Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-05-19
Richard sprung to his feet with
enough exultation in the movement


to startle her.
when may tell you, Peggy mine?"
Perhaps he drew her to her feet, per-
haps she rose, but all at once she
found herself standing before him, with
him holding her dangerously close by
the two tiny, burning hands.
Some day." she stammered. Then,
noting the happy laughter in his eyes,
she cried out: ooh, Richard, why did
you do it? It is almost as bad as if YOU
had really told me, and you've made
me say things had no right to say,
and"
There was hint of tears in her re-
proachful, big eyes, and she tugged
hard to loose her imprisoned fingers.
Instantly, all the teasing fled from his
manly face, and he dropped her hands.
very we'll, Peggy; but may 1 ask
you this: Do you realize that it
wouldn't be quite-kind, to give me
permission to tell you some day, and
then not to make me happy by CIV
Ing me the right answer?"
Peggys lips quivered helplessly, but
she finally lifted her eyes to him brave
~ and answered: Eyes, 1 realize, and
IH-be-kind'
For moment she feared that he was
going to kiss her. But after a mo-
ment, with wistful, half-contented
sigh, he turned away and with one ac-
cord 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 any one else
tell you the same story in the mean
time. I'm not afraid to trust you with
the other fellows, but-but shouldn't
be happy to know that they had told
you that-told you the story, even
though I knew you wouldn't care for
them"
She answered him only by look,
for some one came up with the frantic
explanation 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 programs before he had
carried Peggy off to the library.
When supper time came Richard all
at once lost sight of his lady love. He
hadn't had chance to speak to her
since the little scene in 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 TIE
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 Give lost her. and
1 hoped you would bring her." Poor
Richards heart sunk and with some
murlnured explanation thai he would
find her in a 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 i'm
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 wnare his impatient nails had
dug into them, he heard a soft, tear
full little whisper from the stairs, and
there, in 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
a new fit of sobs, she buried her dis
consulate little head in her Ian and
could go no further.
Richard set his teeth and waited
Then, all at once, he understood, for
ne had been afraid of Waters all winter.
There was no further room for delay.
Leaning over he caught the sobbing
little 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 subsidized into an
occasional sigh of growing content.
When she had become quiet he gent
ly turned her face to his and said:
Never mind, little girl, you needn't
explain. I know that-that-t i'm
pudent cad has presumed to tell YOU
what you didn't want to hear and 7
know it wasn't your fault. But don't
you think, little girl, that it is time
for me to tell you what I had to saw
couple of hours ago."
And Peggy actually smiled through
her tears while he went off into an
elaborate recital of the secret which
they congratulated themselves was all
their own and had never been so deli
ciously told by any one else in the
world.
Pig Iron for China.