Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-03-25
Ais Well That Ends We'll. ;
From Harper's Bazar.l

IA valentine z cried julia, coming
upon the scene just M the letter futtered
to the floor, and picking it up and read
ing it. ga mighty queer valentine, |
must say! An outrageous one-an in
sulting one. l can't think what Osric
will say" nnd she turned to find two
lovers in each others arms. But let
Julia or Osric say what they would,
never was valentine so welcome before
that snowy February morning, and no
gilded and embossed wreaths OF roses
and cupids surrounding little looking
glasses, set there to show the reader the
smiling face of the writer's true love,
ever told half the good news that this
did, insulting and outrageous as Julia
called it when she spoke of it to Mrs.
Black singular and unheard-of, as Mrs.
Black called it when she spoke OF it to
Mrs White.
Lovers, however, might well have
sent the standard valentine in all their
glory to Evelyn, for she was one of those
sweet brunette beauties that they tell us
are to he found nowhere but in America,
and that touch all hearts alike; the tea
rose tinted skin; the hazel eyes; the hair
Just singed, as one might say, from
brown to chestnut by the sun; the
1.-THE and rounded figure; the dainty lit
tie foot; the whole face lighting with its
smiles as If n sunset flame shone over it,
and never half 80 lovely as in tears
But this beauty of hers had a hard
time of it in all those things that
heighten and diminish effect, for, poor
little teacher on half-paid lessons in n
few houses, and obliged to dress herself
and her mother, and pay druggists and
doctors bills and other little incidentals,
she never had such n thing rs n COM
plete outfit at once. She had been the
happy owner of but one silk dress in her
life, and thn. had been turned and
turned again, turned wrong side out,
turned bottom side up, and was still
doing service rs her best, in a condition,
she was wont to say, that would have
brought her a premium for patchwork
ut any county fair. "There never was
any one so unlucky as me" she said
"And | do like pretty things so! But
always, ii my bonnet is just to my mind,
my shoes are sure 10 be shabby, and by
the time | get new cloak my gown is a
sight to be seen. Why haven we rich
uncle in No Mans Land, mother mine ?
Why doesn't the last will and testament
OF some old lover of yours turn up. and
bless us with the wealth no longer of any
use to him?"
Il never had auy lover but your dear
father" the mother would reply; and
then, sitting in the freight, she would
go over the old, old story of her early
love, in which, although Evelyn knew
il by heart, she always seemed to find
something new.
1--WE have a pretty good time, don't
we, darling little woman ?" Evelyn
would say. MS they made ready for bed,
still bv the tire-hght only" we two to-
gether-if Osric is as close as a nut, and
julia doesn't dare say her souls her
own ?"
"Oh yes" her mother would sigh,
doubtfully. It's-it's--l don't COM
plain. suppose it's well enough now;
but the future Oh. Evelyn, my dear,
if You should lose your classes, if You
should fall i'll, Just think what 1t would
be 10 he entirely dependent ON Osricl
He would make poor Julia's life burden
to her"
"He does now.
- lie would make us icel tne nltteV-
ness of every morsel of bread we eat. p"
"Well, he does that now, too. /"
"No; for your parlor-dusting and
china washing and brief-copying, and
music and painting lessons 10 his chill
dren, are some equivalent. He would
Turn away the other girl, and you would
have the whole work to do.
"Well, it wouldn't kill me. Don't
let lis borrow trouble, little mother. |