The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-19
THE EVENING STORY
Governess and Guest.
(By Julia d. Wells. }

was pouring into their Golfers. When
Mrs. Morton engaged a lady's maid
and Mr.. Morton procured for himself
a valet they thought, with a butler
and footmen and maid servants galore, |
that their. adjuncts were complete. But,
as they progressed further into the
lcharmed circle of society. they discov-
cred their mistake. ans the two
daughters of the house soon acquired
their little world to demand release
from the ministrations of nursemaids
and to request the substitution of a |
governess.
loss to supply this lack of her house, |
hold, though she readily perceived |
that it was lack. However. the wants
of the very rich are not long left I'M
eratif1ed, and when the time arrived !
for the annual migration to Newport
she was justified in the complacency |
with which she viewed the present
over which she reigned-
There were still some lingering |
doubts in her mind as to Miss CI1al- |
/ loner's status in the household. She |
was paid salary, yet she could not
| be regarded as a servant. 1t was of
course impossible to consider her an
equal. So she had breakfast and
| luncheon with the family and ate a
simple meal at o'clock with her two |
| charges, all traces of which were OBJ |
| liberated before Mr.. and Mrs. Morton
dined in state. two hours later.
Miss Challoner would have gone to
| bed hungry but for the buffers
| thoughtfulness. He prepared a tray of
sandwiches and a glass of wine and
carried It himself to MISC Challoner's
room every evening. The graciousness
| of her acceptance of this service. the
kindliness with which she inquired
| about his duties or his family were
fully rehearsed in the servants quar-
| tiers afterWard.
IT'S only the money that's keeping
| her from being lady herself said
the cook.
TITS much you know of ladies if
you think that riches has anything to
do with the making of gentry was
the reproof the butler administered.
He had once been in the service of a
poor Irish lord. and his opinion of his
present employers would probably
have brought about his dismissal had
| it been made manifest. They wasted
no words with their l1irelings. They
confined their intercourse with SER
wants to the necessary giving of orders
in tone that somewhat approached
the fUnhand me. villain of the hero
| inc of melodrama.
With Miss Challoner they were dig
! nlfied, but not familiar, except in
thoughtless moments when the veneer
| dropped off. Then they recalled them |
selves with a sense of n1isbehavior that
| was the cause of many an inward smile |
| to their governess.
She was beginning to find her posi-
ton well nigh intolerable. She was
alone many hours of each day; the |
children were too young to be COM
panionable, and she lived through the |
dreary hours with a fretting of spirit |
| that threatened to crush her youth and !
health. She had entered into her new |
role without dreaming of the petty in
dignities to which she would be sub
jected. She soon learned to avoid the |
guests who came and went, for they, |
too, belonged to the newly rich, and af-
ter first mistaking the distinguished |
looking governess for some member of
he 6or
ignoring, or patronizing, her.
Miss Challoner checked off the days
on her calendar and prayed that the
return to New York might not be de-
layed beyond the original date. There,
she had a few old friends who gladly
claimed her leisure hours, who petted
her and made much of her.
August arrived and found her still
at her post, rebellious in spirit, but
outwardly calm.
AS she entered the breakfast room
one morning, she became aware of an
excitement in the usually rather heavy
atmosphere. One of the children for
got the morning salutation in her keen
ness to impart the interesting news.
Miss Challoner." she cried, 1--WE are
going to have real baron visit u.s."
Are you, Kitty" said the amused
Miss Challoner, thinking of the barons
and sons of barons, all baronS them
selves, that she had known in the hap
Ply years she had spent in Germany.
But aren't you excited, Miss Chal-
l0ner?" urged Marion.
Mr. Morton frowned at his daughter
you speak German. do you not, Miss
Challoner?' he interposed.
yes" answered the governess, "you
know I was in school in Germany for
several years
Didn't you have a governess, like
us?'' asked Kitty.
BE still, Kitty said her father.
But, didn't your asked Marion.
mo, never" replied Miss ChaIloner
conscious that the statement would
cause her to lose caste in the Nor
tons estimation, and wholly Indifferent. s
I'VE are going to have a young Ger s
man gentleman with us for a few days. |
He speaks English, but no doubt he
will be glad to hear his own language
again. said Mr. Morton.
IT shall be glad to offer him the OPP
portunity," said the governess think .
ing that she would be willing to talk TO
any o for the sake of hearing the
tongue she loved so well.
During the day there was an unusual :
stir and hustle in the house, and the
lonely governess decided that the baron +
was to be received with much pomp
and circumstance The o'clock supper 2
was served somewhat hastily, and Jen- &.
kins apologized for this and the fact :
that he could not be in attendance HIM
self, though Miss Challoner we'll knew r
that it was duty he had assumed and
which he could have relegated to one t
of the footman-
= After she had retired to her room she | t
heard the guest arrive and the ELUSIVE )
greeting he received and his cordial
thanks, expressed in the crisp English I
familiar note and recalled the days
when she had believed happiness to be :
her heritage.
Il am growing fancifu1,' she thought. y
All Germans speak English in the 5
same way and she turned her atten-
fiOT1 rQS0lI1fe1X IN her book. II