The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-31


out when she is in town, and that's not very
often. only just in the season. The rest Of
her time is spent in going the rounds,
Harrogate and Scarborough, Brighton, St.
Leonard's, Cheltenham, Bath-in fact,
wherever people are congregating, aunt is
Sure to be there. l went yesterday to see
her and found that she had got a new ladv's
maid, who was excellent as lady's maid, but
as aunt said, did not seem to have a tongue
in her head. and you know, Hilda, I like a
person one can talk to on wet day. IL
was a splendid opening, Constance, and of
course | made the most of it,
:" i caA't think, my dear aunt, why you
don't have nice lady companion, some
body to sit with and drive with and talk
with. | have often thought that it would
be so much nicer for you.'
q i have tried it. my dear she said, eight
or ten times, but | can't get on with that
sort of woman; they agreed with you what
ever you say, and whas is the use of talking
when a woman always agrees with you
Some of them are shy and some of tnem
have an expression testifyIng that they are
aggrieved and Inundated, having been born
TO better things. Some Of them are
stupid. some are lachrymose; some, which is
worse still, have perpetual smile on their
face. | am not good tempered. Hilda aud
fly into RACES with them. None Of them
stop with me more than three weeks, and
yet every one Of them was guaranteed to
me TO be a treasure
"'You have evidently got hold of the
wrong persons, auntie,' l said. You want
some one bright and young and pleasant.
Some one whom you would treat as an
equal; who would contradict you when you
were wrong and amuse you when you we're
dull, and play ana sing to you when you
salt disposed that way; and in fact be a
friend ard companion in reality
"'Where is such treasure as that 10 be
met with, HildaP my aunt said, laughing
Are you thinking Of taking the situa-
tion?'
"'No; but have a friend who would be
the very thing for you. She is young and
has good spirits, and is clever and pretty.
and lady"
ION, Hilda, how could you say all that?n
81 said what was perfectly true, Con-
stance
"'Are you quite in earnest, childF my
aunt asked.
"'Perfectly, aunt 1 am very, very
much interested in her, and very fond of
her, and as it happens that she, from what
| consider a silly freak, has made up her
mind to 60 as companion to a lady, it
seems to me that you were made for each
other
"' But who is she, HildaF
"'She is "a lady, aunt, and she IS an
orphan, and she has been educated in
France, aud literally knows no one in this
country she mas home in France she can 90
to if she likes, but she has particular wish
to stay in England for time thought of
you directly
Is she that girl l saw you driving with
the other day in the park, HildaT
81 nodded. | won't say, Constance,
what she said of you, as it might make you
concei;ed. However, she said l was to
bring y to-day to have a chat with her.
She is really dear old lady, accustomed,
no doubt, to have her own wav, having
been always her own mistress; but dear,
kind-hearred old soul. Shrewd, too. She
affects to be rather cynical, and l should
think she has seen enough of life to make
her so in reality. Here we are"
The carriage stopped at house in South
Audley street, and Constance, feeling little
nervous, followed her friend upstairs into
the drawing-room. where an elderly lady
was sitting by the fire.
Nv ell, aunt, here we are. This is my
friend, Miss Corbyn."
Miss Peyton held out her hand to Con-
stance. She was just what Constance had
o ctured she would be. Rather short
woman, with slight, girlish figure; her
hair had bsen dark, but was now thicAly
streaked with gray; her eyes were snarp
and bright, her mouth firm, but with
kindly smile She had, as Constance
found, when she began to talk, sharp, de-
cided way Of speaking, a d she could I'M
derstand when Hilda told Ter afterward
that mot people were a little afraid of
Miss Peyton; but Constance did not feel
afraid; tho little smile which passed across
Miss Peyton'S Iii as her eyes fell upon her
SCI her at ease, and assured her that the
description that Hilda had given of her was
u correct one.
"Well, cblld,' she began, $50 you have
take it into your head that you would like
10 be q companion to an old woma %
Miss Peyton was, in fact, not yet past 60,
but she generally spoke Of herself as an old
woman, although younger in manner than
many ten years her junior.
Il should like to De a companion, Miss
Peyton, with aey one with whom / could
get on comfortably"
"Ah; and are you aware of the duties of
a companions"
mot at ali. Miss Peyton; my idea is that
the chief duty of companion would be to
lie compauionable."
That is very good answer" Miss
Peyton sad. land reminds me of Sydney
Smiths definition of an archdeacon, that
he was a man who discharged archidiacoual
functions. Hilda rather limited that you
expected to be treated as a friend. You
see, my dear, in matter of this kind
one must treat things GA a business foot
ing.
Just so, Miss Peyton. can assure you
that the suggestion is Miss Leicester's and
niue. l am quite ready to do all that O
generally does, whatever it may
be; but 1T certainly seems TO me that per-
son would be very Door companion who
was not also friend. l should be content
to be companion, but it certainly seems to
me that e. be good companion one must
be m IRE than merely paid servant"
think you are right, my dear, and that
perhaps the failures | have made with
people who came To be companions was
because we did not start on that sort of
footing at all 1t would certainly be a
pleasant experiment to make. And how
about salaryF'
Constance flushed.
Business, Miss Corbyn,' Miss Peyton
said, sharply. "We must keep to bust
ness.n
THE salary is altogether a secondary
consideration with me, Miss Peyton. /
want To stay in England fer time, and |
cannot very well live here by myself, and
should like, if l could, to avoid being an
expense to my friends in France. | must
Of course, dress well if / am to go about
with you; but as | make my own dresses
that would not cost me a great deal |
should think thirty pounds year would be
AMPLE
81 should think not :" Miss Peyton said,
sharply. However. l see there will be no
difficulty on that score see you are in
deep mourning"