San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-01-25
ROSIE.
BY IDA GREGORN.

y
and I must have in time for the ball"
Rosie lifts her pale face from the del
icate lace in her lap and says quickly,
"Oh, Viola you know [ have only
been ten minutes repairing 1t, glanc-
inc at the buhl clock on the mantel,
land it is torn in several places.
will have it in time though, if | pos
sibly en-"
"if you cam exclaimed Viola
haughtily, "you must have it done,
you know the consequences if you
do not"
Poor Rosa, yes, indeed she knew the
consequences ii she failed in one
single instance to do her allotted
work. How many times had her
naughty cousin threatened to turn
her out penniless and alone to battle
for her daily bread. All how differ
ent 1t had been when she had her
dear father and loved brother. Then
her every wish was anticipated, her
every desire granted. Her mother
had died in her early girlhOOd but
the loving care of her father and broth
er had prevented her from missing
the tender mOther-lOVe she otherwise
would have done. Once she had been
V,
her cousin, but in an evil moment her
father had speCulated and lost his all.
Crazed with grief he had sunk under
the blow and never recovered from
the serious illness into which IL had
thrown him. II her brother had been
spared she could have endured the
shock better, but some time previous
to her fathers failure and death he
had sailed for Europe and the ship
with all on board was reported lost.
1t was at this critical jUnCture that
her mothers step-sister, Mrs. Halter,
had come and offered her a home,
which she gladly accepted. Mrs. Hat
ter's friends had aPpIauded her for
the charitable act, but the worldly
woman best knew her reason for Of
fering the orphan girl home. Her
wealth was not as great as was in
terred from the style in which she
lived and she knew that a young girl
of ROsa's artistic taste would be q val
liable acquisition. She was kept busy
remOdelimg dresses and acting in the
capacity Of maid to the lovely reputed
heire4s, Viola Halter. Tonight there
was to be a ball, the grandest Of the
season, at the Halter mansion.
Viola had been dressed some little
time before but had accidentally torn
her dress and was now waiting for
Rosie to finish repairing it. Gliding
over to the tall mirror she gaZes at
the lovely face reelected therein, and
smiling with pleased vanity eN-
claims:
you have done my hair well to-
night, Rosie,r she could be Just at
times, II wonder if the rooms could
contain a IOvelier face than mine.
Surely the i'm pemetra BILE millionaire
will he touched al last. | must win
him, for we are not as wealthy as we
are supposed to be. Mamma told me
today that I must do something soon
and if can win this rich foreigner /
shall be satisfied.N
Oh, Viola, you surely do not intend
to give up yong HartleIgh, whom you
love for the sake of money eXclaims
Rosie.
II certainly do. DO you think |
would be so silly as to marry poor
man like WillieH No indeed, l would
die if was poor. intend to marry
the millionaire
ROsie's fair face tlushes as she
thinks of her own lover who had,
alas, like her faIr-weather friends, de-
serted her in her hour of need.
Shortly after her fathers death he
had lett the city aud she had not
heard from him since
Al last the lace is finished and the
tired girl assists Viola TO don The
dress again. How magniticentIy love-
ly she IS in her brunette beauty,
of lt lay In Iu ty,
descend to the spacious drawing
rO)ms Tier silky hair is piled high Oh
| her shapeiy head, her face is flushed
with excitement and her lovely mouth
| is curved with an eXulting smile. But
lovely as the young heiress is she is
not more tair than the gentle
girl beside her. With her golden
| tresses fastened loosely at the back,
her blue eyes and fair face, she is
equal to Viola in point of beauty and
far superior in womanly grace.
1t is an hour later. Rosie has been
| sitting 10y the glowing fire dreaming
| her own sad dreams and thinking of
the time when she too, gave balls and
moved in society the fairest of the
fair. The door opens, suddenly and
Viola walks in with Il veXed express
ion on her lovely face.
"Rosie," she says 'you must dress
Immediately and come down. That
tiresome foreigner wants me to sing a
favOrite soug of his, and | want you to
accompany me on the piano. No one
will notice you, you can leave the
room Immediately after"
\ few minutes later the rich voice
is stealing through the rooms.