The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-01-30
The LOCKET
BY MILDRED WHITE.
Copyright, 1918, Western Newspaper Union

Mollie-Ellen found the glinting thing
in the road which led from the suburb
an station to her home. Mollle had
not yet learned to call home, the hum
BILE house which sheltered her; but
| it was the place where she spent the
hours when not engaged in Doctor
Brimson's office.
Mollie-Ellen wished wistfully that
she might know the Joy of giving COM
fort and courage to one brave Amer1-
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 OVID
ership, a soldiers face confronted her,
fine face with steady honest eyes.
ITO Jane" she read on the inner
cover, 'from her Bob" The locket's
long chain was unbrOken, so it must
have slipped uncasped from "Jane's"
neck. It had been "her Bobs" 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.
hot hn
able to insert the advertisement Occa-
sionally. But though she unselishly
persisted, no claimant responded. Mol
lie-Ellen took to wearing the ornament,
hoping that it might be recognized and
returned to it's 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:
"Good-night, Bob" she would whis-
per. It was really wonderful how COM
panionable 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 discovery-after
all she did own 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 Mollie- Ellen spent her
spare hours in the house devoted to
Red Cross work, and there overru'ing
Mollie-Ellen's aloofness, fashion
able and beautiful worker sought her
out. She blushed with pleasure at
Miss Stuyvesant's praise. a=.-5.
s&'You are SO conscientious In your
duty" that person remarked, perhaps
like myself, you have 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-Ellen began confused
ly, her companions interruption left
her sentence unfinished.
my brother Is near here in camp,
so we are fortunate in seeing him
often. Why" she broke off, there he
is now coming toward us. He is 60.
ing to drive me home"
AS Mollie-Ellen's startled gaze fell
upon the advancing soldier, she longed
| to hide her own burning face, for the
man was actually "Bob," himself
"Jane's Bob" of the golden locket. He
looked down upon Mollie-Ellen, &C
knowledging his sisters introduction
as though he were aware of those
goodnight condolences. -~ss'-'
"You must let us take you home,
Miss Stuyvesant insisted, and as the
three few along in the big automobile
Mollie Ellen dreamed of brighter days
Days passed and Miss Stuyvesan
kindly continued the drives as mat
ter of course and Mollie-Ellen knew
that she could return the locket to it.
owner through Bob Stuyvesant's care
But there would be the humiliatinl
fact Of having worn all this time thu
picture of a man she had not ever
known. ....
Bob Stuyvesant, as she met hin
again, was preoccupied, his stead.
gray eyes were clouded, rejecting trou
bled thought. -...-@
! "Good-by," she said, "you hav'
been very kind, Mr.. Stuyvesant, but
shall not be able to see you again be
fore you sail.'
II suppose" burst out Bob Stuyves
ant in unexpected heat, "the fellow
you wear around in your locket is tn
reason for-that! Sis told me abou
him, so I ought to have kept away II
the first plac but" he laughed short
ly. II couldn't" he said.