ellen wished wistfully that
she mi"ht know the joy of giving COM
fort and courage to one brave Ameri-
can soldier. Her throat frightened at
the thought of her own uselessness,
the only one who needed her, had gone. |
And thus she came to the golden lOcket |
glinting from the roadway. 1t was an |
ordinary round lOcket, but when she |
opened it searching for clew of own
ership, a soldiers face confronted her,
fine face with steady honest eyes.
"To Jane" she read on the inner
cover, from her Bob" The lOckets
long chain was unbrOken, so it must
have slipped unclasped from "Jane's"
neck. 1t had been cher BOb's" gift, no
doubt, before he had left for France.
MOllie-Ellen glanced up and down the
road, no vehicle, no passerby was in
sight. She clasped the chain about her
own throat as she hurried on; she
would advertise the lOcket in the morn
ing's paper. Even the small amount
paid for advertising, would mean add
ed economy to MOllie-Ellen.
She found that she would only be
able to insert the advertisement Occa-
siOnally. But though she unselfishly
persisted, no claimant responded. Mol
lie-Ellen took to wearing the ornament,
hoping that it might be recognized and
| returned to its proper owner, but
''BOb's Jane" was evidently not in Mol
lie-Ellen's proximity. The lOcket she
concluded must have dropped from
some touring car. So each night as
the lonely girl placed it in her jewel
case, she smiled into the soldiers
eyes.
Goodnight, Bob" she would whis-
per. 1t was really wonderful how COM
paniOnable a photograph could be-
come. MOllie-Ellen read sympathy in
the eyes when she was tired, and she
could see humOr lowering about the
lines of the soldiers mouth over some
remembered incident of her day. Then
MOllie-Ellen made a discOvery-after
all she did own a soldier and she
must work in his behalf at the Red
Cross rooms, must send knitted things
across the sea, for would not this la
Dor help one another? That he was
"Jane's Bob" mattered not at all,
neither he nor Jane should know of
her rival. So MOlie-Ellen spent her
spare hours in the house devoted to
Red Cross work, and there Overruling
MOllie-Ellen's aloOfness, a fashion
able and beautiful worker sought her
out. She blushed with pleasure at
Miss Stuyvesant's praise.
'YOu are so conscientious in your
duty" that person remarked, perhaps
like myself, you have a personal in
centive? My brother is now in train
ing" And just as MOllie-Ellen was
about to deny the implication, the
golden locket flew open, and quick as
she was in closing it, Miss Stuyvesant
had glimpsed for an instant soldiers
cap:
brOther?"
"NO-" Mollie-E Ellen began confused
ly, her companions interruption lef
her sentence unfinished.
"My brother is near here in camp
so we are fortunate in seeing hin
often. Why" she broke off, "there h
is now coming toward US. He is &c
ing to drive me home"
AS MOllie-Ellen's startled gaze fel
upon the advancing soldier, she lOnge
to hide her own burning face, for tn
man was actually "BOb," himself
"Jane's Bob" of the golden locket. ii
looked down upon MOllie-Ellen, a
knOwledging his sisters introduction
as though he were aware Of thOs
goodnight condolences.
"You must let us take you home
Miss Stuyvesant insisted, and as th
three flew along in the big autOmobi
Mollie Ellen dreamed of brighter day
Days passed and Miss Stuyvesal
kindly continued the drives as ma
ter Of course and MOllie-Ellen kne
that she could return the lOcket to i
owner through Bob Stuyvesant's car
But there would be the humiliatiI
% fact of having worn all this time Il
nicture of a man she had not ev'
known.
Bob Stuyvesant, as she met hi
again, was preoccupied, his stea'
gray eyes were clouded, rejecting tro
bled thought.
"Good-by." she said, ''you ha
been very kind, Mr.. Stuyvesant, but
shall not be able to see you again
Z fore you SAIL"
81 suppose" burst out Bob Stuyv'
ant in unexpected heat, "the fell
z YOU wear around in your lOcket is
reason for-thatI Sis told me abe
him, so 1 ought to have kept away
Y the first placo but" he laughed sho
z ". 'T couldn't" he said.
z "Wait!" cried Mollie-Eilel. brea
= lessly. she ran into the houHe retu
x ing with the lOcket. Desperately s
z snapped it open before him. Il fou
Z IT," she murmured, "and Jane did
answer my advertisement. You b