The morning call., 1893-02-24
DOLLY'S FORTUNE.

The great house of the Peppereis, bar
-onial aud colonial in its style, stood facing
the sea at Little Harbor just outside of
Portsmouth. A fine old place. indeed,
whose stacks of chimneys had dismissed
the good odors Of company dinners for two
generations 20 the nostrils of sailors in the
bay. and whose rooms glowed in the No
VEN bert weather with TeYeling wood fires.
In the long forenoon the day passing in
sunshine outdoors shed its splendor upon a
polished floor, exQuisiteIy neat chintZ couch
covers, and made a buffet full of cut lass
CLEAN and glitter, cOntending with the leap
ing blaze in the fireplace for the right to IL
Illuminate it.
As the clear FIRE cracked, Nine. Pepperel,
In a gayly figured trOllopee- that prototype
OF the Mother Hubbard dress-fitted about,
tall and white, fitting whole candles into
the candlesticks. with rings flashing on her
white fingers as she worked.
AS she added ast touches she looked at
tractive, though Of more ample figure than
now consists with grace, and although there
was more open hsughtiness in the refined
features under the high-cOmbed, powdered
hair than well-bred women now allow 10 be
read in the countenance.
Nine. PepperePs face was as anxious as
proud just now, for II was II o clock by the
great tlmepiece in the hall. and old Thomas,
who was responsible for her roastS and
DOils, had gons down the long lane early.
and so out into Portsmouth, lying silently
by the harbor in the distance. Aunt Do.
rindy, too, his mate, had spread her faded
paduosny upon the crupper Of her "baby
boy Toms mule, and trotted OF town.
ward, for President Washington had stayed
the Sunday in POTtsm 0uth. and nobody
could be expected 10 do anything more
laboTious than travel the roads into town
and stare wiki all their might at the exte-
= D t~sA - \ tR.a-
hour Nine. PeDperel would be obliged to
begin fresh pOYdering her hair and stick
ing on patches and attiTing herself In her
tighI-seeved satin. for General Washing
ton. with General Knox and his full suite,
were coming to drink tea with her.
The disheartened lady mused. A quarter
Ct a mile up the harbOr she was perfectly
aware Of certain low dwelling-house set
down In the sand with a sort of uncertainty,
As If it hesitsted TO turn lis back either on
Fort Constitution or Oh the sea. In this
homely house she was also Eerfectly con-
seious lived a COOK, we'll trained by the
French wife whom Dan Sparhawk married,
10 his lasting disgrace, and entirely cOmpe-
tent TO order the supper OF even the chief
magistrate Of the nation. as many matr0ns
OF the Sparhawk clan who united in DIS
dRiring Young Dolly for her common strain
and making herself useful because Of her
kindness could testify. The trouble with
this efficient little person was she was 20 and
uBFeasoDably pretty, and that Bushrod
Pepperel who was expected to make
great match, spent Sunday evenings regu-
larry in the tiny SpaThawk forenoon W ith
IFS outlook on the sGlen water,
Between the greeDish-tinted ranes Of the
SpaThGwk windows and the Pepperel es-
tate blue haze lay like a ribbon; the sea
FLASHED upon the licheu-cOl0red shiuge the
sir WAS still. But Dolly Sparnawk did not
feel the subtle sadness OF autumn nor was
she subdued by the level Gains of blue
water; she was surveying the massive
house with the bitter thought that other
Sparhawks wond be of the tea company.
And as she looked up the sands from Ports
mouth came riding young gentleman in a
three-eornered hat, crimson velvet coat and
gold knee buckles-BuShrod Pepperel him.
self, and alone.
Not much later BY the mark upon the
Sparhawk Kitchen floor Bushrod Pspperel
gfood therein. powerful, sOldierly fell
low with bright smile that was continu-
ally Lighting ND the fine form and color Of
his young face.
You're her dependence. Miss Dollyv
he hesitated out. Mother is nigh dis
tracted.1 np0n my word" And there
upOn he pr0fted By the young lady's alb
straction and embarrassment 10 close his
big white hand upon her shapely but work
reddene1on
But I've nothing ft," stammered Dolly,
with an evident appreciation OF the situa-
ton 10 the Pepperel kitchen. and with as
evident exhiaration. The French blood OF
The large figure al the fireplace was warm
in her veins.
go just u" suggested her lover, being
OF mild disposition, whose real need was
peaceful harb0r. This quiet nest by Fort
Constitution VAS very dear to him.
Dolly studied her linsey- wOolsey pettlcoat
with real trouble and that evident sweet
desire TO be flne for his sake which was
mueh more intoxicating to her lover than
any distinguished dress. Her best short
gown was entirely too plain; but she did
possess pair Of handsomely clicked stock
iDgs and some dainty shoes which were IN
worn. So it ended in her being assisted to
the plllon and having as happy ride as II
she had been Miss Shirley of Boston, with
10000 to her fortune Instead Of the maiden
who would not do.
Nine. PeDperel surveyed the girl with true
relief Dolly was charming, from her shy
gray eyes 70 her round arms and neat
ankles, and Mrs. PepDerel was woman
enough to see il all. and sufficiently good
hearted TO acknowledge it all. The Ports
mouth chatelaine' neart could not help
warming to this child who could cook.
IL
The sun shone evenly on the noon mark.
1t slanted; 1t turned red in the waning
afternoon, while Dolly worked ard directed
steadily, rolling butter like pineapple and
marking 1t with teaspoon, or crimpng it
or working 1t through colander, and gar
nishIng the butter dishes with scraped beef :;
making orange butter of yeIks of nArd-
boiled eggs, beaten in a mortar with fne
sugar, orange flower water. butter and
almonds; mixing the cuTd OF several quarts
Oh MILK with curTants, sugar, lemons, egg,
sealded cream and glass of brandy, and put
ting the compounds into rims of puff paste,
and Gees ionally obtaining glimpses of the
forGrOom, 2 here the table was growing mo-
1entarlly more splendid with silver and
bountiiul with foreign iellies, until finally.
when matters were ia a state of tension ali
over the house a brilliant equipage drove up
with a silver-gilt harness gttering in the
sun, and President Washington bowed over
the hand of The lady Of the mansion.
Is every body came rushing back To tell