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One

THE MISTRESS OF LITTLEGREEN HOUSE

Miss Arundell died on May 1st Though her illness was short her death did not occasionwhere she had lived since she was a girl of sixteen For Emily Arundell ell over seventy, the last of a family of five, and she had been known to be in delicate health for many years and had indeed nearly died of a sihteen months before

But though Miss Arundell’s death surprised no one, soave rise to varying emotions, astonishment, pleasurable exciteossip For weeks and evenelse! Everyone had their own contribution to rocer, who held that “blood was thicker than water,” to Mrs Lamphrey at the post office, who repeated ad nausea behind it, depend upon it! You mark my words”

What added zest to the speculations on the subject was the fact that the will had been made as lately as April 21st Add to this the further fact that E with her just before that date over Easter Bank Holiday and it will be realized that the most scandalous theories could be propounded, pleasurably relieving the

There was one person as shrewdly suspected of knowingto admit That was Miss Wilhelmina Lawson, Miss Arundell’s companion Miss Lawson, however, professed herself just as much in the dark as everyone else She, too, she declared, had been dumbfounded when the as read out

A lot of people, of course, did not believe this Nevertheless, whether Miss Laas or was not as ignorant as she declared herself to be, only one person really knew the true facts That person was the dead woman herself Emily Arundell had kept her own counsel as she was in the habit of doing Even to her lawyer she had said nothing of theher wishes clear

In that reticence could be found the keynote of Emily Arundell’s character She was, in every respect, a typical product of her generation She had both its virtues and its vices She was autocratic and often overbearing, but she was also intensely warue was sharp but her actions were kind She was outwardly sentimental but inwardly shrewd She had a succession of coreat generosity She had a great sense of faation On the Friday before Easter Eiving various directions to Miss Lawson

Eirl and she was noell-preserved handsoht back and a briskthat she could not eat rich food with impunity

Miss Arundell was saying:

“Now then, Minnie, where have you put them all?”

“Well, I thought—I hope I’ve done right—Dr and Mrs Tanios in the Oak room and Theresa in the Blue room and Mr Charles in the Old Nursery—”

Miss Arundell interrupted:

“Theresa can have the Old Nursery and Charles will have the Blue room”

“Oh, yes—I’ rather more inconvenient—”

“It will do very nicely for Theresa”

In Miss Arundell’s day, women took second place Men were the important members of society

“I’,” murmured Miss Lawson, sentimentally

She loved children and was quite incapable ofthem

“Four visitors will be quite enough,” said Miss Arundell “In any case Bella spoils her children abo what they are told”

Minnie Lawson murmured:

“Mrs Tanios is a very devoted mother”

Miss Arundell said with grave approval: