Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-02-28
rue sEFRET or A SCREEN.

I
Yes, auntie
"Mrs. Van Roosevelt was here again to-
day.
The girl busying herself around tue lit
tie kitchen paused at the words.
About the screen, auntie?' she asked,
wistfully
about the screen, my love-
And she offered"
"Seyenty-hye dollars this time
"And, rather hopelessly YOU
81 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 a
few dollars foolishly sometimes.
She was a pretty girl-an extraordinarily
pretty grrl. Her slender but well rounded
form was most alertly and charmingly
graceful; and the face, with its smooth
broad brow, its sunbright hair, ITS short,
arch features, its delicate coloring and
dreamy, violet eyes, deserved better gown
ing TO emphasize its eXquisitness 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 but
ter for us both-went in the time before
was old enough to earn the htt'c ~, Why
10 you prize this so much more highly
than the rest?'
The small, withered old lady, dressed
in black alpaca, with a net handkel '!nef
crossed over her bosom ceased her slow
rocking and looked up into the question
ing young face
"i'm Keeping it to give you for a we'd
ding present,
That is very kind Of You auntie, bnt
indeed ! would rather have you sell 1t and
| enjoy some comfort now. "
Mrs Merritt's little brown bird-like
eyes twinNled shrewlly.
81 would If were offered enough for
Iit."
But" cried Phyllis, stopping in the
act of filing the tea kettle, ''seyenty-dye
dollars, aunhe!
"Seyenty-fve dollars can't touch it, de-
clared 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 ana 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 determined, many init
mated. Certainly it was that one episode
relating to 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 Merritt She had
converted al her property into money, IN
vested the money in bonds, and then made
bonfire of the bonds Her jewels dis
appeared, no one knew where She said
she wished to fest the sincerity Of her
husband love- and believed a husband
should solely support his wife
But test so severe Oswald Merritt
could not stand lnfuriated at his brides
deed and doctrine, he told her he had
only married her for money, and took
himself off
For years, worthless, abusive, dissipat-
ed be hung around the neighborhood
seeking no reconciliation with his wife,
but ever to her providing persistent and
malicious menace.
To her immense relief she learned one
day be had fallen out Of third story win
dow. and broken his neck.
His wi low 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
nursing, doing PLAN sewing, and occa-
sionally selling a bit Of antique furniture
OF old family silver. Now the only relic
was the are screen, with which Mrs Mer-
rift so stubbornly refused to part
That night, when she had given her
aunt her regular cup of cocoa and tucked
her sHugy away in bed, Phyllis went in
10 the wee box of a parlor and stood before
the screen in question
Worth more than seventy-tye dollars,
indeedi' she murmured disgustedly.
That clumsy, ugly, useless old thing!
But then il is Just the articles which are
ugly, clumsy and useless that rich people
seem 10 run crazy after nowadays.
It was an oval shape, bound in dull sil-
yer. and swung in a splendid frame Of
black mahogany The back-it was
couple Of inches deep-was Of papier
m3che; the front, a queer tumble Of APP
pliqued pictures in OIL India ink and
water colors, all being protected from the
dGst by glass.
The following day vas Saturday, and
PHYLLIS, in her best gown, q pretty, soft,
rose ana white callie, set Of for the Van
Roosevelt's where she was engaged to in
stuct tri-weekly the younger children in
music.
Quite the show place Of the neighbor-
hood was the Van Roosevelt s. Built in
the most elaborate style Ct moderate az
chitecture. il was surrounded by eonser-
vatories, orchid houses, and terrace Of EN-.
erald velvet.
PHYLLIS was endeavoring to make the
most diminutiye Miss Van Roosevelt com
prehend the difference between crotchet
and quayer, waen Archie c2me
into the room,
Archie the Van Roosevelt eldest son,
their pride ana heir. and Archie was most
tremendously in love with Phyllis Clyde.
This. TO the girls decided embarrassment
and CONSERVATION. Not thst she didn I