Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-03-27
ROSE D0RMER.
From Leisure Hours.

From Leisure Hours.
Mr. Erasmus Scott was a little man
with thin grey hair, pink and-whlte
complexion and meek and kindly
face. He was about forty-seven, but
seemed older. He had written learn
ed book and no one had read it. His
nature was too gentle TO be soured,
but he had said sadly, 81 shall never
do anything well" and had left
the world and gone back to his quaint
old manor-house and to his dull, sOli-
tary life.
He was humbly content with every
thing. and admired with all his heart
his nephew, Dick Scott, 9 fine broad
shouldered fellow OF 22, who was now
away shooting in Scotland. lie had
hitherto been the one and only hui
man interest in Mr., SCOTS life, but
lately there came a new element INTO
the narrow world of the manor house.
This was in the shape of little cousin
of Mr.. Scott Rose Dormer, who had
come with her widowed mother TO live
in cottage near by.
Rose was Is, and as sweet and
bright as petty, hayward girl can
be. Beautiful she was not in the
strict sense Of the word, but she had
all the charms of youth and health,
and gay spirits. She soon became a
queen at the manor house. Dick and
she were always quarelhng, but with
Erasmus she was on excellent terms.
She came to see him nearly every
day an some errand of her mothers
or on some device of her own. She
picked his flowers, ate the fruit, and
vainly turned over his books in the
hopes of finding piclures; for she was
very much of the same opinion as
"Alice in Wonderland, " that book
without conversations and illustra-
tons is a very poor invention. And
so the summer and early autumn had
slipped away. and one day Mr. Scott
had realized to himself with a start
what a change Roses coming had
made in his life, Then he tried to
shake off the idea, and he opened ms
books and began to read; but IN be
tween the lines, over and over again
he read nothing but Roses name, un-
til he closed the books in despair, and
stood with his eyes vaguely looking
across the quiet fields into space,
dreaming of a sweet, fresh face with
innocent childish eyes, of a willowy
figure and dancing feet; of voice
that was as gay and careless as that
of a bird; of a simple, alfectonate
mature and winning ways; of Rose
Dormer IN short. He pictured her
standing in the orisl window, framed
by the gray stone and heart shaped
ivy leaves, dressed in some soft brown
stuff with knot of pale pink ribbons
on her dress and her hands full of
carnations and mignonette; or sitting
al the head of the oldfashioned oak
table pouring out tea, with the gravity
and dignity of an accomplished house
keeper
Such thoughts as these were oc-
cupying Erasmus Scott as he paced
up and down the terrace And, rs so
often happens, the very person he
was thinking of came tripping by
herself to interrupt his meditations.
a large green cooking apple was
thrust under his eyes.
May l have this to ea.-oh, may
~
ut is really too unwholesome, be
gan Mr.. Scott. timidly, and a little
sadly-he could not bear TO refuse her
anything.
Nothing ever makes me i'll. was
the reaSsurlug reply.
Must YOU eat it3' asked the poor
man, hesitatlngly. Won't anything
ripper do as WELL
He was SO comic i'm his earnestneSs
that the spoilt child burst ont laugh
ing Then with pretty smile
II you don't want me to do it 1
won't"
He stood looking at her with his
most puzzled expression, until She
blushed and said peremptorHy:
"Show me some books
So they went into the sunny library
and Rose climbed up the library steps
and sat with a big book ON her knees
listening to his explanations of it. She
had grown suddenly quiet and
absent. He was afraid he had wearied
her.
Il tire YOU, perhaps he SAID
you cannot understand how | care
to live in this library with ali these
dusty books such a hfe wouldn't
suit your tastes
Il think one could be very happy
here, she answered. softly.
He dared not look at her the room
seemed to swim before his eyes. Was
it possible this sunbeam ever could be
coMtent to brighten up 50 dull and