Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-01-06
Her lips witch when she sees Janet.

ooh, dear! and want him now this min
ute. Couldn't you go and tell him 50, Janet?
but the girl passed by her and went into the
kitchen.
The woman entered.
"whst fool Dick is; where's the use Of my
making chances for him IL he won't take them
when they come to him"
Janet had gone to her own bedroom. The
kitchen, as it was called, was really the living
room of the family; the psrlor in front Of the
house was much too uncomfortable and stately
to sit in, and was only used when the parish
priest or the sources family called on Mrs.
and lately Janet had often been glad of taking
refuge in her own bed-chamber, from the con-
slant and uncongenial society that founditsway
to Hillside.
The staircase led straight from the kitchen;
going up, you found yourself at the end of
long gallery with wafnscot walls, and from either
side OF which number Of bedrooms opened
some with huge beams across the ceiling.
Janet opened the door of a good-siZed room
dark from its oak paneled walls and small lat
tice window-dark, too, from the heavy red
mOreen hangings of the huge four-post bed, and
the black chairs and cheval glass; the old dark
mahogany chest OF drawers had gloomy-looking
bronze handles; the floor even was stained to
initiate the wainscot, and the rugs before the
fireplace and tOilet-table were as sombre as all
else.
Janet sat down on one of the funereal-lo 1king
chairs.
"why don't 60 back to Uncle Edwards ?'
she said, her face looking sadly wan and with
cred; ''why do 90 on staying here in this daily
torment? Just because L fancy ship news
must reach us here en- the coast sooner than in
that buried-alIye village; and if no news comes
She got up from her seat, and began to pace
the room; il seemed to her that her lot was the
hardest that had ever been sent to living woman
III.
Janet Neale had been lett an orphan early;
left TO the care of a wealthy bachelor uncle, her
mothers brother, Edward Martin.
Richard Limber's mother had also been a sis
ter OF Mr.. Martin, and her widowed husband,
MIR. Timber, felt himself defrauded. when some
years after he had taken charge of her the old
lawyer announced his intention of leaving all he
possessed to his orphan niece Janet.
But Mr.. Timber took second wife, far sharper
witted than himself, and as soon as the state of
matters was explained to her she laughed in her
husbands face.
s.what fools men are," she said with a half
sneer that made her husband uncomfortable in
spite of his admiration for his bride. " Why.
instead OF looking on this Janet as rival to
your Dick. you should have her here and let the
young folks grow fond of one another"
Mr.. Timber stood in Open-mouthed wonder at
his wifes cleverness; but dull-witted as he was,
ne mad sense enough to see that he had better
turn over this vexed question to her manage
ment.
A very prettily-worded invitation was dis
patched to Workman, and accepted. Mr.. Mar
tin was pleased with his brother-in-laws will
lingness to forgive the slight shown to his SON
Richard.
Janet Wa n pretty OF sixteen, q Few wears
Younger than Richard, when first she came to
Hillside. The cousins walked and fiirted in true
cOusinly fashion; but when Janet's visit came to
an end, they were still only friends.
Mrs. Timber was angry; her husband had
dared to laugh at her; she rallied at Richard for
a duh, insensible fool but he only flung out of
the house and swore.
Two years passed before Janet came again to
Hillside. and this time she was prettier than
ever. There was a subdued gentleness about
her; softened light in her sweet blue eyes, that
first arouse her cousins powers Of teaZing and
next made him fall distractedly in love with her
Ii must be confessed that this last result WAS
fastened by the taunts of his step-mother
"See what you've lost, Dick, by your shilly-
shallying ways. Your cousin Janet's been AMI
lost her heart to some young spark at Workman
Girls don't look lackadaiscal as she does for
nothing.
Richard Timber was lust one of the easy
going people who think life is long enou gh for
the fulfilime Mt OF all theiy wants and wishes
There is no need that they should take care or
exert themselves. All will come right surely
as fruit comes in autumn; but like other law
people. directly he suspected that some one else
had come between himself and the result he
expected, 10 seemed to him that Janet must be
his wife. Why, now that he fairly reused up
and came to think about it, he had never seen a
girl he liked half so well as he liked his pretty
cousin. He would speak to her ar once. He
went into the kitchen after listening to his step
mothers reproaches. and found Janet sitting
her knee.
I" BY JOve. she is pretty the prettieSt girl I
ever saw in my life :" And then his father cam
i'll and spoiled his opportunity.
But Richards awakening had come too late;
mat very afternoon. as the family sat drinking
tea at one end OF the long deal table, and as
Richard, in tile intense longing he had to find
himself alone with his cousin, had not made half
such meal as usual, there came knock at the
front door.
Janet had been in a fitfu, excited mood ALI
day but now she started up; blushing and trem-
bling.
80 Don't l9Ok scared, my dear. :" said Mr.. Linn
Der. lit only Harry Jones come to tell ma how
his new chaff-cutting machine goes on. I'm
sure hope it's ali right, for he's terrible crus-
ty fellow is Harry, and persuaded him to try
this machine"
Richard went to the door Mrs. Timber,
sharp eyes were fixed ON Janet. She had been
struck by the girls sudden blush. and as she
watched the nervous movement OF her hands
her head bent "a II striving to hide her face from
scrutiny-MTs. Timber drew a deep breath. liz
was no surprise to h to see the door thrown
wide open and to hear Richard announce, "A
yisiteT for you, Janet
But when the visitor came ina man abort
thirty years OF age, of middle height. with a
lace in which decision and power were far more
to be remarked than any beauty OF feature
MIS- Timber looked nervous, too, and her color
changedrapidly.
No one noticed her-the stranger announced
himself as Stephen Brent he gave a sort OF i'm
pulsive glance at Mrs. Limber-a glance which
night have been either recognition or admira-
tiOn-and then he went up to Janet: his manner
and the girls dOwncast, blushing gladness so
riyeted the attention OF both father and son,
that they had 10 observation for any one be-
sides. And people like Richard Timber and his
father usually find one idea as much as they can
manage at once.
After tea, the three men went out into the
garden and smoked their pipes i'm green sum
mer-house at the end overlooking the turnip
held. You could see Neptune's Tower from
here breaking the vast sealine that stret ched
as far as eye could reach round the OUTLYING
point on whic h the old ruin stood. 1t was No.
yember so there was little Of color in the garden
except the scarlet berries between the French
windows of the drawing room and some linger-
ing torch-iily blossoms among the laurels, but
the herb garden was near the summer house,
and kept it fragrant all the year round.
As soon as the men left the kitchen, Mrs.
Timber had stepped into her husbands business
room, on the right of the entrance passage, to
take counsel with herself.
Till now she had always felt kindly towards
Janet Neale, partly because the girls bright
sweet nature had a way of winning those she
lived with, partly because Mrs. Timber looked
on Janet's future wealth a means of increas-
ing the position of the family-and position was
Harriet Limbers idol. She did not know how
firmly her heart was set on this worlds goods
but, in reality, she would have given us all she
held dear to be the equal Of the wife OF the
Squire of Trant.
Every day of her life when she looked at her
still pretty face in the glass, Mrs Timber cursed
the foolish haste She had show In acceptipu the