The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1903-11-06

IS your own AFFAIR. tut Pezxy's- o.
E I've 10 patience with yoa. Weldon.
Mae is inexhzastible.~ I Observed.
ooIdly. though you are giving i;
I greater strain than IL is used to-
I don't care Punch ny head II
YOU can't tear 70 hear the truth
must speak
Then began to change TIE topic
and carry the var into his own ooun-
Try. most valuable strategy in such
+ controversy as this--if you want 20
talk. let Us discuss your oxn mzfri-
nonizl intentions. Have you proposed
10 Miss Eandever yeti
Yes
All, | can see she has accented
+ YOU"
Faith. she's the sweetest girl in the
Sorid-so simple and artless. and-o.
/ 20 on"
| went on imperturbably.
And yon-the man who wants %
/ marry an heiress. 10 further his par
4 liamentsry ambitions-haye succunbei
10 the pretty face and demure facira-
tons Of poor gentlewoman who is
the CON panion. friend IL you ike, OF
/ uiliiOuaire's daughter"
Il have" be cried. defautly. After
| all. It's love and love only that spurs a
man on Besides. Margaret. who was
a sehoolfellow Of Peggy and has lived
With her. being an orphan, ever since.
has considerable influence with Bur
ford. She thinks he might make ne
his private secretary, as start. 50 the
dream OF ny life seems in a fair way
TO come true. But you, sgd"
4 absolutely decline to ask Peggy
Burford 10 make the tremendous sacri-
| fee that marriage with me"
A successful novelist"
Yet none the less hopelessly out of
her proper grooye-would entail. More
over. will give no one-not even my
| dearest riYals-a chance to point the
/ finger of scorn at me as fortune
hunter
Then. in heavens name, why all
| these walks and talks. these picnics
and boating trips of the last week,
unless you were as serious in the game
as -"
II was nc easy question TO answer.
shrugged my shoulders, a careless
gesture concealing ny inner self-re-
proach. Indeed. felt much like con-
yicted felon before his Judge
You'll break the girls heart, Sgd
ney."
God forbid" | cried, fervently. But.
for my own part, had no prayer to
| breathe
An hour later | was sitting with
Peggy. looking down at a busy scene
below; a beach crowded with laughing
| children, the yachts and sailing boats
scudding about like larger sea birds.
+, he excursion steamers lying at the
! pier
Mr. Barford is coming down to-
morrow" said Peggy. apropos. appar-
emily, OF nothing. Neither of us had
spoken for several minutes, so she was
! perhaps justified in thus introducing
new topic of conversation.
was in a captious mood. the result
Of much self-restraint. which. like ex-
cess of learning, can drive men mad.
Il don't profess TO be familiar with
the-er-manners and customs Of the
| highest aristocracy-'
No." she queried. innocently, dig
ging up the soft turf with her sun
shale. Then who got up the local
color ii My Aunt the Duchess for
yo-?"
But should have thought" went
On, ignoring her question. that you
might say my father. You see" |
added by way of explanation, we have
not been on such terms OF strict for
mality up to now
But Mr. Burford isn't my father"
she cried, and sudden flush Grim
soned her cheeks
WHAT | shouted. springing up
from the seat in amazement. Not
your father. But | understood-that
is, Nike mean MacDermott-told me
YOU were Miss Peggy Burford And l
took his word for it," finished lamely.
Mr.. McDermott didn't know any
betther' then" she said, with a mis-
chievous echo OF his occasional brogue
He does now"
But who-what-are yoL. them"
Il? o. plain Margaret Vandever
There is the only real and genuine Miss
Burford."
She pointed along the walk A couple
were coming slowly towards US. the
man. Mike. appearing to be protesting
! earnestly.
But why did you practice this-er-
wicked deception upon us two unsus-
pecting males?" | asked
III was her idea. Peggy's. That ter
rible night when fell into the water
she found your friend, Mr. MacDer-
mott, was little"
Mad? It's only his way. He's alb
solutely harmless, | assure you Its
the national characteristics"
No. not mad. of course. was 60
ing TO say impressed and he grew con-
fidenual. telling her all about himself,
and his prospects and his ambition.
and she was afraid if he found out
who she really was he'd get fright
ened-for he's not fortune hunter
so We arranged to change places for