The L'Anse sentinel., 1924-02-22
THE STICKPIN
PAVED THE WAY
By H. IRVING KING

InNCE upon time there was
young man named Lancelot Grif-
fin, and he was hard up, and he want
ed to give birthday present to his
best girl. So Lancelot dug up an old
scarfpin that he hadn't worn for years
because he always hated the hideous
thing. II had been presented TO him
by a great-aunt. 1t was q highly,
"hockable" affair. Lancelot obtained
enough of the coin of the realm to buy
little gift with which to delight the
heart of Flora Gamwell. Lancelot had
birthday few months later. His
dearly beloved Flora had her eye at
tracted--and held-by this very same
stickpin In the pawnbroker's window.
Flora bought the pin. She presented
1t to Lancelot with a pretty little
speech.
"The beauty of the pin was what
attracted me-" said Flora. ut seems
as If 1t was just meant for you-just
as we are meant for each other, aren't
we, Lancelot, dear?'
You bet we are" replied Lancelot
in his crude, coarse way, land this pin
shall never get out of my possession
again-that Is never"
"Of course 1t won't" replied Flora.
"You must wear it, always, for my
sake"
"Oh, 1t is much too beautiful to
wear every day." said the willy Lance
lot.
NO" replied Flora firmly. "you
must wear ii constantly or / shall
think you don't value it as my gift"
Now, this ancient aunt of Lance
lots lived In far country; some
where around Bogota, N. j., and sell
dom came to the big city. But Lance
lot wrote her very .dutiful letter an
nouncing his engagement to Flora and
hoping that his esteemed relatives
days would be long in the land. He
received highly edifying Mr.-George-
to-llttle-Rollo sort of reply, closing
with the announcement that Aunt So
phronia would arrive in New York the
next week, and that he, and Flora
might call upon her at her hotel.
Now Lancelot was lawyers clerk
at modest salary, whose parents
would never be able to leave him
much money. and 1t was rather impru-
dent for Flora and him to become en-
gagged. But they were young. and
could wait. They would not be mar
ried until his prospects were little
brighter-which, of course, they would
be soon. Lancelot had many schemes
In mind for the requirement OF
wealth. Given time and opportunity
with the electrical inspiration of New
York. and what is II that young man
has not right TO expect?
II Lancelot's parents had not been
foolish enough to quarrel with Aunt
Sophronia things might have been diff
ferent. Lancelot would have been the
old lady's heir. AS II was, she had
publicly announced her intention Of
leaving her money to distant branch
of the family In Schenectady and was
known to have made will accord
ingly.
Well, Aunt Sophronia arrived and
Flora and Lancelot called upon her.
Lancelot wearing the stickpin of des-
tiny. He knew that Aunt Sophronia
would recognize it and say something
before Flora which would, as Henry
james would say, "give the snap
away" But there was no way out
of ii.
Flora had especially said, "Now
don't forget to wear that beautiful
pin gave you," and IL he did not do
SO she, Flora, would be sure to remark
1t and say something which would
make for confusion. He faced the
music; confident that II would be even
louder than the, pin itself
The blow fell with its dull, sicken-
Ing thud shortly after greetings with
the aunt had been exchanged. "Why.
Lance, deari' cried the old lady, "you
are still wearing my pin! How nice
Of you. So you have not forgotten
your old aunt after all. Well, well
am glad there Is one member OF your
family possessed of common gratitude
and affection" He could feel Flora's
eyes boring through him as the old
lady spoke. For the rest Of the eve
ming, Wn6ItNeT uo Cioiu . CyCp
ne caught cold, stony stare. 1t made
him nervous The old lady kept them
to dinner and sent them home in a
taxi. In the taxi Flora said: Now,
sir, would like an explanation.
''Of whatr
"That pin"
.'If you must know, auntie gave II
to me; hooked II and bought you a
birthday present" said Lancelot.
Flora broke into a laugh. "Of
course, dear boy. met your aunt at
Lake Hopatcong last summer. We dis
cussed you very thoroughly, and
gave such fattering account of her
nephew that, after swearing me to Sc
crecy, she agreed to come on and see
II the goods were as represented. She
told me all about the pin, describing II
minutely and wondering II you ever
wore it. When / saw II y the pawn
brokers window I recognized II at
once. Two such pins were never made