St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-05-28
holding her dangerously close oy the

two tiny, burning hands.
''Some day." she stammered. Then,
noting the happy laughter in his eyes.
she cried out: "Oh. Richard, why did
you DO it? 1t is almost as bad as il
YOU had really told me, and you've made
me say things I had no right to say,
and"
There was hint of tears in her re-
proachtul. big eyes, and she tngged
hard to loose her imprisoned fingers.
Instantly. all the teasing fed from his
manly face. and he dropped her hands.
Every well. Peggy; but may | ask
YOU this: Do you realize that it
wouldn't be quite-kind, to give me per-
mission - tell you some day. and then
not to make me happy by giving me the
right arswer?'
Peggy's lips quivered helpiessly, but
she finally lifted her eyes TO him brave
" and answered.: "Yes. realize, and
1'll-be-kind."
For moment she feared that he was
going 10 kiss her. But after a moment.
with wistful. differentiated sigh, he
turned away and with one accord they
walked toward the door. At the portal
he stopped her and asked again: Don't
make me wait long. little girl. And
don't let anyone else tell you the same
story in the meantime. I'm not afraid
70 trust yon with the other fellows. but
but shouldn't be happy to know that
they had told you that-told you the
story even though knew you wouldn't
care for them"
She answered him only by look, for
some one came up with the frantic ex-
planation that he had been looking
everywhere for her, as this was his
dance. So she slipped away from the
yearning Richard. who made himself
ridiculous all the rest of the evening by
forgetting that he had left his name
on half dozen programmes before he
had carried Peggy off 10 the library.
When supper time came Richard all
at once lost sight of his lady love. He
hadn't had a chance to speak to her
since the little scene il the big arm
chair, but he had not for an instant
lost sight of the pretty white muslin
gown, with its tiny sprigs of pink rose
buds. But in the confusion of the
breaking up of the last waltz she mys-
teriously disappeared, and finally, in
sheer desperation, he hunted out her
mother, hoping to find the lost maiden
under the careful wing of the loving
chaperon.
"Where is Peggy?" called the sweet
faced little mother. i've lost her, and
l hoped you would bring her." Poor
Richards heart sunk, and with some
murmured explanation that he would
find her in minute" he plunged off
in the midst of the gay little throng.
The search was fruitless. Everybody
seemed to have drifted into the supper
room, and still Peggy was not among
them He plunged into The most inn
possible corners and hiding places. He
even looked into the depths of the big
armchair in the library, and still there
was no Peggy. At last, when his face
was white and his palms were burning
where his impatient nails had dug into
them, he heard soft, fearful littl.
whisper from the stairs, and here. in the
turn above the landing, he found her
sobbing to herself as though her very
heart was broken.
Peggy" he cried, kneeling on the
step beside her and chatting her cold
hands between his feverish palms,
Peggy, what is the matter?'
Peggy dabbed her wet little ball of
a handkerchief into her eyes and swal-
lowed sob. "It's-it's that big George
Waters" she choked out, and then. with
solate little head in her lap and could
go no further.
Richard set his teeth and waited.
Then, al at once, he understood, for he
had been afraid Of Waters all winter.
There was no further room for delay.
Leaning over he caught the sobbing lit
tie figure in his arms and there never
was any joy in the world so dear as his
when he felt her nestle her face on his
shoulder, while her crying grew less
violent and finally snbsided into an oc-
casional sigh of growing content.
When she had become quiet he gently
turned her face to his and said:
'Never mind. little girl. you needn't
explain. / know that--that-that inn
pudent cad had presumed to tell you
what you didn't want to hear, and i
know it wasn't your fault. But don't
you think. little girl. that it is time for
me to tell you what / had to say .
couple of hours ago"
And Peggy actually smiled through
her tears while he went off into an elab-
crate recital of the secret which they
congratulated themselves was all their
own and had never been so deliciously
told by anyone else in the world.-Chi-
cago News.