The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-08-12
A Vase From Aunt
Mary
u. ~. Meslen Newspaper un.onl
BY WILLIAM FALL

thing odd, George
1T must be odd, because Aunt Mary
was odd She was a queer little ole
SpinSter. with the kindeSt hcgr- and
the crankiest manners that ever went
into a combination. She had always
kept the Warmest spot in her heart for
George Strang, her handsome artist
nephew.
And now that he had married pretty
Lucy Bentwick and was in comfort
able, if not afiluent circumstances, She
had sent him a wedding gift.
"A china vase exclaimed George
Strang in disgust as he eyed the queer
looking object in his hand.
1t was, indeed, the most repulsiye
looking vase that he had ever seen.
1t was rotund and highly decorated
with painted pink roses, and upon il
was printed in small, black letters:
You may break, YOU may shatter
the vase if you will.
But the scent of the roses will, cling
to it still"
"Blank. :" said George. 1t was not
"blank," that he said, but it sounded
like that. because Lucy promptly
closed his mouth wSh her hand.
she might have sent me something
that we could keep on our mantel,'
said George Sraug ruefullly, looking
upon the object with a shudder.
But it must be on view, George
dear said Mary.
But George refused point-blank to
have the thing in their living room.
"She knows it's horrible, Lucy" he
said, "and if She wants to quarrel With
me let Ter have her way"
Which was precisely what she did
have, For a few days later Aunt
Mary did come up to town from Bay
ards Bridge and did drop in uneXpect-
eddy, and the mantel was bare save
for two antique pompeiian vases.
"Nell, my dear" said the old lady,
taking in the situation instantly, 81
must say that | admire those orna-
ments upon your mantel greatly. |
fear my own poor efforts TO please You
and George must have been S~ingularlY
unsuccessful. And, incidentally, |
shall bestow my money whore it will
be likely to promote greater service"
Ana with these words She s,alked
out Of the apartment, leaving Lucy in
tears.
She told George of the happening
when he returned from his studio.
Give me that Internal vase" he
shouted.
But Lucy hid the vase from him.
"She wanted 10 see how far She
could so" said George Strang gloom
lily. at was a test. She couldn't real
ly have liked that vase. We'll, let her
do her worst
And Aunt Mary did her worst speed
lily, for She took it into her grabbed
old mind to have Il sudden seizure a
week later and die. But she had had
time to carry her threat into effect.
''To my nephew George the will
read, 81 bcqueath the china vase which
is now in his Wife's possession"
Yet, after all, it seemed that Aunt
Mary had had singularly little to
dozen nephews and nieceS amounted
to exactly ninety-seyen dollars and
eighteen cents apiece.
George" said Lucy in tears, wien
they got home from the funeral. "if
Aunt Mary has any knowledge Of what
is happening now, don't YOU think 1t
would please her if we kept the vase
on our mantel after allf'
81 tell you what we'll do" said
George. We'll put it on the mantel
each anniversary of her death as a
peace offsAng."
Lucy brought it out Of its place of
concealment and deposited it beside
the Pompciian jars. George looked at
it-then, suddenly overcome by pas
sion, he dashed it to the floor. The
vase broke mo a thousand pieces.
GEORGE exclaimed his wife
~wretchcdly. "IIow could you have the
heart to do that? Dear Aunt Mary
Why-there's paper inside"
'BlllS shouted george StTdnS' ds
he unfolded it. And he shook out, one
after another, nine bills of the value
of a thousand dollars apiece.
Look. There's a letter. said Lucy
Strang, picking up n piece of paper
covered with Aunt Mary's queer, crab
bed hieroglyphics.
my dear, h~ot-headed nephew
George read aloud. Forgive a cranky
old woman who loves you with all hel
heart. | know how YOU will haze this
vase. If YOU are hypocrite enough tC
keep it, or unkind enough to give II
away, you Will never read this note
But if You are honest enough to FOL
low your impulse and shatter it yos
will be glad and forgive your lovln,
old aunt
Dear old Aunt Mary !" said GeOr2,
Strang. Lucy, deat, I'm going to have
the old thing glued together and keel
1t in memory Of her"
"Not-uOt--" began Lucy.