Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-11
LOCKED IN A CLOSET

Aunt Clackett had invited company tc
tea.
Aunt Clackett lived all alone in little
gable-ended cottage, with turkey-red
curtains TO all the windows, velvety
mass Of fine geraniums IN the easements
| and odd little three-cornered cupboards
with glass fronts, whose shelves were
piled with old china, curious specimens
of japanned ware and pieces CT brocade
and satin which belonged to century
gone by.
Aunt Clackett was one of these odd,
original old ladies who, having cOatrived
| to wreck their matrimonial bark early in
life are continually steering off IN all
sorts of unexpected directions. She had
| espoused the cause of q woman's indie
pendence with great vchemence, joined a
debating club and quarrellea with the
Vice President at the second meeting.
GA fig for woman's rights said Miss
| Clackctt. They've more rights than
they know what to do with already"
Then she devoted herself to philan-
thropy, turned her house into a minia-
ture orphan asylum, and went prowling
about the lanes and cutters in search of
proteges But after she had been robbed
| twice she abandoned the whole thing
| and went for the natural sciences.
mature can't disappoint one" said
| Miss C:sckett.
But nature did. The little fishes in he,
aquarium died, the stuffed animals fell
to pieces, and the rare specimens of plants
in her herbarium turned out to be poison
| ivy, and had nearly been the death OF her.
So Miss Clackeit took TO literature.
| Shakespeare IS etcrnally divine said
| Miss Clackett. And the creations OF
ones own brain are perpetually new
| So that row she went about with inky
fingers, portfolio under her arm, and Il
rhyming dictionary always in reach, while
her niece Dorothea did the homework.
! Or at least the girl whom she called
| her niece, For Dorothea Dodd was no act
uai relation IL the eccentric little Oh
| LADY in snuif-colorcd 'front.' and twinkling
spectaclcs She was the last lingering
relic Of the phiianthropic scheme, a dark
skinned, solemn-eyed little orphan, whom
Miss CIackett had fished up out OF a rag
| and-bottlc cellar somewhere, and had
hid and refused to 60 when the other or
phans were banishcd, en- masse, to the
care Of public charities and corrections.
'Pleasc, ma'am, can't | stay?' said
Dor0thea Il won't be no trouble, and
I'm good 'un to work
BLESS my soul!' said Miss Clackett.
'HWhere have you been all the while
''Please, ma'am, in the she'd" answer
ed Dorothea, promptly.
"Well, then, suppose you'll have to
stay" saii Miss C!ackett
And so Dorothea stayed.
"Dorothea," said Miss Clackett, on
this particular afternoon, us everything
ready?.'
And the Dorothea who responded to
he- summons was rs unlike the weird
looking little creature who had hid as
was the cinnamon rose at the window
from the leafess stem which had tapped
against the easement at the rude touch
OF tbs February blast. For Dorothca
like the rose, had blossomed out fair,
slight maiden, with a FAINT glow on her
olive cheeks, very black HAIR, growing
low on a sweet forehead. and the softest
and most appealing of eyes, which were
neither black nor brown, but melted into
the deepest wlne-lights at every emotion
of her heart.
Everything is ready, Aunt Clackett,"
said crothea. "Cold boiled tongue,
lobster salad, buttermilk biscuit, pre-
served plums and currant Jelly
Yes, very nice, very nicer' said Miss
Clackett, absently. What do you think,
Dorothea? Would you cali the heroine
of my new story 'Dulalia' or 'Lucetta?'
81 don't know--Lucetta, 1 think"
said Dorothea, assuming the air OF
critic.
alt Is to be published in the Sun
said Miss Clackett, trlumphantly. II
am to pay ali expenses, and reserve the
right OF dramatization!
''But 1 thought" said Dorothea,
that people; made money out of such
things. But you are spending money,
aunt"
Money" repeated the old lady, loftily.
"But who wants to make money? It is
fame that sigh after. And"
but you We Sot to change your dress
and do your hair yet, aunt" suggested
Dorothea, gently.
$50 I have-so I have" said Aunt
Clackett, IL do declare TO you, child, I
had nearly forgotten about the tea par
ty. Let me see-whom have we IN
vited2'
"Your cousin, Mr.. Folkstone, and his
wife" said Dorothea.
ooh, yes, remember now," said Aunt
Clackett. Fanny Folkstone, who is al
ways sending me jelly and embroidered
and writes me such loving let
te1s every birthday"