The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-10-23

frantically about, confident that bur-
glars were upon us. After scrambling
for matches some minutes, with cold
chills running down our spines, we at
last got light. only to discover Peg
wandering about in her nightgown,
looking very sheepish and nursing a
broken head
II got up to see If the pineapple
cheese was safe" she explained, "and
fell over the clotheshorse, which some
driveling imbecile had left directly in
my path"
We got her to bed, where she re-
mained day or so in company with
vinegar and brown paper, smelling
salts and eau de cologne
Meantime the rest of us often met
our new neighbors on the stairs. They
certainly did not look like criminals.
On the contrary, they were decidedly
prepossessing in appearance. But Peg
persisted in believing them to be house.
breakers and to have special designs
upon her pet cheese, which remained
upon the fire escape, as the eagle
glance of Dan Flynn had not yet fallen
upon it.
One afternoon Peg, being quite re-
covered from her fall and dressed in
her most becoming tea gown, sat read
ing reprehensible novel, occasionally
looking up to state the financial loss
her illness had been, to say nothing of
her loss to the artistic world, for Peg
did nice little black and white sketches
for some Of the newspapers.
Suddenly she threw down her novel
with sigh. Judith, Pm hungry" she
announced. 81 think I'll have whack
at that pineapple cheese. A bit Of bis
cult, a glass of milk and that cheese
will save my life. Come on; We'll pick
in the kitchen"
She dragged me into the kitchen and,
telling me to get the milk and biscuit,
leaned half way out the window to
reach the cheese, which stood cheek by
jowl upon the fire escape with Flea
nore's parrot.
At that moment a mans voice foated
up through the soft summer air.
1LOOh at NhelI nv CSSdpS, A1dAl
tell you it's an outrage the way some
people crowd their fire escapes Looks
like a tenement. Why in the mischief
don't they have refrigerator? I'll bet
my head there's an old maid upstairs.
A poll parrot and pineapple cheese!
Well, I'm blessed!'
l never could tell how it happened.
panrSc uaf bOl u
from her illness or from rage at the
impertinence of the critic below stairs
l cannot say, but as she took up the
cheese it slipped from her hands, shot
through the opening and went down
whack! bang! on the head of the man,
who, leaning from his window, was
looking up to condemn the condition of
our decidedly disreputable fire escape.
There was a Mortified exclamation
from Peg, muttering as of distant
thunder from below, sweet implor-
ing, "Oh, beg your pardon" and Peg
came in through the window, her pret-
ty face as red as fire and tears stand
ing in the big blue eyes.
"The beastp' she walled. "Did you
ACul Anu 1AC ~ SCutS u pOuA0s
AS if we could help being poor! An
old maid, indeed! I'll show him! And
my cheese, my beautiful pineapple
cheese! Don't talk to me! Judith, l
could kill him! l wish it had knocked
his handsome, wicked head right off
his shoulders" And, to my great
amazement, pretty Peg sat down on a
kitchen chair and walled aloud.
"As if he hadn't made me trouble
enough" she sobbed, ''to come here to
live, and dog my footsteps, and call me
an old maid, and steal my cheesev'
"Who, Peg, who" cried, almost
shaking her in my excitement.
"Who? Why, who could it be but
that abominable, detestable Jack Shep-
pard, dear old thing! No, no, Judith;
don't mean that. hate him. I de-