Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-01-02

pie ladies and gentlemen. and thought
If / learned them at school 1 might be
a lady, too"
well, I know nothing of what Mr..
James said; but you can't be a lady I'M
less you were born to it, and that's
settled fact. But whyadon't you call
him master instead or Mr.. Ruthven?
'Twould be much more suitable in my
ideas, for young gal like you
Never mind that. Garrett" ex-
claimed Ruthven, who had overheard
this conversation; 81 would rather Mar
garet continued to cali me Mr.. Ruth
ven.' 1t will make things less awk-
ward when she goes to school,
Just as you please, SIR responded
the houekeeper: but from the way in
which she grumbled over her work af-
terward, it did not seem as though, in
this instance, his pleasure was her.
own.
Meanwhile, Peg O'Reilly's feelings at
the contemplated change in her life
were very mixed. This poor child, who
mad been reared in a work-house, made
the-drudge of a grocer's wife, and as a
Walf Of the streets, had yet preserved
amidst all her wanderings an instinct
i've knowledge that she was capable of
better things.
With the face and form of a child of
ten years old, she had the prematurely
forced mind of a woman twice that age,
which began to show itself as soon as
ever it was placed in a congenial at
mosphere. Her first feelings when
Ruthven carried her off SO unceremoni-
nIIcIU RI HI hoI Of
fear and curiosity; but she had fallen
into the customs and manners of civil
lied life so naturally, as almost to in
cline one to- believe it could not be her
first introduction to them.
Her conversations with the house
keeper had imbued her with a terrible
shame of her past life, whilst those
with Hamilton Shore had given her
thirst to raise herself above even its
recollections. But beyond all this, as
her mind awakened to a consciousness
of the utter want of ciaim she had up
on Ruthven's benevolence and gener-
osity, came the deep, heartfelt graft
tude which she never ceased to enter
tain for him. She WIS very shy still
with her patron, and totally epowarless
to express her feelings toward him. But
il ever girl believed man to EA more
than mortal, Peg O'Reilly, in her silent
alteration, credited James Ruthven
with that attribute. She was sadly dis
appointed when Mrs. Garrett affirmed
she would never be a lady; but she had
heard what Lake Addison said to bis
friend en- the subject. and she deter
| mined she would try to Be enc, fer
Ruthven's sake.
There was great lamenIdfien on the
part of Hamilton Shore when ae found
that he and Peg were so soon to De saa-
arated, and he derived ne cancellation
| whatever from Mrs. Garrett telling hfIa
that so long as his bed was properly
| made and his supper ready when he
required it, 'its could make no POSSIBLE
difference to him, who came info the
house and went out of it," Rufhvea
| parted with his protege in the same IN
demonstrative manner In which he had
adopted her. He nodded his head te
| her in passing, put sovereign into her
| hand, ana told her to be a good child
and learn all she could, and got into
| his cab and drove away
| Mrs. Garrett, According to instrue-
tions,, conducted the girl to Black
| heath, and delivered her over to the
| charge of the Misses Prism. Once hap
| PLY freed from the kisses which thu
preceptresses lavished on her as long
as Mrs. Garrett was in sight, peg fels
| dreadfuily shy on being introduced to
| the bevY of young ladies in the school,
| room, until she discovered that the
Misses Waters, Candy, and Prime spoke
/ as ungramatically as she did herself.
and that, thanks to the Iiberality of her
| guardian las Ruthven had desired her
to call HIM, she was as well dressed
as any girl there.
Indeed, until the neat black leather
trunk With brass nails, Which had ac-
companied her to Pomona Villa, was
unpacked, Peg had no idea of the
wealth Of which she was the possessor.
| The young ladies Of the highest fami-
| lies were all witnesses to its disem-
| bowelment, and as the handkerchiefs.
| scarfs, ribbons, collars and such like
easily transferable wares. came to the
surface, the affection OF her new COM
panions developed itself as though by
magic. One girl in particular, a tall,
| handsome creature Of fourteen years of
| age, whose black eyes and hair and