The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-11-07


doing. But men were so inconsideratc,
she thought. They would sooner hear
of a woman starving than working for
her livelihood. If Peggy had applied &c
Jacl, he might have helped her, but the
independent little lady would have cut
out her tongue rather than apply to the
young man.
The idea Of work next night sickeneG
her. She went to the theatre depressed
and i'll. Queen Of the Gnomes! How
utterly silly the term queen sounded
applied to herself. She felt she was the
most inferior gnomo in the gathering.
Then the thought of meeting the King
face TO face again! How horrible it was
Was life always to be as dark and un.
pleasant as il seemed just nowl Peggy
donned her black goblin attire with the
strongest inclination she had ever felt &c
tear it to pieces. She was thankful that
she had not been called upon to be one oi
the smiling radiant fairies. She could
not have smiled upon this occasion.
The curtain rose upon the dark, sub.
terranean cavern, where the gnomcs had
their home. Peggy was thinking Of Jack
all the time. II only she had told him
what she was doing She would have felt
more at her ease, at any rate. This
weight on the conscience was killing her.
She would tell him tomorrow Further
conccalment was utterly impossible.
She felt better after she had come to
this determination and nerved herself for
her work in the second act, when she had
to meet the King of Gnomcs. She had
not seen him behind the scenes at all to-
night. Usually he was a most determined
lounger, although he was not obliged to
appear until the second act.
All! There he was. As she saw him
approaching she turned away in an ir-
repressible ecstasy of rcpulsion. lie did
not attempt to come near her, strange to
say. He stood at one wing while she
waited at the other. 4 feeling of graft
tudc took possession of her. Perhaps lie
intended to erase his persecution aftei
all
Five minutes later and she was upon
the stage, and the time for the unvciling
Of the King had arrived. Peggy trem-
bled at the idea Of again suffering this
wrctch's brutal smile, Of feeling his hated
arms around her waist. Well, she re-
flectcd, it could not be helped. She
must be patient. After this week she
would submit to such indignity no longer.
With an effort she tore from his head
the veil, and then rccoiled without look
ing into his face. The dreaded moment
was at hand. His arm was around her
waist. He was unnecessarily close. 1t
was horrible. 1t was
In frenzy of wrath she looked up,
words of burning Indignation on her
lips. They were never uttered. The
color fled from her cheeks; her eyes were
rounded with vast surprise; her breath
came and went most alarmingly; she
would have fallen but that the King held
held her firmly and masterfully in his
arms.
And in this King she recognized her
own Jack Huntingdon.
"Iow did you manage 1t, Jacll2"
asked Peggy, cXcitedly, as they were in
the street, on their way home.
Jack laughed. dearest girl" he
said, "did you imagine that you could
have done anything for any length of
time without my knowing it! A week
ago called at your house and found you
out. make your mother promise not to
tell you Of my visit. Next night | dis
covered what you were doiug-no matter
how. Last night / gave you an oppor-
tunity to conhdc in me. No, you were
too self-willed. So l puzzled the thing
over, and finally decided upon this
scheme. l knew the stage manager Of
the company, and also the manager. 1t
appears that the fellow who has played
the King of the Gnomes left suddenly
after last nights performance. They
have engaged somebody for Monday. l
persuaded them to let me go on to-
night"
"Oh, Jack!" exclaimed Peggy. She
could say nothing more.
"Well, Miss bennington"
"Will you ever forgive me, Jack, 70.
my deception. am we're awful, know
but, but-oh! had to do it,"
Mr.. Ruflington put his hand into his
pocket, and pulled out an envelope.
From this he extracted something that
looked like check, and presented it to
Peggy.
"That,' he said, ISIS receipt for one
months rent in advance of lovely little
flat in Harlem, beginning from the 1st OF
next month. I've been raised, Peggy,
and-and" -
"What, Jack, dearl" asked Peggy,
innocently.
"Can't you guess ss2"-bashfully
"You've been raised you tell me, and
you show me the receipt for the rent of Il
flat. l suppose you are going to live
there. That is it, isn't it, Jack~ (Al
this with the most bewildering uncon
sciousncss.)
"Yes, I'm going to live there Peggy, y
said Jack, "with you as my wife, if you
will"
Then, although they were in the street
he gave her tender, unmistakable kiss
amost disgraceful procceding-and she, 4
willing accomplice, raised not the lcasi
objection. Luckily it was very dark anC
the neighborhood was deserted.
"You haven't given me my answer,
said Jack at last
"Well," declared Miss bennington