The Argosy — page 203: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Rupert's Chotce. IOI “‘ You included, I suppose!” said his mother, smiling, as he ended his somewhat miscellaneous catalogue of Miss Herries’ accomplish- ments. ‘‘ Well, we must make the best of it; but I am very sorry for her disappointment.” * She'll survive !’’ laughed Rupert. ‘Only don’t you go and be shy of her, mother, for she is awfully anxious about your liking her. How- ever, there will be dear old Job here to act buffer and break the first shock, so I hope ” ‘*The dog-cart is at the door, sir, and your things are all in, and I don’t think you’ve no time to lose,’’ announced the butler. ‘‘ All right, Saunders! I’m ready!” And witha hasty ‘ Good-bye,” Rupert dashed out of the dining-room and we heard him drive off. He had long been engaged to play on this day in a retum match between the cricket clubs of his own county and the adjoining one; but until this morning—too late to give up the engagement—he had had no idea that he could not get back to dinner. ‘** Unfortunate, is it not?” said Mrs. Loraine, as we left the breakfast- table. ' T am inclined to agree with Rupert,” I replied. “I think you will get on all the better for being thrown more completely upon each other at first.” | Mrs. Loraine smiled and went off to the housekeeper’s room ; while I turned into the library, which was the usual morning sitting-room. I was at this time on a visit to Helmsleigh, which is a beautiful place about seven miles from Newbury. I may, perhaps, as well state here that my name is Jane Osborne Barlow, and that ‘‘ Job” was a nickname given t6 me by Rupert in his childhood, when he chanced to make the discovery that that name was spelled by my initials. I first made Mrs. Loraine’s acquaintance about two-and-twenty years ago, when I, then a girl of twenty, went to be Rupert’s governess. Mrs. Loraine was the only child and heiress of old Mr. Loraine, of Helmsleigh, and she had married a Colonel Eliot, who had taken her name. Their own home was in London, for he had an appointment at the Horse Guards, but they were a great deal at Helmsleigh. When I first went to them, Rupert was five years old, Alice three, and Bertha only fifteen months. I was kindly and affectionately treated ; I was an orphan without near relations, and the Loraines and Helmsleigh became to me as my own people and my home. Years passed on, and troubles came in quick succession. Colonel Eliot Loraine went to the Crimea, and fell at the battle of the Alma; and his widow returned with her four children (for another boy had been born a few months after I went to them) to live with her old father at beautiful Helmsleigh, which would one day be first hers and then Rupert’s. I remained with her, as her companion and the governess of the little girls. Rupert, of course, left my care at ten EOMRniilElooe SS (CO)