For an instant Janet's face was crimson, but forcing down her wrath

for Matty's sake, she answered, "I shall probably stay as long as

that," and slamming together the door she went downstairs, while

Matty said sadly, "Oh, husband, how could you thus insult her when

you knew she had come to stay a while at least, and that her

presence would do me so much good?"

"How should I know she had come to stay, when I've heard nothing

about it," was the doctor's reply; and then in no mild terms he gave

his opinion of the lady--said opinion being based on what old Hannah

had told him.

There were tears in Matty's eyes, and they dropped from her long

eye-lashes as, taking the doctor's hand, she said: "Husband, you

know that I'm going to die--that ere the snow is falling you will be

a second time alone. And you surely will not refuse me when I ask

that Janet shall stay until the last. When I am gone you will,

perhaps, be happier in the remembrance that you granted me one

request."

There was something in the tone of her voice far more convincing

than her words, and when she added, "She does not expect wages, for

she has money of her own," Dr. Kennedy yielded the point,

prophesying the while that there would be trouble with Hannah.

Meantime Mrs. Blodgett had wended her way to the kitchen, meeting in

the way with Nellie, around whose mouth there was a substance

greatly resembling the yolk of an egg! Thus prepared for the worst,

Janet was not greatly disappointed when she found that her eggs had

been disposed of by both the young lady and Hannah, the latter of

whom was too busy with her dishes to turn her head or in any way

acknowledge the presence of a second person.

"Joel Blodgett's widow ought to be above havin' words with a

nigger," was Janet's mental comment as she contented herself with a

slice of bread and a cup of tea, which, by this time, was of quite a

reddish hue.

Her hunger being satisfied, she began to feel more amiably disposed

toward the old negress, whose dishes she offered to wipe. This

kindness was duly appreciated by Hannah, and that night, in speaking

of Janet to her son, she pronounced her "not quite so onery a white

woman as she at first took her to be."

As the days wore on Janet's presence in the family was felt in

various ways. To Matty it brought a greater degree of happiness than

she had experienced since she left her New England home, while even

the doctor acknowledged an increased degree of comfort in his

household, though not willing at first to attribute it to its proper

source. He did not like Janet; her ideas were too extravagant for

him, and on several different occasions he hinted quite strongly

that she was not wanted there; but Janet was perfectly invincible to

hints, and when at one time he embodied them in language that could

not be misunderstood, telling her. "'twas a maxim of his that if a

person had a home of their own they had better stay there," she

promptly replied that "'twas a maxim of hers to stay where she

pleased, particularly as she was a woman of property," and so, as

she pleased to stay there, she stayed!




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