Chapter Third.
AUNT WEALTHY.
Dr. Landreth and his party reached Philadelphia in due season, arrivingin health and safety, having met with no accident or loss by the way.
Mrs. Dinsmore found her father and the family carriage waiting for herand her baby boy at the depot.
The others took a hack and drove to the Girard House, where MissStanhope, who had been visiting friends in the neighborhood of thecity, had appointed to meet them, that they and she might journeywestward in company. She was there waiting for them in a private parlor.
The meeting was a joyful one to the two ladies, who, though alwayswarmly attached, had now been separated for a number of years. Theyclasped each other in a long, tender embrace; then Mildred introducedher husband, and exhibited her baby with much pride and delight; Annis,too, for she had quite grown out of Aunt Wealthy's recollection, andhad scarce any remembrance of the old lady, except from hearing herspoken of by the other members of the family.
The travellers were weary with their journey, and there was much tohear and tell; so the remainder of that day was given up to rest andtalk, a part of the latter being on the arrangement of their plans.Mildred proposed that they should take a week or more for rest andshopping, then turn their faces homeward.
"You must allow some time for sight-seeing, my dear," said her husband."It would be a great shame to carry Annis all the way out to Indianaagain without having shown her the lions of Philadelphia."
"Oh, certainly she must see them," said Mildred. "You can show them toher while Aunt Wealthy and I are shopping."
"You intend, then, to shut me out of that business? How shall I knowthat you will not be ruining me?"
"My dear," said Mildred, laughing, "you forget how rich you have mademe. I shall have no occasion to ruin anybody but myself."
"And as for me," remarked Miss Stanhope drily, "I have my own purse."
"And father has sent money to buy Ada's things, mother's, and Fan's,too," added Annis. "But, Milly, I must have some share in the shopping,too. I expect to enjoy that as much as the sight-seeing."
Mildred assured her she should have as much as she wanted, adding,"But there will be a good deal which will not be likely to interestyou--napery and other housekeeping goods, for instance."
"Your share of those things will interest me, and must be paid for frommy purse," put in the doctor.
"Quite a mistake," said Miss Stanhope; "those are the very things abride or her parents are expected to supply."
"But Mildred is no longer a bride. Milly, my dear, I want you to helpme to select a dress for the bride that is to be."
Mildred looked up with a pleased smile. "Just like you, Charlie; alwaysthoughtful and generous!"
Ada Keith was the coming bride. She and Frank Osborne had been engagedfor some weeks, and expected to marry in the fall. This news hadincreased Annis's desire to get home. She wanted, she said, to see howMr. Osborne and Ada acted, and whether they looked very happy.
"And just to think," she added, "when they're married Fan will be MissKeith, and we two will be the young ladies of the family."
"Ah, indeed! How old may you be, my little maid?" laughed the doctor.
"Most thirteen," returned the little girl, drawing herself up with anair of importance.
"A very young young lady, most decidedly," he said with a humorouslook, bending down to pinch her rosy cheek as he spoke.
"I'm growing older every day," she answered demurely, edging away fromhim. "Father told me a year ago that I'd soon be a woman."
"Quite soon enough, dear; don't try to hurry matters," said AuntWealthy. "You can never be a little girl again."
Mildred, having brought a competent nurse with her thus far on herjourney, a colored woman who would serve her in the care of littlePercy while they remained in Philadelphia, then return to the Southwith Mrs. Dinsmore, was able to give herself to the shopping withoutdistraction.
As she had foreseen, the greater part of that work fell to her and MissStanhope, Dr. Landreth and Annis accompanying them constantly for aday or two only, after that for an hour or so when something was to bepurchased in which they were specially interested.
But the two ladies were equal to the demand upon them; Mildred had hada good deal of experience in shopping in the last few years, and MissStanhope was a veteran at the business--an excellent judge of qualitiesand prices--yet by reason of her absent-mindedness needed to have herknowledge supplemented by the collected wits of her niece.
