The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-01-30
THE WOOING OF PEGGY.


The soberly dressed little man looked
questioningly at the maid servant who
opened the door to him.
Nobody of that name in the house,
SIR
"No? You surprise me-" he smiled,
then added: However: es I am not
blind, can see her at this very moment
playing tennis in that court
He pointed casually in the direction Ct
the distant lawn.
"That is Miss Peggy Smith, sir. The
gentleman she is playing with being the
young master"
The little man coughed.
"Then, my good girl, would you have
the kindness to tell Miss Peggy Smith
| that Mr.. George Brent, solicitor to the
late Earl of Porthawn, would like to see
her in few minutes?''
The servant stared, then, asking the
| solicitor into the house, she showed him
into the drawing room and departed on
her errand. Brent had not long to wait
for ere many minutes had elapsed the
door opened, and a pretty, winsome girl
entered the room, closely followed by the
young fellow whom the solicitor had
| seen playing tennis with her when he had
entered the grounds short while before
Like his partner in the set, he looked hot
and somewhat moist visaged.
$50 you have found me out at last
Mr.. Brent" she remarked, by way Of
greeting.
"Um, yes, my dear Lady vesdris;" re.
piled the solicitor, his eyes twinklina
with latent merriment "And fine
dance you have led me, too! To come
down to Yorkshire from London is quite
an undertaking for man of my age, you
know. Now that have at last arrived
in this very pretty, if extremely out-of
the-way, locality, I should be pleased il
you would accord me few minutes
private CONGRATULATIONS"
| swell, we are alone, dear Mr.. Brent, ,
said Vesdris, smiling. |*Bert being in the
room does not alter that fact, for-we
you see, have no secrets from each
| other"
"Ahem." The solicitors eyes twinkled
more than ever. cam I to understand
by that confession sS yop are engaged to
''Not yet" replied Vesdris, hurriedly
before Bertram Wilmot had time to get
in a word edgeways. "We-we| y
She paused, then flushing holly, said
"What was it you wanted to see me
| for?"
"Ah, of course, I was forgetting the
object of my visit in the pleasure of see
ing YOU" The smile died from his lips
as he added, seriously. 1T is my pleas
ant duty to inform you that my late
client, the Earl of Porthawn, died intes-
| tate, and such being the case, you, as his
lordship's only surviving relative, inherit
| alike his estates in the Duchy of Corn.
| wall and his fortune" He paused, then
added. ''The title, of course, lapses
though it could doubtless be revived, al
ways supposing you contracted a suit.
able marriage"
! Vesdris laid hand on the little mans
arm.
''That, Mr.. Brent, you know that
should always do" she said, smiling into
his eyes.
II am far from being certain on that
point" said the solicitor, slight mote
of testiness apparent in his voice. II re-
member the time when you told me in al
seriousness that you wanted to marry
the gardeners boy"
But that was when I used to invite
you up to the schoolroom to tea with my
dolls, Mr.. Brent" Always pretty, she
looked singularly winning at that, mo
ment.
! Brent being merely a man, suffered thu
smile to be wooed back to his face, as
pinching her gently on the cheek, he said
| "Those were happy days, Vesdris, whe1
I used to come and drink thimblefuls Of
tea with you, and listen to the respec
tive family histories of your dollies
Eth? little thought then that 20,
would ever have been thrown alone OF
the world as Miss Peggy Smith. 70,
should have come to my house, little girl
instead of hiding yourself away in tn.
Wllds OF Yorkshire as a companion. Two
years hard hunting it has taken me K
find you.'
u knew that you would want me tt
come to you. if let you know of m,
whereabouts" Vesdris said softly, 81
dld not want to be a burden on you, fo1
L thought that could earn my own liv
ing! Rather than do that, I would hav,
accepted the hundred year Uncle Wal
ter offered me, when he stepped int
everything at the death of nv boo
father" Her lips trembled ominousl,
for a moment, then steadying, she con
tinued, II have been very happy here
Everybody has been so kind to me. anf
Bert has looked after me as carefully a:
If were his own sister,
perhaps more so than if you were.'
said the solicitor dryly, adding briskl1
as the young man colored awkwardly
"Well, I must be off now. I am due a,
! York at 2, and"
But you will stay and have some
lunch" said Wilmot, speaking for .tht
first time. II know Peggy-or-Iad1
Vesdris would" -.
'Thank you, but am afraid that
cannot. My train leaves at l2:43. ana
if the clock on the mantelpiece is correct
I have just ten minutes in which to gei
to the station" The solicitor = spokt
briskly. "Goodby! OF course you must
leave here, little girl, at once, and come
up to town.. You have a lot Of dozen,
ments to sign before you can enter int
possession of your own. Let me see, Is.
day is Monday-I shall expect you ii
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