<em> Curiouser and curiouser,</em>the black girl pondered.  Among her curiosities was whether this really was the sob story she'd been sold, or a simple counter extraction.<br/><br/>It didn't really matter.  She'd get her money and she'd learned something from the experience.  Still, if she didn't get the locket out now, there wasn't much opportunity for a second try.  She replaced the envelope and moved to a table, where she brought out both boxes and carefully opened them.