The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-08
AUNT DOROTHY'S
SPINNING-WHEEL.
@1HARMTNGW
BY ALICE PERRY.

Me- such Puritan face!"
IVY "ThOse shoe-buckles are worth their
- weight in gold; and as for the spin
ning-wheel, it is family heirloom-a kind
of mascot, you know"
"0h yes; Miss Mortimer values it as she
does her life. 1t took heap of persuasion
They say, II any calamity is about to befail
the Mortimer family, the wheel is always
seen to reyolve slowly, as though manipu-
lated by ghoStly fingers"
Yes, It's quite one of the family itself,
and--but sh-h-hl Here's Miss Mortimer
herself. Do you suppose she overheard
uS?" and the bevy OF voices sank into
whispering buzz as a majestic old lady
drew near, her tall form clad in heavy silk,
her silvery hair covered with cap OF
antique point and her fingers glittering with
jeweled rings. folded over carved ivory
fan. Her eyebrows We're drawn together
with a frown that BODIED little good to the
group of idle chatterers criticising the
tableauX given in the home of one of their
number.
1t was all very well while the stately
DANES pretty niece was the theme of dis
cusSion, but when the conversation turned
upon the wheel itself, that was forbidden
ground; and Aunt Dorothy number six
almost regretted her rashness in allowing
the precious relic OF nearly three centuries
of aunts to make its dramatic debut in one
of the most moderniZed of latter-day draw
ing-Tooms Meanwhile, Niece Dorothy num-
Der seven, raising her glance to the stalwart
figure of John Alden standing motionless
by her side, experienced q sudden thrill of
surprise-nOt to say of dismay-to discover
a strange pair of handsome dark eyes gaz-
ing into her own with a most uu-Puritanic
tenderness How unlike they were to the
commonplace, almost eXpressionleSs eyes
of Clement Iremalne, whom Aunt Dorothy
had selected as the only safe and properly
conducted" young man of her acquaintance
to act the part of lover to her motherlesS
niece
But it was decidedly presumptious, even
of Clement TremaIne, to keep his bac so
persistently to the audience. Probably in
that attitude he could gaze the better into
the sweet, childlike face of modest little
Priscilla But why need he stoop SO low
over the dimpled white hand, and press it
to his hOme-Spun WalStcoat, and then to
his lips, in n fashion more suggestive of
cavalier than of roundheadl Aunt Doro-
thy distinctly diSapprOyed of it, and
frowned again, more sharply than before,
especially as the buzz of comments broke
out once more among the spectators.
well, Mr.. Tremaine has studied UP his
part since last rehearsal" said the shrillest
of the whisperers
HE was very late; just came in at the
side door. ready costumed, and went on the
stage in the nick of time" answered an
other.
He's awfully in love with Dorothy,
though. Anyone can see that with half
glance" chimed in third. Lucky grill
He's worth million at least. Hark
There's the first waltzibeginning. We must
make haste or we shall miss it"
As dancing was not on Aunt Dorothy's
programme, the innocent object of these re-
marks was soon rolling homeward in the
big family barouche. Her aunt was on the
opposite seat firmly clutching the cherished
spinning wheel, her Roman nose family
visible between the antique spokes.
am surprised at you, Dorothy" OBJ
served the old lady. in deep, awe-inspir-
ing voice. Nay, astounded is the bette
word. little thought a niece of mine
would live to make public exhibition of
herself What was that misguided young
man saying to you when l came upon you
in the passage, after the curtain fell | am
positively in the dark in regard 10 Clement
| Tremaine's unprecedented behavior of this
| evening. What was he saying to y0u?
"Oh. Aunt Dorothy, he-that is-the gen.
! tleman was asking me to waltz. Indeed
| indeed L could not help ii" pleaded the
! girl, with tear-dmmed eyes, her heart yet
! throbbing wildly with vague excitement.
All, you lack the Mortimer gitt-the one
essential thing needed to balance an over
| plus of good looks-aplomb. Your great
| greataunt Dorothy used to boast of thwart-
| ing robher, discovered hiding beneath her
| dressing-table, with no Other weapons
| than her attitude and her voice.
| This spinning-wheel once belonged to her.
| as it did to her own aunt before her, and to
all the Dorothys, running back to the first
! one of that name in our line. There is a
| tradition, as you may be aware, my DEAR
| that if this relic unce.goes out of the fam
| lily poverty and calamity are sure to fall
upon the surviving members. 1t has de-
scended from eldest daughter to eldest
daughter Tor six genel atoms. You will one
day be the sole living representative of one
| of the Oldest families tits side of the water.
| 1t is on this account that tell you of some
thing now which will prove of vital impor-
lance to yourself In Tile event of my sudden
decease-something have never tided to
! you before. GU are listening, dear? Very
| WE'LL" And the old lady proceeded to state
piece of such startling information that,
had poor little Dorothy been awake, she
would lave forgotten all else in wonder
ment over it. But, alas for her future COM
! fort, Dorothy was asleep, lying Snugly back
| in her corner of the b G barouche with fold
| of her tleecy shawl drawn over her head.
| She was busilv dreaming of a pair of brown
eyes that looked down INTO hers with an
| audaci0us tenderness that certainly never
could have belonged to modest john Alden,
| much less to phlegmatic Clement Tremaine.
"Thanks, awfully, Dinsmore," Mr.. Ire
maine was saying at that precise moment In
| muffled tones, from the midst of a sea of
wraps, red flannel bandages ard mustard
footballs, which proclaimed the presence
| of that modern bugbear, the fashionable in
"
| Old lady firm. Must act or die. Nothing
| left but to get substitute, OF course. She
wouldn't stop at murder, if she found it out.
| By Jove! 1t makes the cold shivers run
down my back to think of the risk you ran
in my behalf"
mo thanks, old fellow. On the contrary,
l have to thank you for one of the greatest
pleasures in the world. Such a dainty bit
of sweetness as your little Priscilla man
does not have the luck to meet more than
once in lifetime. Her duenna swept her
off like an incenSed but well-regulated
typhoon Just as l was begging for dance
in the passage outside. Never mind; my
mind is made up. Pll beard the lioness in
her den, though be obliged to resort to the
wretched expedient of tossing my hat over
the hedge and entering the gates to get per-
mission to go after it. Well, good night,
old man. Have hot sling and you'll be all
right in the morning"
SOberly wrapped in an ulster of gray
tweed, the John Alden of an hour or two
before stepped forth into the street as plain
Horace Dlnsmore, the young barriSter, I'M
known to fame and fortune, heir to moth
ing more substantial than brain and manly
beauty.
There was n great stir at Beechen Boe
Aunt Dorothy's quaint old-fashioned house,
when in the small hours of the morning
Thomas, the coachman, went gallopng tC
the nearest town for a doctor. Aunt Doro.
thy was stretched on her bed, her head sup
ported by the arms of her young niece bat
ting for life-for breath-with her old
enemy the pleurisy.
Despite the faithful labors of the aged
nurse and housekeeper, gray shadow wa:
discernibie creeping family over the ago
nized face as the dawn drew on, and the
sick woman raised herself in bed with &
spasmodic effort.
Remember the spinning wheel-the spin
ning-wheel," she gasped in hoarse whis.
pers. always keep = the = spinning
wheelP And she fell back among heI
pillows, the dictatorial tongue silenced for.
ever.
1t was an overwhelming blow to poor
little Dorothy, who crept about the dark.
ened house, her blue eyes heavy with grief
at the loss of the only true friend she knew
in the whole wide world.
| She looked very fair and childlika in bo,