Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-02-20
A SCREENS SECRET.

y
Eyes, auntie."
Mrs Van Roosevelt was here again
to-day"
The girl busying herself around the
little kitchen paused at the words.
''About the screen, auntie?" she
asked wistfully.
about the screen, my love-"
''And she offered?"
''Seventy-five dollars this time"
"And, rather hopelessly, you"
Il refused it, DEAR very promptly
and proudly.
Phyllis pressed her red lips very
tightly together.
How she wished her aunt would sell
the article in question:! They were so
very poor. Her salary as teacher in
the village school barely paid for their
necessaries, and she did so long to be
able to spend few dollars foolishly
sometimes.
She was pretty girl-an extra
ordinarily pretty girl. Her slender
but well-rounded form was graceful,
and the face with it's smooth brow, it's
sunbright hair, its short, arch features,
its delicate coloring, and dreamy,
violet eyes, deserved better gowning to
emphasize its eXquisiteness than the
faded and mended old blue cashmere
which she wore.
But, auntie, all your other old heir
looms went long ago to buy bread and
butter for us both-went in the time
before | was old enough to earn the
little | do. Why do you prize this SO
much more highly than the rest?"
The small, withered old lady, dressed
in black alpaca, with a net handker-
chief crossed over her bosom, ceased
her slow rocking and looked up into
the questioning young face.
I'm keeping it to give you for a
wedding present"
That is very kind of you, auntie
but indeed | would rather have you
sell it and enjoy some comfort now.''
Mrs. Merits little brown, bird-like
eyes twinkled shrewdly.
Il would if | were offered enough for
it,
But, cried Phyllis, stopping in the
act of filling the tea-kettle, $50,
auntie.n
''Seventv-five dollars can't touch itr'
declared the old lady with asperity.
Phyllis sighed
1t was quite useless to argue with her
aunt when she got an idea in her head.
AS the girl washed the supper dishes
and tidied up the tiny room, which was
both dining-room and kitchen and
which with two other apartments
formed their whole establishment she
recalled many of the odd stories she had
heard about her aunt.
A peculiar character every one
seemed to consider her-demented,
many intimated. Certain it was that
one episode related of her seemed to
justify suspicion of her sanity.
Very wealthy in her own right was she
when she had married young advent
urer named Oswald Merritt. She had
converted all her property into money,
invested the money in bonds, and then
made a bonfire of the bonds! Her
jewels disappeared. no one knew where.
She said she wished to test the sincerity
of her husbands love, and believed a
husband should solely support his wife.
But test so severe Oswald Merritt
could not and did not stand. Infuri-
ated at his brides deed and doctrine he
told her he had only married her for
her money, and took himself off.
For years, worthless abusive, dissi-
pated, he hung around the neighbor-
hood, seeking no reconciliation with
his wife, but ever to her proving per-
sistent and malicious menace.
To her immense relief she learned
one day that he had fallen out of q
third-story window and broken his
neck.
His widow devoted herself to the
care of her brothers orphan child,
Phyllis Clyde, till the latter was of an
age to work, had supported them by
nursing, doing plain sewing, and oc-
casionally selling bit of her antique
furniture and old family silver. Now
the only relic left was the fire screen,
with which Mrs. Merritt so stubbornly
refused to part.
That night when she had given her
aunt her regular cup of cocoa and
tucked her snugly away in bed, Phyllis
went into the wee box of parlor and
stood before the screen in question.
Worth more than $50 indeedm she
murmured. disgustedly. That clumsy
ugly, useless old thing! But then it i;
just the articles which are ugly, clumsy
and useless that rich people seem t.
run crazy after nowadays"
1t was oval in shape, bound in dull
silver, and swung in slender frame O
black mahogany. The back-it was s
couple of inches deep-was of papiel
mache, the front, queer tumble of APP
liqued pictures in oil, India ink, and
water colors, all being protected from
the dust by glass.
The following day was Saturday
and Phyllis, in her best gown;
pretty, soft rose and white challie-
Set off for the Van Roosevelts', wher
she was engaged to instruct tri-weekl..
the Younger children in music.
Quite the show place of the neigh
borhood was the Van Rooseyelts'
Built in the most elaborate style O
modern architecture, it was surround
ed by Conservatives, orchid houses
and terraces of emerald velvet.
Phyllis was endeavoring to make tn
most diminutiye Miss Van. Roosevelt
comprehend the difference between
crntrhet and auaver when Archi