Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-07-25

SaIlna'S culture. AS BOD slipped IN at
the window on this morning before
going down to his work, he caught his
old friend In tears.
"Why, Miss Salina," he said, "what
has happened? I just ran in to show
you this water turkey that 1 caught
down in the cypress swamp. I'm going
to have 1t stuffed for your Easter pres
emit"
Miss SaIina was too wretched to talk
even birds; she Immediately opened
her heart to Bob.
Perhaps 1t won't be so bad after
ALL" said Bob, wondering what on
earth she would do with a girl, and
thinking how it would break into their,
to them, valuable conversations. Bob
wasn't fond Of girls either; he pre-
ferred talking with old people.
That afternoon Miss Salina sat
down and indited as pleasant a letter
as she could to her niece, inviting her
to make her home with her. By return
mail came a polite reply In which the
niece stated that she would be with
her aunt the following Wednesday.
Miss Salina touched up the spare
room, and made every preparation for
the coming Of the stranger. When
Wednesday arrived she gathered some
red geraniums and placed them In a
vase in her nlece's room. Somehow she
had begun to associate these favorite
blossoms Of her youth with her present
troubles.
The train was on time, and Miss Sa-
lima, dressed with more than ordinary
care, was at the station to see It slow
up. While she was watching the out
corners Of one car a hand touched
gently her arm and very soft voice
exclaimed, us this my aunt Salina?"
Miss Sallna turned to greet the guest
that she felt was an intruder, and
while she gazed her face took on an
expression Of startled wonder. The girl
into whose face she looked was the
exact Image Of her own dead youth.
The eyes were Miss Salinas as they
were forty years ago. The same rosy
mouth that Miss Salina once had. and
the even, white teeth, were before her.
The straight nose and the pretty
rounded cheeks Miss Salina remem-
bered her mirror gave back to her
years ago. From under the sailor hat
Miss Salina saw glints of red-gold hair,
the exact counterpart Of that which
was once the pride of her youth.
Yes, and there was the dimple In the
chin. Miss Salinas face still retained
that charming feature The girls man
ner was full Of repose, SO also was Miss
Salinas. Miss Salina wondered If she
were dreaming. All the way home she
kept wondering. When the girl entered
the pretty room that had been prepared
for her, little coo Of delight escaped
her lips oh, Aunt Salina, these are
my faVorlte flowers" and she bent over
to inhale the fragrance Of the red gera-
NUNS.
When Miss Salina wanted to find her
niece she directed her steps to the tiny
library room. One day she found her
porlng over some books on ORTHODOXY.
Your collection Of stuffed birds, and
books on the subject, are my delight, <"
said the girl Aunt Salina, I want to
give you my white heron specimen.
which was sent me by an old friend of
mammals. l see you have none in your
collection"
Miss Selma began to wonder when
the similarity between her niece and
herself would cease.
It was not long before the whole
town was talking about the remarkable
likeness between Miss Sallna and her
great niece.
why, she even thinks like her." said
Miss Mary Perkins, who in her youth
had been a great chum OF Miss Sa-
llna'S. She looks for all the world as
Salina did when John Oldfeld used to
carry her red geraniums."
Miss Salina soon realized that the
coming Of her beautiful niece was not
less than a godsend. Often they would
sit under the live oak tree, and watch
the tiny grey gnat-catchers fitting
about them, the girl would speak Of her
past life, and tell Of the hopes and
ambitions that filled her heart.
Bob Terrell was a frequent visitor,
and Miss Salina, true to her feminine
instincts, as she watched her two ia
vorites together, wove them into a ro-
nance.
Another year rolled round. and an
other fair spring morning. Miss Salina
knelt upon the green turf before the
circular bed, and made compact the
pulverized earth about the roots of her
red geraniums. The postman's whistle
sounded IN the street, as he passed on
to the next house. Miss Salina fell