Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1902-03-13
CHAPTER III.

Janetta's heart sank. The stern fea-
| lures OF the lady to whom she was in
PRODUCED scarcely relaxed into a smile,
and cold hand held her own.
Come in, Miss Howard. Your train
must have been very late; we expected
you more than an hour ago."
There was an accident. The train
ran OH the line. think, and we were
landed, Mr.. Merivale and /"
Captain Merivale," corrected her
listener
Janetta glanced round quickly to see
If Captain Merivale had followed, and
was listening to the correction; but
he was nowhere to be seen.
I'VE had not met before. l did not
know that he was Captain Merivale
by intuition; but he was very anxious
that you should not be frightened on
his account, Miss Seymour. He told
me that you were not strong"
A smile crossed the narrow face-<a
mirthless smile.
Il am not Miss Seymour. It is
many years since any one troubled
himself to consider my feelings. | am
Mrs. Mortimer, Miss Seymour's lady
housekeeper. Until lately l believed
myself also to be her companions; but
I'm dull. apparently, and getting old.
I'm not enough for her, and am to be
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
supplemental. / don't know what
Miss Seymour's wants may be, but let
me help you any way l can. / don't
care what do. You can put me into
the way of things, tell me my duties,
and give me hint when l make
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 which Miss Seymour
seems to require. She will see you,
she says, after dinner. Shall l show
you to your room?"
Janetta followed her up the thick
ly-carpeted stairs into 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
with Miss Seymour in her boudoir,"
she explained as she led the way into
the dining room. Sometimes Miss
Seymour is we'll enough to dine with
us, but today she has been over-excit-
ing herself, and was so tired that I
advised her remaining upstairs
Janetta would have liked to have
asked a 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 a 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 a
smile Of welcome.
Pm afraid you must come to me,
Miss Howard, I'm too tired to get up to
greet you. Sit down near me, will
you? l 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 &C.
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