The old lady's odd ways and speeches often caused no little amusementto all within sight and hearing.
One day she, her two nieces, and Dr. Landreth were in a large,handsomely appointed dry-goods store, looking at silks and other costlydress fabrics.
They had made several selections, and while the doctor and Mildred paidfor and saw the goods cut off and put up, Miss Stanhope moved on to thefarther end of the room, where she saw, as she thought, an open doorwayleading into another of similar dimensions and appearance.
As she attempted to pass through the doorway she found herselfconfronted by a little old lady rather plainly attired. Miss Stanhopenodded pleasantly, and stepped to the right. At the same instant her_vis-a-vis_ nodded also, and stepped to her left, so that they werestill in each other's way. Miss Stanhope moved quickly to the otherside, but the stranger doing likewise, they did not succeed in passing.Miss Stanhope stood still, so did the other, and for an instant theygazed steadily into each other's eyes.
Then Miss Stanhope spoke in a gentle, ladylike, yet slightly impatienttone: "I should like to go on into that part of the store, if you willkindly permit me. Take whichever side you will; or, if you please,stand where you are and let me step past you."
She attempted to do so, but again the stranger moved directly in frontof her.
"Madam," said Miss Stanhope, unconsciously raising her voice slightly,"I will stand still if you will be good enough to step out of my way."
There was neither reply nor movement, but Miss Stanhope's ear caughtsounds of suppressed laughter coming from various directions in herrear, and a clerk, stepping to her side, said, with an unsuccessfulattempt to preserve gravity of countenance and steadiness of tone,"Excuse me, madam, but you are standing before a mirror. There is nodoorway there."
"Dear me! so I am! What an old simpleton not to recognize my own face!"she exclaimed, joining good-naturedly in the laugh her mistake hadraised.
"Very good evidence that you are lacking in the vanity that leadssome to a frequent contemplation of their own features," remarked theproprietor politely.
"Ah, sir, an old woman like me has small temptation to that," shereturned.
"What was it, Aunt Wealthy? What are you all laughing at?" asked Annis,joining her.
"Just at a foolish mistake of your old auntie's, my dear, taking amirror for an open doorway, and her own reflection for another womanwho wouldn't get out of her way."
Annis could not help laughing a little, though she tried not to, lestshe should hurt the dear old lady's feelings.
"I'm not much surprised, auntie," she said, gazing into the mirror,"for it does seem like looking into another store. I think I mighthave made that mistake myself; but I never could have taken you foranybody else, and it's odd you didn't know yourself."
"Ah, dearie, self-knowledge is said to be the most rare and difficultthing in the world," returned Miss Stanhope pleasantly. "But come, Isee the doctor and Milly are waiting for us."
"We are going to some trimming stores now, Aunt Wealthy," said Mildred,"and you will be able to match your zephyrs, I hope."
"Yes; I'll have my samples out ready to show," the old lady answered,taking them from a small satchel which she carried upon her arm. "Youand the doctor walk on. Annis and I will follow. Take tight holdof my arm, dearie," she added, holding it out as they stepped intothe street, "lest you should get separated from me and lost in thecrowd--the streets are so full, and everybody seems in the greatesthurry."
"Yes," sa
id Annis, doing as she was bidden, "so different from PleasantPlains; there one can hurry along or not as one likes without beingjostled. There! Milly and Brother Charlie have gone into a store, andwe must follow."
They hastened in, almost out of breath from their rapid walk. MissStanhope gently shook off Annis's hand, stepped to a counter, holdingout her samples of zephyr, and addressing a clerk, remarked, "These arelovely colors!"
"Yes," said the girl, staring; "but what of it, ma'am?"
"My aunt wishes to match them," said Annis with dignity, resenting thehalf-insolent tone of the girl.
"Oh! go to the next counter."
They moved on, Miss Stanhope smiling to herself at her own mistake,Annis with cheeks burning with indignation at the girl's rude stare andsupercilious tone.
