The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-06-18
! JEAN

ing boat. lie was dressed in country
clothes, but he had not the air of q
countryman. He was pale and had
look Of experience. Save for the
regular sound of the sculls every
thing was quite still. Save for the
man at the lock gates and the soli-
tary occupant of the boat there was
no one in sight. 1t was wide, fiat,
dcsolate scene.
CHI! What are the weeds like
above the lock?"
Every bad, sir" The answer
was given in serious, respectful
voice.
els there any place near here
where I could put up for the
night?"
'Thcre is only a public house,
sir. I am the landlord of it. My
name is Hill. l could give you
bedroom, little rough perhaps,
but
"Good y bed and suppcr-cap-
ital. That is the only bit Of luck
I've had today" AS he was speak
ing the young man picked up a
small knapsack which was lying in
the stern Of the boat and jumped
out. lie made the boat fast and
joined the landlord on the tow
path.
':It is this way. You will let me
carry that for Won. sir"
AS they walked along the brilliant
young man-his name was Philip
Wincc-chattcd freely. lie was TAX
ing holiday up the river and was
to have joined friend at Nunni-
sham that night and then gone on
with him the day after. lie told
the landlord all this and also sur
missed that Hill was not native of
the fen country.
mo, sir" was the answer. ri
was v1.et to Sir Charles Sulmont.
You have perhaps heard of him."
Philip had never heard of him,
but said that he had
"Whcn Sir Charles died, he left
me little money, and I married
maid who was then in Lady Sui
mont's service. I bought this house
with little assistance from her
ladyship and settled here. I was
very young then, and I have been
here eighteen years"
Philip gathered from further talk
as they went along that Mrs. Hill
was dead and that she had left one
child, Jeanne, girl of seventeen,
who lived with her father. When
they reached the inn, Hill showed
Philip bedroom, large, comfort
able room, and began to make some
apology about supper. They very
rarely had any one staying in the
house, and there was nothing left
but Here Philip interrupted:
"You would be doing me a kind
ness if you would let me have sup
per with you and your daughter.
hate solitude. I mean if your-if
Miss Hill wouldn't object"
"1f you really wish it, sir, 7
should be very pleased. So also, I
am sure, would Jeanne" Hill was
born valet. He had the manner. If
he had lived out of service for n
hundred years, he would have been
n valet still. When Hill left him,
Philip looked around the room and
congratulated himself. Everything
was very neat and clean. The land
lord was capital fellow, little
solemn, perhaps, but still q capital
fellow. This was far above the ac-
commodation which he had expect
ed.
Just then a light football came
up the stairs, and Philip caught a
snatch of French song. The song
stopped short just before the foot
fall passed his door. Philip conjec-
tured that this must be the daugh-
ter and that it had been a French
maid that Hill had married; hence
the name Jeanne and that snatch
of song; also that the daughter had
been warned of his arrival and had
gone to put On her prettiest dress.
AL of these conjectures were quite
correct. And yet when Jeanne en-
tered the sitting room few min
utes afterward and saw Philip for
the first time she was so startled
that she showed it slightly. Philip
was also little surprised, for diff
terent reason and did not show it
at all. He had thought of the posi-
bllity that Jeanne might be pretty,
and she was Il beauty, brunette,
childlikc in many ways, but with
woman's eyes. Her voice was good,
and her first words showed that she
had some education.
1t took her about ten minutes to
get from decided shyness to com
plete confidence. Philip was feel
ing far 100 good tempered to let
any one be shy with him. He made
Hill and his daughter talk, and he
talked freely himself. He liked the