The following morning they breakfasted together under the branches
of the big maple tree in a beautiful world. Mrs. Jardine was so
happy she could only taste a bite now and then, when urged to.
Kate was trying to keep her head level, and be natural. John
Jardine wanted to think of everything, and succeeded fairly well.
It seemed to Kate that he could invent more ways to spend money,
and spend it with freer hand, than any man she ever had heard of,
but she had to confess that the men she had heard about were
concerned with keeping their money, not scattering it.
"Did you hear unusual sounds when John came to bid me good-night?"
asked Mrs. Jardine of Kate.
"Yes," laughed Kate, "I did. And I'm sure I made a fairly
accurate guess as to the cause."
"What did you think?" asked Mrs. Jardine.
"I thought Mr. Jardine had missed Susette, and you'd had to tell
him," said Kate.
"You're quite right. It's a good thing she went on and lost
herself in New York. I'm not at all sure that he doesn't
contemplate starting out to find her yet."
"Let Susette go!" said Kate. "We're interested in forgetting her.
There's a little country school-teacher here, who wants to take
her place, and it will be the very thing for your mother and for
her, too. She's the one serving us; notice her in particular."
"If she's a teacher, how does she come to be serving us?" he
asked.
"I'm a teacher; how do I come to be dining with you?" said Kate.
"This is such a queer world, when you go adventuring in it.
Jennie had a small school in an out county, a widowed mother and a
big family to help support; so she figured that the only way she
could come here to try to prepare herself for a better school was
to work for her room and board. She serves the table two hours,
three times a day, and studies between times. She tells me that
almost every waiter in the dining hall is a teacher. Please watch
her movements and manner and see if you think her suitable.
Goodness knows she isn't intended for a teacher."
"I like her very much," said John Jardine. "I'll engage her as
soon as we finish."
Kate smiled, but when she saw the ease and dexterity with which he
ended Jennie Weeks' work as a waiter and installed her as his
mother's maid, making the least detail all right with his mother,
with Jennie, with the manager, she realized that there had been
nothing for her to smile about. Jennie was delighted, and began
her new undertaking earnestly, with sincere desire to please.
Kate helped her all she could, while Mrs. Jardine developed a fund
of patience commensurate with the need of it. She would have
endured more inconvenience than resulted from Jennie's
inexperienced hands because of the realization that her son and
the girl she had so quickly learned to admire were on the lake,
rambling the woods, or hearing lectures together.