The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-01-17
The Queen Of the Gnomes.


bic will Of her own, luckily for her and
for the querulous old mother dependent
upon her exertions.
Poor Peggy's life had been one tu-
nultuous struggle ever since her father
died. He had left his wife and daughter
penniless; and even that was not the full
extent of their discomfort Mrs. Lean
ington felt that she had appeaances-the
bane Of existence-to keep up; in fact,
she was perfectly willing to live in
threadbare uneasiness, if she could only
succeed in convincing the world that she
was basking in the comparative sun of
luxury.
Peggy had sewed industriously night
and day for a large wholesale shop that
4 paid her but miserable pittance, yet
Afforded her the means of keeping from
the door the wof-that terrible black mas
ter-the cruel eXtorter of so much blood
money. Mrs. bennington saw her little
flat ever bright and pretty, she ate many
luxury that Peggy pathetically pre-
tended she herself didn't like, there not
being enough to Ego rouLin Her life
was as free from care as an unselfsh
little daughter could make it.
Then, there was Jack-Jaclx Rufing-
ton. Since he had come into Peggy's
life things have been much more endur-
/ able. He had met the little lady at the
house Of one of her old school friends.
and PeggY's haxen locks and azure eyes
had charmed the susceptible young man.
[ He didn't think he was susceptible, how
ever. No man does. Peggy, with as
much dignity as nineteen summers could
command, had asked him to call and see
mamma.
81 am sure you would like her, y she
said, after she had met Mr. Burlington
several times at this accommodating
friends house. Then she added, wick
edly: ''Tou can come and see her Of
/ ten, you kn0w-when I'm out
Peggy did not have many opportuni-
ties to indulge in those little harmless
coquetries so necessary to many women
Stern realities claimed her almost entire
( ly. The butterfly beauties of life seemed
to have fitted past her. Cold, solid
facts remained. Try and be coquettish,
young women, in the presence of these
facts. IL Won acan. Jack Rafiagt9n
then again, with less timidity; finally he /
spent his almost every evening there, and
seemed to enjoy it, too. There is no use
beating about the bush and pretending
that it was Mrs. Leamington's brilliant
conversation that enchanted him. That 4
would be absurd for two reasons. First.
because the poor old lady when she
spoke at all talked of nothing but the
better days she had once known. and.
second, because she was generally I'M
polite enough to sleep long before Mr..
Huntingdon took his departure. Peggy
was the attraction. She listened to ali
Jacks stories, sympathized with his plans
for the future, and while she Piled her
needle and stitched away for dear life
and the dear life of her mother, gave him
the benefit of her girlish advice. Those
were delightful evenings The stuffy lit
tie fiat was far-extending paradise; the
dreamy little clock a cruel, inconsiderate
time slayer.
Then the night came when Jack asked
Peggy to be his wife, and she in her en-
thllsiasm utterly ruined a dainty lace
ruile that she had been manipulating.
you must wait for me, Peggy he
said, looking at her blushing, GOV face
1.-THE governor has promised to raise me
as soon as ever step into Smiths place,
and then Peggy-we'n have fat larger ,
thsn this, and your mother shall live I
with us-and-and-oh, Peggy, shall (;
We not be happy"
Peggy actually shed tears of ioy as she S
locked upon the glowing picture painted {
by the anticipative imagination of Mr..
huntington. Might he exact a lovers )
privilege and take a kissl Peggy Grim i
sored at the question, but nevertheless c
leldup her face at a very kissable distance y
and Mr.. Jack made not the least cere-
nony- Two days later an unpretentious /
little engagement ring encircled Miss a
Le;Imington's pretty finger. L
The girl sat thinking of all these pleas a
ant moments one cold, dark afternoon Il
when the days had slipped away from J
autumn and were speeding winterward
as rapidly as possible Since her en- Y
nothing but i'll luck seemed to ?
have fallen to her lot The very next d
lay she had received letter from her S
Employers at the large wholesale shop t.
hat had kept her supplied her with s
work. Business was very bad, said the t
otter, and orders had been given to re- n
luce expenses. Perhaps at some future
inc the services of Miss bennington u
night be needed, but at present. Il
1t was hard very hard, Peggy felt com a
'letely dazed. What could she dol She "
ould not remain more than fortnight Il
without work If she did, the small W
ioard Of savings that she kept as an 5
nergency fund would be exhausted. C
She trottcd patiently downtown and
listed each Of the big stores, determined Il
0 obtain work by some means. But the h
olite answer she received on all sides t
argument impossible. She had n
bought of making some sort of desper- n
te appeal to these frigid autocrats. But lo
nee in their presence and she found it al
apostolic. Reasoning was out of the
uestion. az
leave your address was the only re
aim volunteered, and what balm that is n,
D the workseekerl sa
On her way home from this discourag- W
e quest, her ewes were attracted by tu
laring poster, itfully lighted by neigh in
orlng lamp. In big blue letters the al
announcement was made that glittering
oeetacie would shortly be presented at tn
iblo's Garden, with ''beyies of beauti. of
Il girls and hundreds of stalwart men. bl
sudden inspiration came to Peggy. w
he had been to the theatre but twice in ar
err life and knew very little about ii, but fe
le had seen girls much uglier than she m
as joining in stage crowds and playing r,
nall, unimportant parts. If only she