The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-03-28


supplanted by YOU"
Janetta stretched out her hands
eagerly, appealingly, great sorrow
filling her heart for the woman before
her. with whom the world had evil
IDENTIFY dealt so hardly.
Mot supplanted," she said, "only
supplemented. don't know VIVA,
Miss Seymour's wants may be, but let
me help you any way l can. don't
care what l do. You can put me into
the way of things, tell me my duties
and give me a hint when | make q
mistake
you will have no duties" replied
the elder woman coldly, looking at
the outstretched hands, but not taking
them into her own. you are young
and good-looking; they are the only
qualifications whicL Miss Seymour
seems to require. She will see you,
she says, after dinner. Shall show
you to your room?"
Janetta followed her I'D the taick-
ly-carpeted stairs into a room so lux
uriously furnished that she could
hardly believe that it was the one
intended for her, except that her fur
coat had been already carried up
there, with such other possessions as
she had with her in the carriage.
She found Mrs. Mortimer still alone
when she went downstairs.
Captain Merivale dimes tonight
To-, "
she explained as she led the way into
the dining room. Sometimes Miss
Seymour is well enough to dine with
us, but today she has been over-excit-
ing herself, and was so tired that
advised her remaining upstairs"
Janetta would have liked to have
asked hundred questions about Miss
Seymour, but the presence of the par
lormaid and the forbidding manner of
her companion made her curb her Curl
osity.
They had scarcely returned to the
drawing room before message was
delivered to Janetta to demand her
presence in Miss Seymour's room.
You can show Miss Howard the
way to your mistress room, Mason"
said Mrs. Mortimer. And Janetta fol-
lowed the maid.
She was ushered into sitting room
more perfect in detail than any she
had ever entered. 1t was a general
sense of beauty and luxury that struck
her at first, for her attention centered
itself at once upon it's only occupant,
a fragile, fair little lady, quite young,
who lay upon the couch that was
drawn near the fire.
She raised herself to sitting pos
ture, and held out her hand with
smile of welcome.
I'm afraid you must come to me-.
Miss Howard, I'm too tired to get up to
greet you. Sit down near me, will
you? | sent Harry off to the smoking
room, as l told him l wanted to talk
to YOU alone for bit"
Janetta shook hands, seated herself
in the easy chair to which Miss Sey-
mour pointed. and wondered if she
dreamed. This, then, was the Miss
Seymour she had pictured as an ec-
centric old maid, devoted to poodles
and parrots!
Even her views about Captain Meri-
vale needed readjusting. Clearly he
was not nephew with expectations!
More probably cousin, possibly
lover.
The thoughts passed rapidly through
her mind until, raising her eyes, she
was conscious that she was being
watched eagerly by her companion.
There was something intensely at
tractive i'll the face that looked into
her own. 1t must have been very
pretty until ill-hea1h and delicacy had
written their lines on it. Even now
the shape of it was charming. The
1laxen hair that waved on the forehead
was abundant and beautifully dressed,
the folds of white silk and soft-fall-
ing lace were becomingly arranged
round the tiny throat; but oh! nolr
delicate she looked. Something of the
pity that Janetta felt must have found
expression in her face, for Miss Sey-
mour broke the silence with petu.ant
laugh.
you are sorry for me, like every
one .else-I read it in your eyes; but
I'm not going to die. I'm going to get
we'll. or all the doctors lie."
6" devoutly hope you will and
quickly" replied Janetta gently; "anl
YOU must tell me what l can do to
help you. I'm sure could carry you
you are so light and small"
Miss Seymour broke into merry
laughter Il don't want you for hard
labor. | wonder if you thought it was
a lunatic who put that advertisement
into the paper? Harry declared that
nobody in her senses would answer it
bet many did.
Il had over two hundred answers, SO
many that would not even open them
all. liked your photo. l thought
you were pretty and looked true, so ]
told Mrs. Mortimer to take your letter
and answer it, as if from me, and tC
return all the others.
"It was Doctor Brakes suggestion
the man you saw at the train tonight
Harry tells me that he scented the &C
cident from afar, and was on the
scene almost directly it happened. He
is called clever, but he does not cure
me-
We'll, he found me crying one day
and he said l ought to have some one
bright and young and good-tempered
about me. You can't call Mrs Morti-
mer any one of those things, can your
Janetta did not answer; she fel,
that the remark was in bad taste.
II sha'n't like you if you look
shocked every time I'm fippant