The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-03-24

You want this, she continued. hold.
ing out a prayer book, open al the serv-
Ice for the burial of the dead. "And
will come with you IL you will help me,
and she hobbled down the steps.
Later, rs they sat together, at either
side Of the veranda table, he said:
Your name is a very familiar one to
mel saw IT In your prayer book"
Jones-it Is familiar name TO
everyone, fancy"
Il mean your Christian name-Ar-
moreil. 1t is family name2"
II am called after my godmother,
Lady vane."
Lady Vane Is my aunt" A pause
Does she know that you are out here?"
"Oh, yes. She hears of me fire.
quently."
"she shall hear of you again very
shortly-from me-"
"0h, no"-with face of unmistaka.
BILE distress. please do not mention
me, or say how you have met me-"
why not? IL 1 may presume to ask
-godsister; for she is my godmother,
tool"
Il suppose shall have to tell you,"
she said, leaning her head on her hands
and looking down ut the table-"and
then you will understand"
well, l must confess that / should
like to understand"
my father was rector Of the parish
where the Nanes live-she is my moth.
er's cousin. The living was small and
he had large family. am the eldest
of five girls. 1 am %. And there are
two boys.
when my father died my mother
was left very badly off, and we had, OF
course, to leave the dear old rectory.
My mother took little cottage in the
village and friends were very kind to
her and helped her to send the boys to
college. My fathers sister, who is the
wife of q planter out here, offered to take
ME, and l came out nearly three years
ago.
my aunt was not the least like my
father. She is a woman of ungoverna-
BILE temper. She took an inveterate
dislike to me-which Increased day by
day, and finally came to a climax-when
I-I-refused to marry to please her-a
man / loathed She then turned me
adrift and washed her hands of me.
"My aunt and uncle went off to Aus
tralia for six months and left me to
shift for myself. A school fellow took
me in for q time, but she and her hus-
band were obliged to go to England. l
could not go home, for had no money,
and l was determined not to add to my
mothers burdens.
81 seemed to have no foothold In the
world when l found myself with rs
rupees in third-class boarding house
in Calcutta. / had advertised in the
Pioneer for a situation as governess or
my remaining on in the boarding house,
as bookkeeper and help, in exchange
for board and lodging.
81 was there for more than year
for two whole hot weathers! The lazy,
fat old Eurasian landlady left all the
management to me, and-oh, the heat,
the sitting atmosphere, the quarreling
and complaints of the boarders!
II advertised for place as maid or
nurse, Mrs. Passingham engaged me,
and here | ami"
Here you are, indeed" emphatical-
ly. "And what do your people say to
it?"
"They know nothing about 1t. My
mother believes that am on delight
full visit, as a sort of companion to Miss
Moray. My sister Rose is in the secret,
and it is such a relief to tell her the
truth. In a years time Bobby will be
out in the world-and then l shall go
home. Now you know why you must
never tell Lady Vane-that you have
come across Amorell Jones'"
By dint of enormous brides the khan
samah allured sufficient coolies to con-
vey away that evening Miss Jones and
the bearer. Sir Paul accompanied the
party on foot. They went by goat
track over the hills, thus avoiding the
valley of the shadow of death, and ar
rived at the next bungalow ere mid
night.
At the first resthouse Sir Paul en-
countered an old Indian friend, Mrs.
Copper Beach, and under her motherly
care Miss Jones Travelled the remaining
four days journey. At the railway ter
minus Sir Paul found his trusty Bhootia
ony tied, casually, to a tree, and in the
waiting-room Mrs. Passingham and
party, who received him with effusion
as longlost friend.
I'VE got your chit two days ago. So
good Of you to have looked after poor
Jones for us!" said Lila, who had
missed her sorely.
pray don't thank me-" with smile.
81 have been looking after Miss Jones
for myself. She has promised to be my
ife."-Ladies' Realm.