Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-01-16

all count of time, until the hum Of voices
below warned her that her guests had at
last arrived. She then jumped up hasti-
ly, wiped her pen and flung the foolscap
sheets this way and that.
II must make haste,' she said.
Hurrying down stairs. she bethought
her of certain little garnet clasp which
| she liked to wear, sewed on velvet rib
| bon, across the parting of the snuf-col-
ored front on her forehead. And sIueez-
ing herself into enc of the odd little octa-
gon closets between the parlor and the
| dining room, she unluckily contrived to
lock herself in by some patent arrange
ment as complete as it was terrible.
"That selt-locking latch had put on
last week." said Miss Clackett to her
self. ooh, dear! oh, dear! Here I am
just exactly like the bride in the mis-
| tletoe Bough' song"
She was about to call to Dorothea 10
llberate her, when the sound of her own
name. pronounced in the mild accents of
Mr.. Mole, the clergyman, arrested the
words upon her lips.
'Where is our dear Miss Clackett?" de-
manded that honey-volced divine.
sShe must have fallen into fit of alb
straction up stairs" said the eldest Miss
! Walker.
''Tea is quite ready" said Dorothea.
II have rung the bell twice. Perhaps I
had better go up stairs and see what has
| become of herr
"Do, my DEAR" said old Mrs. Rapidan,
| who spoke in a slow, comfortable way
"for I'm quite perishing for my teal"
Away tripped Dorothea, and present
ly she came back with something of a
scared face.
II can't find her anywhere said she.
| II have CALLED and called-and ] have
| looked IN every room, and she isn't
there!'
depend upon it, saiu Mr.. Folkstone,
| shifting the table with his hand, ''she's
been and gone and done it at last!''
Ozone what?" said mild Mr.. Mole.
| ''Committed Suicide" said Mr. Folk
stone. She always was three quarters
madr'
"Nonsense!' said Mrs. Rapidan with
spice of quiet malice in her voice SIT
was nothing on earth but temper
"Ive always thought she ought to be
put in an asylum said the youngest
Miss Walker.
"And have an administrator appointed
over her affairs, added Mr.. Theodore left,
abstractedly helping himself to slice Of
cold boiled tongue and another of York
ham.
| Miss Clackett, who was not without
sense Of humor, chuckled to herself as
she listened to their remarkably free and
! Mi <,f
SWELL" said Mrs. Rapidan, ''dead or
alive, I suppose We had better have our
tea!
II think" viciously announced Miss
Seringa Pole, "that she's as mad as
March hare! And think her money
should be equally divided between her
relations''
$50 do l." said Mr.. Folkstone. "And
it she has hanged or drowned herself
''It's all those horrid literary habits
of hers said Mr.. Mole, with his mouth
full of lobster salad. Enough to under
mine the strongest person s eouillbrium!"
II knew it all along" said Mrs. Folk
stone. 81 could see she was losing her
mind--what little tserc was of it to lose
! poor, silly, old woman
"Perhaps it might be as we'll to look
around the premises little, after sup
peril said Mr.. Mole, with hungry
glance in the direction of the cold meat
"And if you will be good enough to pour
| out the tea"
II uont!'' said Dorothca, with blazing
cheeks and a stamp of her little foot.
"Eh?' said Mr.. left.
"What?" calculated old Mrs. Rapidan.
go out OF the louise, every one OF
you," cried Do1othca. ITO dare to talk
SO of aunt, who is so good and generous,
To sit quietly down to eating and drink.
ing when she is not here To call her
lunatic-a-a-"
"Young woman said Mr. Mole, "sou
are taking too much upon yourcelf."
II should think so,' said Mrs. Folk
stone, "fo1 a pauper founding picked
out of the work house,
"Well, I ncvcr!r cried the Misses
| Walker in CHORUS
"Leave the house, say" reiterated
Dorothea. ut IS Aunt Clackett's house.
You have no business 70 sit here and
talk SO ab:ut her!'
"Aunt Clackett, indeed" said Serin-
ga Pole. GAS if she were any relation
OF yours, miss! ], for one, shall say
what I please about her. She IS a crazy
old lunatic, and"
But just here was the sound of a Wig
orous pair of knuckles on the door which
connects the parlor closet with the din
ing-rcom.
.'What is that's? said MI. Mole, start
ing up in alarm.
"a ghostr' said Miss Walker, ncrv-
ously.
"Rats!' said Mr. Fslkstonc.
mo 1t isn't, said Miss C!ackett, lit
is i! Locked in here by mistake. Doro-
thea, you Will find the patent key on the
parlor mantel-shclf. Be so gooc as 10
get it and let me OUT
And the next moment Miss Clackett
walked smilingly out into the astonishcd
band of her relations and friends, took
the head of the table, and began to pour
out the tea.
"A-hem!'' coughed Mr.. Mole.
1--WE were really beginning to be quite
alarmed about you,' SAID Mrs. FoIkstone,
moving uncomfortably in her chair.
$50 I should Think said Miss Clack-
cit, cheerily.
But she was as pleasant and cordial as
ever. and when her guests took leave
they really did not seem to know whcth-
or they had been overheard or not
After they were gone, however, Miss
Clackett held out her hand to Dorothea.
"Come here and kiss me, nv
DEAR" said see. II see that l have one
friend left in the world, at least
And she made her will next dav in
favor of Dorothea DoGd.
"Not that mean to die at present."
SAID she; "but it's always we'll to be pre-
pared for any emergency"
And she never invited that particular
party of guests to tea again as long as
eho )ivn1