"Don't forget what you want this time, auntie," she whispered, as theypaused before the next counter.
"No, dearie, but you mustn't mind your old auntie's blunders."
This time they were waited upon by a sweet-faced, modest maiden, whoshowed herself both obliging and respectful.
Miss Stanhope found just what she wanted. But Mildred was not ready togo yet, and while waiting for her the old lady and the little girlamused themselves in examining the various contents of a showcase.Annis admired a necklace of amber beads, and Aunt Wealthy bought it forher; also another nearly like it for Fan.
"Anything else, ma' am?" asked the saleswoman, as she wrapped them up.
"Yes; one of those little purses," said Miss Stanhope; "it is just whatI want for small change and the trunk of my key, which I always carryin my pocket when travelling."
With a slight smile the saleswoman handed out several.
Miss Stanhope made her selection, and the query, "Anything else?" wasrepeated.
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the old lady, as with sudden recollection; "haveyou any remnants?"
"Remnants? of what?"
"Dress goods."
"Oh, no; we keep nothing but trimmings and notions."
Mildred had finished her purchases, and coming up at that moment,asked, "What is it, Aunt Wealthy?"
"Remnants."
"Oh, yes; of course you will want a supply of them," returned Mildred,with a good-humored, slightly amused smile; "and yet what use can youmake of them now? Even Annis has grown too large for a remnant to makeher a dress."
"But there's Percy, and Zillah's boy, too," was the prompt reply;"besides, they can be put to many uses about a house."
"Mightn't a remnant be big enough to make an apron for a lady even?"asked Annis.
"Yes," said Mildred; "and as I know auntie enjoys buying them, we willlook for some."
They started at once on the quest, and Miss Stanhope was quite elatedand triumphant on finding, in two different stores, two remnants ofbeautiful lawn, exactly alike, which together would make an ample dresspattern for Annis, besides others that could be utilized for apronsfor her and Fan, dresses for the baby boys, or patchwork for quilts.Remnants were quite a hobby with the old lady, and she could never feelquite satisfied with the results of a shopping expedition that did notinclude some bargains in that line.
Returning to their hotel they found letters from the Oaks and fromhome awaiting them.
"Ah, Milly," remarked the doctor, with satisfaction, as he glanced overhis, "here are our measures. Rupert sends them."
"Then they are sure to be right," she responded.
"Measures for what?" inquired Miss Stanhope.
"Wall paper and carpets for our new house; it is ready for them."
"Oh, how nice!" cried Annis, clapping her hands. "May I go with you tochoose them, Brother Charlie?"
"We will be pleased to have your company and the benefit of yourtaste," was the gallant rejoinder, "Aunt Wealthy's also."
"Thank you," said Miss Stanhope, absently. "I'm glad you're so nearbeing done with your house, and I think it's a good plan to buy yourpaper here; but I'm afraid you'll have to put it on yourselves; forthough I remember there were some painterers in Pleasant Plains when Iwas there, I don't think there were any papers at all, and everybody'swalls were whitewashed, as far as I can recollect."
"But you know that was some years ago, auntie," said Mildred, "and agood many luxuries have been introduced since then, paper-hangers amongthe rest."
"And the Keith family are so handy that they can easily do such workfor themselves, if necessary," laughed Annis. "The boys really didpaper our house, and paint it, too. Do you see, Milly," holding up aletter, "this is from Elsie. She says she is having a lovely time allalone with her papa, but misses us ever so much, and hopes we will comeback to spend next winter at the Oaks."
"Tell her, when you write, that we are greatly obliged, but the journeyis quite too long to take twice a year," returned Mildred gayly.
"And we couldn't spend every winter away from father and mother," addedAnnis. "Oh, how glad I shall be to get home to them, and Fan, and therest! How soon can we start?"
"Time's up in another week," answered the doctor, "and I judge, by therate at which we've been going through the shopping and sight-seeing,that we'll be ready by then."