Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-13

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| used to call me q born manager long ago,
betore-before 1 married." Once again her
face grows sad, smileIess. ''Tell me about
| il" SAYS she, looking at Brenda.
"Auntie will tell you. Auntie, you have
the letter in your desk over there. The one
from Lady Barkerr'
"Lady Barker! She is an old lady, is she
not?" says Rhoda. "a little cranky, too.
1 met her once. Does she want house
keeper" and with sigh, ''I'm afraid she
would remember me, and I'm certain she
would not agree with me-"
Brenda gives way to mirth
"She'd disagree with you even if you had
] the digestion of an ostrich. But it is not
Lady Barker who wants a housekeeper. 1t
is a friend of hers Probably he is impossi-
Bile too, but he can scarcely be as impossl-
BILE, because" ingenuously, "he is mani"
"a man" says Rhoda.
Gan old man, 1 suppose" SAYS Lady
Carysfort. "At all events LAZY Barker
said nothing about his age, and I'm sure
she would have done so had he been young,
| because She" Lady Carystort pauses,
being charitable. Brenda finishes the SEN
tence, being anything but charitable.
Because she detests youth" SAYS she,
promptly. "She hates everything that has
nothing to do with herself, and certainly
youth has not much to do with her. Oh,
| yes. this Mr.. Drayton-that is the name of
| the man who wants q housekeeper-is un-
| doubtedly modern Methusaleh.
"a housekeeper! What should I have
to do?" says Rhoda She speaks slowly;
she is evidently thinking.
''To see after the servants, and, in a
bachelors establishment, see that the fov-
ers and silver were all right"
''He is bachelor?"
"Yes. An ancient one. At least, that is
what 1 think" said Brenda "I'm sure,
Rhoda, any bachelor, however old, would
be preferable to the dirty school children"
There is one thing preferable to bo:h,"
says Lady Carysfort. go abroai Rhoda.
Take trip to the Holy Land, or Thibet or
some lar away place like that 7 can give
you the money, and after a year or SO who
can tell what may happen?"
No. l shall not do that" says Lady
Werner. Darling auntie, don't be angry
or offended with me. l could not do it. 1
should be tretting all the time, thinking
what a burden / was to you. No This
plan that Brenda has proposed to me seems
desirable. A housekeeper to an old man.
l think could manage that"
''Of course, he can't be toothless," says
Brenda. because he says he wants to
entertain some men for the autumn shoot
ing. August is the month. From August
round to next spring he would want you.
And it isn't SO lar away either. He lives
in Yorkshire. We could 60 to see you at
any moment, OF you could run over to see
US"
''It sounds tempting" says Rhoda with a
smile: "Really, auntie, 1 think I had better
decide upon it. But-references. One
wants references with servants" She looks
at Brenda, and both, as If compelled to it.
into irran hlo lou bt
"a nice servant you will makep' cries
Brenda; she laughs even more excitedly as
she says this, and then all suddenly covers
| her face with her hand, and begins to sob
bitterly.
"oh! RhOda, don't go, don't! cries she,
passionately.
"What do you mean?" says Rhoda, gently,
| vet with frmness "What a silly child
| you srel A servant is a happy creature
nowadays compared with a wife-a wife
such as 1 ami Why, L go from misery to
calm No morei l desire no more. To be
at rest; that means everything, and think
l could be so lar good housekeeper as to
deserve my wages Ii fail 1 can but come
back to you"
"Come back? But would you?"
81 will promise you SO much. I shall
come back if my duties prove too much tor
| me. Auntie, you know this mans address
| Sit down and write to him. Write TO him
now, this moment You will be sufficient
reference; aDd-I must 90 out of town out
OF his way-in day or two at latest"
She would have drawn Lady Carvsfort
toward the davenport, but the la tier holds
back.
"a word, Rhoda," says Lady 'Carysfort,
who is very pale and distressed "You are
determined on taking this step?"
for hol
with steady glance, "that rather than go
back to CASTOR again should"
''oh, hush, child! Hush! Don't talk
like that"
"Others talk. I shall do, sa VS. Rhoda,
COMPRISING her white lips. The re is some
thing in her face that trightens Lady Carys-
tort. "Help me now, auntie, ii you mean
to help me at all. He has gone away tor a
week. When he comes back he shall find
me gone Gone foreyer!'
"Auntie will help you," says Brenda.
"We shall all help you. Auntie," eagerly.
"where Is Lady Barker's letter."
"Herei 1t is here, DEAR" saws Lady
| Carysiort in low tone. She goes to a
davenport and opens it. 81 give in, Rhoda!
1t shall be as you wish But this man, Mr.
| Drayton, he wants a housekeeper the day
alter tomorrow; you should go down to
him in the morning if you still insist on
| it,
"That will suit me-" says Rhoda. ''To-
morrow L shall go. OF course, if do not
suit him can come back to you again. %
| ''Oh! hope you will come back" says
| Lady Carysfort, teartully.
81 hope shall not" says Rhoda, laying
her arm round her neck and kissing her.
"But wha: can this man want a house.
keeper tor, so early in this year? II he
wants one to keep his house in order during
the shooting season, why not wait until
Angus: to get one?"
| august is not so far distant, and it ap-
| pears he is not a society man. He has been
living In the East tor years. He is an ex-
| plorer."
"But at his age!''
''They go on you see like that, until ewes
and senses fail them. Now, in his old age
he is settling down in his native place. At
least that is what have been led to sup.
pose.
| "Well, it is arranged" SAYS Lady Yer.
ner, with a quick breath that is nardly a
sigh and yet resembles it. Il am glad to
know that he is an old man. There is moth
ing more to think about
| Good gracious" says Miss Bowen,
"wby, it is only just begun. Nothing to
think about! Why your clothes, Rhoda?