“But are you going away now, sir?” Star asked, glancing at the bag Mr. Richards was carrying, and which had the initials “J. R.” painted upon it.
“No; only to the lodge for sleeping accommodations, as there is no room in the house for me.”
“No room in the house for you?” Star repeated, in astonishment; but something in Mr. Richards’ face warned her that all was not as he would wish, and she added, flushing: “I wish you would take my room, then; for I can sleep very nicely on the lounge in the sewing-room.”
Mr. Richards raved inwardly over his wife’s obstinacy and heartlessness, which compared so unfavorably with this gentle girl’s generosity and self-denial; but he could only hold his peace and let matters take their course, for if he interfered with his wife in her present state of bitterness and disappointment over the loss of her expected fortune, he knew that a domestic squall would be sure to follow, and one which it would be hard to settle.
“No, thank you, Miss Star,” Mr. Rosevelt returned; “I will go to the lodge until there is room for me in the house. You are as kind and self-sacrificing as ever, I perceive, but I will not deprive you of your room. Good-night, my child; I shall see you to-morrow.”
He laid his hand in a tender, caressing way on her head; then went out with Mr. Richards, whom he enlightened still further regarding that eventful voyage which he and Star had made together.
She stood still in the door-way looking after them, a puzzled expression on her face, a gleam of indignation in her large blue eyes.
She had overheard Mrs. Richards telling Josephine something about “Uncle Jacob,” that afternoon after leaving her husband.
The name had made her think of Mr. Rosevelt, and he had been in her thoughts most of the time since; but she had not imagined that they were referring to him, or that he was a relative of the family. Now she saw that he was the “Uncle Jacob” to whom she referred, but she could not understand his being sent out of the house to sleep.
“No room in the house! What can they mean?” she murmured, with tingling cheeks, for she knew of three unoccupied beds that he might have had as well as not.