The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-29

enough exuitation In the movement TO
startle her.
PERHAPS he drew her to her feet.
perhaps 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- Tnen,
noting the happy laughter in his eyes,
she cried out: "Oh. Richard. why lie
you do it? It 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 a hint of tears in her re-
proaehful. big eyes. and she tugged
hard to loose her imprisoned fingers
Instantly. all the teasing fed from his
manly face. and he dropped her hands.
Very we'll. Peggy: but may | ask
you this: Do you realize that II
wouldn t be quits-kind. to give me
permission to tell you some day. n
then not to make me happy by giving
me the right answer?
Peggy's lips ~Quivered helplessly, but
she finally lifted her eyes to him brave
" and answered: Yes I realize, n
Ill-be-kind."
For a moment she feared that he was
going to kiss her. But after a mo-
ment. with a wistful, half-contented
sigh, he turned away and with n ac-
cord they walked toward the door. At
the portal he stopped her and asked
again: Don't make mt wait long. lit
tie girl. And don't let anyone else tell
you the same story in the meantime.
I'm not afraid to trust you with the
other fellows, but-but I shouldn't be
happy to know that they had told you
that-told you the story, even though
l knew you wouldn't care for them"
She answered him only by a 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
On half a dozen programmes 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 a chance to speak to her
since the little scene in the big arm
chair, but he had lot 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 a minute" he plunged off
in the midst of the gay little thrCng.
The search was fruitless. Everybody
semed 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
where his impatient nails had dug into
them, he heard a soft, fearful little
whisper from the stairs, and there in
the turn above the landing, he found
lICl, SODDIuS " uSI Sell DIS luOuSu ucE
very heart was broken.
Peggy" he cried, kneeling On the
steps 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 a 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 lap and
could go no further.
Richard set his teeth and waited.
Then, all at once, he understood, for he
had been afraid of Waters all winter.
There was no further room for delay.
Leaning owe he caught the sobbing
little figure in his arms and there
never 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 hisan dsaid:
Never mind little girl, you needn't
explain. 1 know that-that-that i'm
pudent cad has presumed to tell you
WHAT you uluH want 10 Hedr ana 1
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 say a
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 de-
liciously told by any n else in the
world.