Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-11-12
VELYETEEN BOOTS.


But first l should observe that Mr..
Messeps Solomon Messeps, tloor-walker
in Constant & Strings dry-goods estab-
lishmeAD possesses a straightness OF
back, length of limb, a perfection of
coat and trousers, look and d,e-away
glance in his muddy but large and dark
eve, and glamour of whisker, that make
calm description of him simply impos
sible to any woman under forty. These
attractions may be the reason why he
stands to the neighborhOOd where our
story transacted itself, or rather to the
young ladies thereof, in some such rela-
ton as prize racing-cup or champions
belt Certain it is that Miss Moblot
whose father owned his own house, was
as well known at Constant & Strings as
the lay-fgure in the window; that Miss
Matilda Mason and Miss Selliquips were
intimate friends of the deadliest type for
no other purpose than to reckon up this
young gentleman; that a dozen other
Young women were at swords points
about him; and that all united in detest-
ing Miss Jennie Millfugus as half a
length ahead and likely to win, in virtue
of her good looks and undeniable gentil-
ity Therefore, | repeat, she never
should have said it, even if there had
been no such thing as the Millfugus
mystery
And there was such a mystery. Jennie
Millfugus, with her sister Harriet, lived
in No. 10 of a block of three-story build
ings well over toward the west-brick
houses with high steps, wearing, in some
indefinabie way, the air of person with
well-cleaned gloves, and old boots scru
pulously BACKED. According to the
way in which you choose to put it, these
houses are the last bulwark of the street
against the tide of poverty rolling in
from the river, or they are the connect
ing link between life, four blocks away,
on $4,000 year and life on ten dollars
a'week. And being thus, as it were, on
neutral ground, it was natural that they
should express the illatease condition of
all neutrality; also that all the inhabit-
ants should be engaged in desperate
hand-to-hand struggle with appearances,
and that they should be very high with
an outside world, and observe toward
each other an awful punctilio.
Foremost among this little army of
pinched and struggling martyrs were
Harriet and Jennie Millfugus, as girls of
an excellent family; one OF the sharpest
stings, that of poverty. For if one must
way, planted squarely on feet, stout and
long and wide, with sleeves rolled up to
the elbow, the affair is not so hopeless
The lady who delighted me but now with
nod of recognition from her barouche
fifteen years ago smoked pipe AMI was
seen of mornings with bare feet. But,
weighted with their ancestors about their
necks-as were Harriet and Jennie
those two girls lived the life of border
baron of old, forever on the alert, for
ever menaced by the foe, forever bat
Ting with the facts that were continually
forcing their way through the weak de
tense of appearances. Harriet was
thirty-four, the amily-mother, as often
happens with an elder sister; and most
properly plain and practical one, adapted
to her position. Jennie was twenty and
the women declared there was nothing
In her. Nevertheless, she was of very
wholesome and womanly appearance
rarer charm than is apt to be imagined
Urls are jaunty, stylish, pretty, by the
score; but how often comes one to whom
you are drawn, as thoroughly and essen.
tally womang Just this Jennie con
Inually suggested. You observed the
uimples at her wrist, the white parting
oi her abundant hair, the wholesome red
ness OF her lips and whiteness of hel
SKIN pair of fine gray eyes with black
laShes and readily dilating iris, round
waist, an easy grace in the very flow OF
her skirts, involuntarily, and with a
quick sense of pleasure. Perhaps this
was why men and Mr.. Messeps
found her charming. Perhaps, also
II was why the gentler inhabitants of the
plock had fashion of speaking of heI
win sighting smile, and as "p5ol
tnlng' But why she should never have
oeen seen with her sister-why, when
you called on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays, as often as you pleased, you
.ound Miss Harriet, fresh and smiling
70 receive you, and no hint of Jennie
ana, if you came on Mondays. Wednes
Jays and Fridays, whenever you pleased
you found Jennie, fresh and smiling, and
no hlnt of Harriet; and why the two
SISTERS, differing so widely in years