The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-01
A NISAPPREHENSI0N.

"Mamp! Name! where on earth are
you?" was the querulous inquiry when
sounded from the one sunny room oil the
high and narrow fat why don't you
fetch that liniment bottle ?"
81 am coming instantly! said clear,
Young voice from the tiny kitchen. where
very pretty girl was Ousily ironing,
she looked tired and troubled as she
FASTENED to the sunny room, where rather
elderly man was reclining IN al Invalid
chair, bis baudaged feet resting on chsh-
ioped support his disc0Rtented ylsage
Turned impatiently toward her.
There is not much use from this liniment
nor from ANYTHING else" be complained as
he took the bottle. AT my age broken
bones are not easily made whole again. l
shall never be- what ! once was; l shall be
burden to you as long as l live. Name.
you will not always be so helpless,
she replied encOuTaglRgiy, ana even IL
you were yourself again / should never ike
you TO work where you must always be on
those dreadful seaffods, which are always
falling and killing somebody"
But somebody must DO that kind OF
work" he said iTritably. "and why
shouldn't l as well as another? But shall
never 60 back to my trade l shall always
be crippled. And, considering everything.
Mamie, you would not be SO indifferent 10
John Lawrence, l should think"
Mamie blushed, and the shadow OF
trouhIe darkened her soft brown eyes.
But Just then her attention was diverted
byanotheT imperi0us demand for her I'M
mediate consideration.
Name. Name, what are you doing? l
want you TO show NE my 'rthmetic lesson,
and [ want my mitten hxed! c.ied rudy
lad, banging the door behind him and
1jnglng his cap and scheob00ks upon the
table.
Give me the mltten, Joey," said his sis
ter taking q dainty wuTk-baSket from
spindlTng-stand in the corner and cheerfully
making herself ready fer instTucting and
mending at the same time.
And, Mamie, dear child, please give me
nv box from the table, said Aunt Prim,
who was much less willing applicant for
her ready services.
For Aunt Prm was a patient little BODY
whose wants were few, and who deemed
herself more blessed in giving than re-
ceivng.
She had been almost a mother to pretty
Mamie ard lively joey; but lately she had
succumbed to some mysterious ailment,
which seemed TO change and Sadden her.
aud which had bianched her still fair face,
and was whitening her lustrous, dark hair
before her time.
Pale and spiritless she lay among the
pillows on a sofa, her ever industrious
hands inactive. her gentle voice silent
sometimes listening abSentiy TO The sounds
Of the little household and sometimes
watching busy Mamie-very intently watch
ing her with her large aud patient eyes,
which were becoming larger and more
pathetcally patient day BY day.
al too, may Yet be a burden to YOU
she sighed. as Mamie brought her the box
ana took q sewing chair beside her sofa.
You are having tiresOme times with US all,
dear child"
And worse times are not far away with
me disabled and our savings all gone" Mr..
Salner prmnlained from his nvId ~, cir
by The sunny window. 81 don't know what
we shall do. joey will be obliged 20 change
bis school for shop. thcugh-thats one
thing certain"
81 should like that; and 1 could 60 to
school evenings" said Joey, who was zeal
onsly munching pie in some convenient
niche Of the kitchen pantry.
You don't know what you would like"
Mr. Selmer returned harshly: land you will
have no chance Tor any kind of schooling
We shall come To beggary, and Prim and |
will have no shelter for Our old age. Bat
we might have comforts enough, all of us,
If Mamie were not so silly and contrary.
She knows what l wish her to do. and any
reasonable girl would be satisfied with
gentleman like John Lawrence"
Bob King mightn't be satisfied though"
interpolated joey, who had annihilated the
pie and WAS ready for his lessons
"Humph! CALCULATED br. Semer. "If
he cared much for her he would come back
Rubu We are III SuCH la IucB. But whether
be does or no, he can't have Mamie; she
can do better, and she must, that is all there
is of that"
Mamie sighed. and two big tears splashed
down upon the slate where she had Just
elucldated the arithmetic problem which
had puzzled Master Joey.
SIS Johns Mr. Lawrence SO distasteful
TO your Aunt Prlm suddenly questioned,
her face close to the wall, her cold fingers
almost eonVulsiyely tightening about the
dimpled wrist Of her pretty niece
on, 20, like him very much" Mamie
said. frankly.
She liked Mr.. Lawrence very much. in
deed, and had there been no Robert King
then perhaps she might heed the ertreaties
OF her father-that helpless, joyless father
who must ever remain hopeless captive to
his invalid ehairl IL there had been no Bob
King, then. for the good Of her dear ones,
she might yield.
Rob may never come back again." said
Aunt Prlm, speaking in a strangely forced
voice. and John-Mr. Lawrence, seems
very fond of you"
'Of course he is fond of her," Mr.. Selmer
averred with emphasis. mo one could help
seeing that"
Did she remember-pale, patient Prim.
lying there with her face TO the wall, lying
there with cold tremOr at her heart and a
slow scarlet wavering on her faded cheeks /?
Did she remember one sweet, vain. brief
dream OF her youth-one sweet love so bit
terly estranged. and all by a mistake-a
tG0llSh mistake, as she had learned teo late
Dir. Lawrence was always feeling and
generous. she presently said in those pite-
ousiy constrained accents, land you will
learn to care for him, Mamie, Just as he
cares Tor you-you cannot help doing that
ana you were never really promised TO
Kob-poor Rob, who is as impecunious as
as ourselves. Dear child. promise what
your father wishes"
Inc gentle counsel Of the ever unselfsh
Aunt Prlm effected what the harsher argn
ments OF Mr.. Seimer could never have done
beslOes, Mamie was weary OF IMPORTANTLY
she was heartsiek with fears OF trouble vel
70 come, and perhaps, she was rather doubt-
ful about poor Rob. who had gone awaV so
she yielded 90" 'o
But the soft brown eyes were dim with
tears as she went to the invalid chair and
put ner pretty arms consolingly about the
neck OF her complaining parent
GU need not worry" she said with
her flushed cheek against his shaggy. dis.
eontented old brows. 81 promise to do as
you wish
But Master joey who was not superior
10 the proverbial negligence Of our Juvenile
brothers, had left Enclosed the door OPEN
Ing into the draughty hall of the high fiat.
ana some one coming up the stairs just then
was bringing too chilly blast of the fierce
winter wind raging outside.
Mame again put down her iron and
ripped across the room, but she did not
Siose tue door; with her hand upon the
knoO she stopped with gasn Of cnriousIy
mingled delight and pain, for the soma one
eOntnihg up the stairs was Robert King him.
sel1-poor Rob. who had come hack tn her
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