The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-06-19
SELECTED.
THE sEcREToFA SCREEN

THE SECRET OF A SCREEN.
"Phyllis!"
Yes, auntie"
; Mrs. Van Roosevelt was here again,
to-day"
The girl busying herself around the lit
tie kitchen paused at the words.
about the screen, auntie?n she asked,
wistfully.
about the screen, my love-
"And she offered?"
"Seventy-five dollars this time"
"And,' rather hopelessly, you"
81 refused it, dear" very promptly and
proudly.
Phyllis pressed her red lips very tight.
ly together.
How she wished her aunt would sell
the article In question. They were so
very poor. Her salary as teacher In the
villsge sehoo, barely paid for their neces-
saries, and she did so long to be able to
spend few dollars foolishly sometimes.
She was pretty girl-an extraordi-
narily pretty girl. Her slender but we'll
rounded form was most alsrtly and,
charmingly graceful, and the face with
its smooth, broad brow. its sun-bright
hair In short, arch features, its delicate
coori1g and dreamy. voilet eyes, deserv-
ed better gowning to emphasize its ex-
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 In the time before
was old enough to earn the little that
do. Why do you prize that so much
more highly than the res'!"
The small, whithered old lady, dressed
In black alpaca, with q net handkerchief
crossed over her bosom, ceased her slow
rocking and looked up into the question
ing young face.
Pm keeping 1t to give you for we'd
ding present
THAT is very kind of you suntie, but
indeed. L wonlh rather .haya You aall 1t and
enjoy some comforts now"
Mrs. Merits little brown bird like eyes
twnkled shrewdly.
~ would IL were offered enough for
it,
But cried Phyllis, stopping In the
act Of filing the tea kettle, seventy five
dollars, auntie !"
Seventy We dollars can't touch it,"
declared the old lady, with asperity.
Phyllis sighed.
1t was quite useless to argue with her
aunt when she got an idea into 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 everyone seemed
to consider her-demeuted many init
mated. Certain 1t 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 handsome adven-
turer named Oswald Merit She had
converted the property into bonds, and
then made bonfire Of the bonds. Her
jewels disappeared no one knew where.
She said she wished to test her husbands
love, and believed a husband should sole
ly support his wife.
But teat 80 severe Oswald Merit
could not and did not stand. Infuriated
at his BRIDES deed and doctrine, he told
her he had only married her for her mon
ey, and took himself OF,
For years, worthless, abusive, disipat-
ed, he hung around tho neighborhood,
seeking no reconciliation with his wife.
but ever to her proving a persistent and
malicious menace.
! To her immenae relief she learned one
dav he had fallen ont of A third story
window and broken his neck.
nj, widow devoted herself to the care
of her brothers orphan child, PHYLLIS
Clyde, and till the latter was Of an age to
work, had supported them both by nurs-
ing, doing plain sewing, and occasionally
selling bit of nor antique furniture or
old family silver. Now the only relic
left was the IRE screen, with which Mrs.
Merit so stubborny refused to part.
That night when she had given her
aun. her regular Gun of cocoa and tucked
her snualy swav In bed. PHYLLIS went into
the wee box of A pa,lor and stood be.
fore the screen In question.
Worth more than seventy. five dollars,
indeed, she murmured, disgustedly
THAT clumsy. ugly. useless, old thing.
But then IL Is lust the articles which are
ugly. clumsy and useless that rich people
sean to run crszy after nowadays"
II va, oval In shspe. bound in dull
silver. and swung In a slender frame Of
black mahogany. The back-it was a
couple of inches deep-was of paper
mache the front. a queer tumble of ap-
pljoued 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, a pretty, soft
rose and white challis, sat Of for Van
Roosevelts, where she was engaged to
instruct tri- weekly the younger children
in music.
Quite the show place of the neighbor-
hood WAS the Van Roosevelts' Built In
the most elaborate style of modern archl-
lecture. 1t was surrounded by conserva-
tories, orchid houses, and terraces of
emerald velvet.
Phyllis was endeavoring to make the
most dininutive Miss Van Roosevelt
comprehend the difference between a
crochet aud quaver, when Archie came
into the room.
Archie was the Van Roosevelts Oldest
SOD, their pride and heir. And Archie
was tremendously in love with Phyllis
Clyde. This, to the girls decided EN-.
barrassment and CONSERVATION. Not that
she DIDN'T like Archie,-one couldn's help
that, SO frank and kind, and handsome
and honorable was hs-but Phyllis felt