Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-12-19

'.Lor' bless me, This can't be the ga
as Mr.. James meant?'
Where's the gentleman? Him as i:
so kind to me?" demanded Peg
anxiously.
THE gentleman's gone away and left
you to my charge, so you had better get
down and come indoors with me-
You won't send me to prison?" de-
manded Miss Peg O'Reilly.
BLESS the child what are you talk
ing about? Here. come. get into the
house quick, doi-before we have all
staring at u.s.
And having bundled Peg out of the
cab, Mrs. Garrett paid the drivers fare,
with magnificent disregard of his laugh
ter at her discontinue, and followed
her new companion into the house.
And now 1 just wonder where Mr..
James picked you up, and what call he's
got to befriend YOU" she soliloquized,
as she regarded her.
He got me out of the perlice court.
| the gentleman did," replied Peg, star
| ing at the unusual luxury by which she
was surrounded.
why. you've never a thief, I hope
cried Mrs. Garrett.
Yes, ma'am, I am said the girl
unhesitatingly. 81 took three onions
cause I was so lear and the perlice.
man saw me and took me off to the lock.
up. and they would have sent me te
prison, too, only the kind gentleman
brought me here instead
Just like Mr.. James, murmured the
| housekeeper; but she was a good old
countrywoman, and Pegs story shocked
her, less on her own account than on
that of the girls.
poor childp' she exclaimed, sit would
have been just like 'em to have sent
you there, set of laundering old fools
And all for the sake of three onions
Hadn't you nothing better to eat, them"
please, ma'am. haven't had moth
ing to eat for three days at least"
'"And what's your mother about to
serve you SOP
81 haven't got a mother, nor a father.
nor any one"
Where do you liver
"Anywhere's. I walk about the
streets all day, and at night sleep on
the door-steps- the policeman viii
make me keep moving about from one
to the other all night
cit gives me the shudders to think
on said Mrs. Garrett "And Mr.
James has actually picked up a gal out
| of the very streets to be his under
! house maid. Why, we may all be
robbed and murdered in our beds. Oh.
| these men-these menI They are so
scatter-brained, there's no making head
nor tail of them
Her attention was diverted by Peg
pulling at the skirt of her gown.
81 won't rob and murder, please,
| ma'am, I'd be glad to do something
for the gentleman that brought me here.
He looks so real kind. he does"
"And so he is, child-the best gentle
man that ever stepped on the earth.
| What's your name?"
They call me Peg O'Reilly in the
market, so I suppose that's it Some
one told me once that my mothers name
was Nan O'Reilly, and she sold matches
and she died in the work-house.'
"And why didn't you stay in the work
house, then? Wouldn't they keep you
81 stayed there till 1 was ten, and
then lady, who kept grocer's shop
wanted me to be her servant: but she
beat and starved me terrible, and so
. run away from her and tried to get my
own living.
''And a nice business you seem to
l have made of it. However, if you be-
have, you're provided for now; so you
may think yourself lucky. But come
along into the kitchen and I'll get you
something to eat. I must give you g
warm bath and get you some other
clothes before Master Hamilton comes
home, or you'll brighten him out Of the
house again.
who's Master Hamilton? Another
gentleman"
well, he'll be gentleman some day
L suppose, if he lives long enough, and
conducts himself as such; but he's only
lad at present. He's Mr.. Ruthven's
nephew; but no more like him in face
nor sperrit, than you are
When Peg O'Reilly mad bread and
cheese and cold meat set before her
she fell to work with a ravenous hunger
that made the tears rise to good Mrs
CARROTS eyes, and rendered the tasl
that followed the meal less unpalatable
than it otherwise would have been.
The girl could understand the use:
of food and drink; but those of the batf
were less familiar to her, and had i
not been for the housekeeper's decision
might not have proved so efficacious a:
|