Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 263: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

the way of the sinking ship when it went down, with all on board, and L was the only one who was saved. When the shawls and wraps, which were bound about me, were removed, this necklace was found around my neck,’and a belt, containing upward of five thousand dollars, was taken from my body. Thisis all I know—all that I can tell you about the necklace and the way it came into my possession; but itis a sacred heir-loom tome, and I have kept it all these years, hoping that some day it would lead to the dis- covery of my pare1ts.”’ ‘‘A very pretty and very romantic story, truly, miss; but it remains to be proved,” returned the detective, laconically, when she coneluded. “Now, I think we’d better see the inside of the bundle, that may also contain something valuable.” Hazel flushed slightly at his tone, but stooped to take the package from the trunk, and, romoving the pins from the towel, unfolded the articles of clothing that lay within it. There was the little seal-skin coat lined|with quilted satin; the pretty wrapper of flannel trimmed with swan’s-down, aud the dainty night-robe, with the costly lace gathered about the neck and sleeves, which had been worn by the little waif whom Sandy Morton had rescued from a watery grave, on that dull, cold morning in November so many years ago. Mrs. Stewart bent forward to examine them, nu look of wonder on her face. “These garments were very nice and costly,” she said. “If they were yours you must have belonged to a wealthy familly. Ican believe all but the story of the necklace; that I knowis mine. [do not believe there was ever another one made like it.” “You are mistaken, Mrs. Stewart,” HAF@SeAmee,