couldn't help himself—and he never let me forget it. He told me a dozen times a day that I was dependent on him for the bread I ate. And last evening we had a most awful quarrel! One of our very worst. Oh, I can't bear to remember it!" "Don't remember it, dear," said Laura, with her arm still around the quivering body of the girl; "don't think of it." "Think of it! I can never forget it. You see, he was determined that I should——" Apparently Miss Pembroke had been about to make a confidant of Laura, when she suddenly remembered my presence. She straightened up with a start, and seemed to recover not only her poise, but the hauteur which I had so often observed in her demeanor. [Pg 35] [Pg 35] It was a relief to the situation when at that moment Charlotte, the maid, returned with a daintily-appointed breakfast tray. It was quite evident that the colored girl adored her young mistress. She hovered about her, arranging the tray on a small table at her side and looked at Miss Pembroke with an air of loving concern. "Do try and eat sumpin, Miss Janet, honey; do, now." "Thank you, Charlotte," and Miss Pembroke looked kindly at the girl; "I will try." With a little nod, she tacitly dismissed the maid, but Charlotte lingered. After a moment of hesitation, she volunteered a suggestion, which was evidently weighing on her mind. "Miss Janet, honey," she said, slowly, "ain' yo' gwine send fo' Master George?" "George!" exclaimed Janet Pembroke. "Why, how strange I hadn't thought of it! Of course we must send for George. I'll telephone at once. You may go, Charlotte." Again Charlotte left the room, and Miss Pembroke turned to Laura to explain. "George," she said, "is George Lawrence, my cousin. He is my only relative except—Uncle Robert. He used to live with us, but a few months ago he moved to bachelor apartments farther[Pg 36] downtown. If you will excuse me, I will telephone for him." [Pg 36] The telephone was in a small adjoining room, which was really rather a large alcove off the drawing-room. This was apparently a
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