The Locket

A respectable-looking man named Harry Blair arrives unannounced at a Park Avenue wedding to demand that the groom, John Willis, be summoned. He identifies himself as a psychiatrist and signals that he intends to tell a troubling tale about Willis' fiancée, Nancy. Guests watch as Blair's narration begins to unfold in the present ceremony setting.

Blair explains that Nancy is more than charming—she is a kleptomaniac, inveterate liar, and murderer whose misdeeds have gone unpunished. He presents this as the through-line of the story, warning Willis and the guests that deception has defined Nancy's life. The revelation reframes the wedding as a potential trap rather than a celebration.

The tale goes back to Nancy's childhood, when she was falsely accused of stealing a family heirloom. The accusation, whether true or not, fuels a lifelong pattern of deception and manipulation. This seed of guilt explains much of Nancy's later behavior, according to Blair's account.

Nancy dates and soon marries artist Norman Clyde, who becomes entangled in her web of secrets. Clyde eventually helps conceal a murder connected to Nancy's past, tying his fate to hers. Blair is skeptical of Clyde's claims but soon learns of Nancy's capacity for deception.

Shortly before the execution of the man tied to Nancy's concealed crime, Norman Clyde reaches out to Blair to warn or explain Nancy's actions. Blair remains cautious, interpreting Clyde's message as another delusion. The moment deepens Blair's sense that Nancy's past is dangerous.

Shortly into his marriage to Nancy, Clyde is pulled deeper into her deceit and then dies by jumping from Blair's office window. Blair's skepticism turns to alarm as the chain of events seems to mirror his own fears. The death marks a turning point in Blair's understanding of Nancy.

Blair tries to block the memory of Nancy's stories but finds himself increasingly convinced that she cannot be trusted. The narrative frames his doubts as the hidden engine behind the wedding's looming threat. The more he recalls, the more dangerous he believes Nancy to be.

Five years into their marriage, Blair faces the full truth of Nancy's serial thefts and deceits. She has him fraudulently committed to a mental institution, a betrayal that ends their marriage. This period marks a decisive break in their lives.

Some unspecified time after divorcing Blair, Nancy becomes engaged to John Willis, the groom she will marry on the present wedding day. This engagement sets the stage for the ceremony that frames Blair's confession. The past and future collide as Blair's tale unfolds around Willis.

It remains unclear whether Nancy recognizes that Willis is the son of the woman who had accused her of thievery, making the family ties even more complicated. The idea foreshadows a potential in-law conflict that could derail the wedding. The audience is left to wonder about these revelations.

As the ceremony approaches, Nancy is attended by bridesmaids and receives a heart-shaped gold locket passed down through three generations. The locket once symbolized her childhood downfall, but now it becomes a presenting token that weighs on her. The tension in the room thickens as everyone prepares for the vows.

When the wedding march begins, Nancy is overwhelmed by hallucinations of her sordid past. She collapses physically and mentally, bringing the ceremony to a halt. The shock leads to her commitment to a mental institution and a halt to the wedding.

In the aftermath, Nancy is committed to a mental institution, and Blair counsels Willis and his mother to exercise patience and compassion. The tale closes with a message that truth and care can guide a family toward understanding, even after painful revelations. The frame ends with a sober note on compassion.