Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-06-23
THE STORY OF A SCREEN.

sunset were revealing every flaw and
crack In the cheap papering which COW
cred the walls of the little garret-room
where Mabel Moore sat busily at her
sewing and a single pot of
blue velvet pansies in the high, narrow
window made Il spot of color for poor
Mrs. Moore's eyes to rest upon, as she
toiled at the fioss-silk embroidery which
was her whole occupation.
The room was small and scantily fur
nished, but there was within its walls
one relic of evanished days-a black
satin screen, mounted on Il standard of
gilded bamboo, and painted in deep
rich COlOrs, with u scarlet tiamingo
floating upward against a background
of reeds and grasses, while in the dis
lance t1amed stormy sunset sky.
MAMA did it herself, when she was
Il girl at baordingschoOl," said Mabel
Moore, to those who sometimes asked
the history of this remaining token of
luxury eve have kept it through
everything. | would not part with it
for its weight i'll gold"
And teen she would laughingly tell
the tale of how half dozen collectors
Of antiques and aesthetic furniture, at
different times, had endeavored to pur-
chase the old satin screen.
Zone man wanted to buy it with a
pair of tOngs and brass coal-scuttlc,"
said she; another man offered broken
set of ThaCkeray's novels and Il fender;
and a third bargained with Il tete-d-tetc
set of china, and a broken-nosed alabas-
ter statue of Phyche
For Mabel was a bright-eyed, sweet
faced girl, who had a very keen sense
of the ridiculous, and lived through the
hard realities of her life with the quiet
fOrtitude of an Unborn heroine.
But after all, the secondhand deal
ers were nothing in resolution and per-
sistence as compared with Miss Ann
Azalea Harper, the daughter of the
landlord from whose leaky and badly
drained premises they had removed
Il few weeks previously Miss Ann Az
alea had very fair idea of bric-a-brac
treasures, and she had cast her fine
eyes upon this very screen.
It's worth deal Of money" said
Ann Azalea to herself "And it was
only this morning that Aunt Hepsy was
wishing for just such an old fashioned
screen
Now aunt Hepsy was a rich old maid,
shrewd, crusty, elderly, and full of dis
trust Of all the smOothe-tongucI rela-
tives whose professions of love and re-
spect were so extreme.
"A screen?" said Hepsy. Eyes, L
want a screen"
'I'll paint you one, dear aunt" said
Ann Azalea'
"Much of a screen you could paint,
said the old lady, disdainfully.
Il improved a good deal at board
ing-school," said Ann Azalea, meekly.
'And I'll stretch it upon an antique
bamboo rack, and really think it will
please YOU"
Il don't said Aunt Hepsy.
May | try, dear aunt"
Eyes" said the old lady, grudgingly;
you may try"
And Ann Azalea, who had already in
her mind appropriated poor Mrs.
MoOre's antique screen, set diligently
about the work of getting possession of
the same.
You owe my pa ten dollars for rent"
said Ann Azalea. spitefully, as she sat
painting for breath in the little garrett
room, after having toiled up the three
long and narrow flights of stairs. "You
can't deny it."
''Itls quite true, acknowledged meek
Mrs. Moore, who, in her daughters alb
sence, was absolutely defenccleSs; "but
you ought to be ashamed to owe
so much money as that" said Ann Az
alea
We have been very unfortunate of
late" said Mrs. Moore. But we fully
intend to repay all our Indebtedness in
full as soon as my daughter"
"Oh, that's all nonsence," brusquely
interrupted Ann Azalea. ''Pa ought to
have put an eXecution-that's what he
ought to have done"
Poor Mrs. Moofe shuddered.
And it amt too late now" added
the young lady, ignoring the Code and
ali its provisions.
ooh, Miss Harperl'
"But we don't want to he exorbit-
ant" graciOusly went on Ann Azalea.
so, sooner than be the expense of q
lawsuit. III take some trifie or other in
pay. That screen, for instance" with
her greedy eyes fixed on the picture
ed flight of the scarlet famingo. Ten
dollars is deal of money and the
screen is an old style thing, but |
wouldn't mind calling things even,
just to ease your conscience, if"
Il couldn't oh, couldn'tW. cried |
poor Mrs. Moore, the tears coming in |
to her eyes ct was work / did as a |
girl. My own poor mother sketched |
III the green bushes and grass with her |
own pencil, and-if any one is to have
it, it is already promised to an old fami- |
ily friend, who is to pay twenty-five dol
lars for it"
Very WE'LL" said Miss Harper, ris-
ing. with an ominous toss of her head !
Then, if you really mean to swindle |
US"
''NIiss Harper!'
IF you really mean to swindle u.s."
severly repeated Ann Azalea, Il may
as well stop at the constables on ny /
way back and put on the distraint at
once"
Mrs. Moore clasped her thin hands |
III a sort of nervous horror.
If poor Mable, who had gone out so |
buoyantly to carry home her little par
eel of finished work, should return and |
find the minions of the law in possess
ion!
81 am selfish creature she told
herself, ''to prefer my own inclinations
to dear Mays happiness"
And so she told Ann AZalea, with a |
burst of tears, that the screen should be !
hers.