Mrs. Aldrich and Mrs. Journay sat in the kitchen, side by side, on two
straight-backed chairs. They had just had a quarrel, due to Mrs.
Journay’s obstinately refusing to eat her lunch with Mrs. Aldrich and
insisting upon having it in the kitchen. In the course of this quarrel
Mrs. Aldrich had explosively confessed that it was she who had ordered
the Cooper & Cooper letters sent, and who had observed from her hilltop
all that went on below.
“Because I didn’t like the way you treated my nephew,” she explained.
“Can you forgive me for that?”
“I can,” said Mrs. Journay, calmly. “I should have felt the same, if it
had been my nephew.”
“Then,” said Mrs. Aldrich triumphantly, “if you really do forgive me,
the least you can do is to come in and have lunch with me decently!”
But Mrs. Journay would not, so Mrs. Aldrich had sent away the two
servants and eaten there in the kitchen with Mrs. Journay. In the
beginning both of them were very angry, but they became more and more
friendly every minute. They had a great deal to talk about--they had
Lynn and Jerry to talk about.
“Jerry tells me that your niece is a charming girl,” said Mrs. Aldrich.
“He’s talked about her incessantly ever since he first saw her; and it
isn’t like Jerry to be so enthusiastic.”
“She is a charming girl,” replied Mrs. Journay complacently; “and as for
your nephew--”
The front doorbell rang, and Mrs. Aldrich went to open the door. Mrs.
Journay sat where she was.
“Jerry!” she heard Mrs. Aldrich cry in a tone of fright.
“Don’t worry!” answered a cheerful voice which Mrs. Journay recognized
without difficulty. “It’s only a scratch; but--this is Miss Journay. She
saved my life!”
“Oh!” protested Lynn. “Really I didn’t!”
Mrs. Journay then entirely forgot her position, and hurried into the
hall. There she saw that man, with a bandage around his head, and Lynn
standing beside him.
“Auntie!” cried Lynn, amazed. “You here?”
“Why not?” inquired Mrs. Journay. “I might ask why _you_ are here!”
“Mr. Sargent got hurt trying to save my boxes,” Lynn explained
anxiously; “so you see, auntie--”
“What am I expected to see?” asked Mrs. Journay, with lifted eyebrows.
Mrs. Aldrich now intervened.
“Jerry,” said she, “now that I’ve had an opportunity of knowing Mrs.
Journay better, I see that I was wrong--altogether wrong. I want her and
her niece to stay here with us until that horrible old barn is put in
order for them again--if it ever is; and I want you--”
Jerry stepped forward and held out his hand, smiling. Lynn thought, with
a flash of hope, that even her aunt could not resist him; but Mrs.
Journay regarded him sternly.
“Lynn,” said she, “introduce this young man to me. I do not know him.”
“But, auntie!” protested Lynn. “You’ve seen him--”
“Not properly,” said Mrs. Journay.
“Mrs. Journay, this is my nephew, Gerald Sargent,” said Mrs. Aldrich.
Then Mrs. Journay took his outstretched hand and smiled, the jolliest
sort of smile.
“I always liked that boy!” she observed aside to Mrs. Aldrich.
MUNSEY’S
MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER, 1924
Vol. LXXXII NUMBER 4