The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-19

of her rose-pink satin stretched out
stif1y behind her. Her stomaeher was
of diamonds, and above It her preasL,
like white velvet, was half hidden, half
| ,-exraale5 nv the embroidered scarf
which hoated airily with her every
movement. Her. eyes We're bright as
her diamonds, her liPs s o1lsl-s se1lilse
I'VE are in pursuit of rebel ma
dam" the officer said, blinking as
though he had come into strong sun
light.
"A rebel," shrieked Mrs. Peggy, and
her shrek was like a little arrow of
silver in the air But we are loyal
people. I am devoted to the King. Is
it possible my servants
your household, madam, but We have
orders to arrest a notorious rebel who
was about to make his escape from the
harbor. In person. reading from the
warrant, agreeable. height it 10 in,
brown eyes. brown hair, which he
wears unpoWdered. His name, -
Mrs. Peggy uttered a second shrek.
''Was not that the sound of oars?"
she said. He has escaped. This dan
gerous criminal of yours has escaped.
Hark. there it is againl" Her charm
ing head went sideways. "Oh, sir,
while you are on a false scent in my
house your prisoner is en- barking
Il think not" said Ensign Trevor.
1T is your agitation, madam. hear
nothing. I am very much grieVed to
have disturbed you, but I must ask
you to let my men make a search"
bid them search said Mrs. Peggy
lightly Let them leave neither hole
nor corner unexplored. We want no
rebels in this quiet house. which con-
tains only womenfoIk except for deaf
Matthew at the gate. [ hope he did
not detain you, sir. Meantime, while
your men search you Will drink tea
with me-
you honor me-" said Ensign Ire
vor. watching her with honest, bewil-
dered eyes and thinking that he had
never seen anything SO gloriously
beautiful. He wondered who she
could be. He was a serious youth
sprung of austere stock, and did not
frequent playhouses- He supposed
her to be a. great lady.
She handed him his tea in the
tiniest porcelain cup, and while he
slipped it he grew more and more be-
wildered by her beauty.
The house was a burrow of up-and-
down corridors and passages, and the
search lasted long time. Before it
came to an end Ensign Trevor had
drank many cups of tea and was mad
~ in love with Mrs. Peggy.
He knew now what she was and
was ready to swear to her honor and
virtue as he would have done to his
sisters.
fusedly. II wonder what my old
mother would say. This one must be
different if the others are not modest.
She is as good as she is beautiful"
Mrs. Peggy had been, indeed, a Won
derful Kaleidoscope during the time
three-quarterS of an hour or so, which
the corporal and his men took to search
the house. There were moments
quite long intervals of time-when she
sat quietly, and the pale. Ouakerish
the rouge. Again-she had fancied she
she heard sneeze in the powdering
clOset-she was on her feet acting a
bit from the new play singing a little
song of shepherds and shepherdesseS
with a shower. of notes in the air that
! reminded Edward Trevor of the fall
/ ing of rose leaves. One moment she
was flirting her fan at him. the next
she was demure and pensive; now she
lifted her train, and, revealing scarlet
slippers, she danced through a bar of
singing with the most exquisite grace
of movement.
F 1t pleased Mrs. Peggy to have fas-
cinated the young man. It was certain
that she put forth all her arts, and
they were many.
You should not be in the playhouse
he said at last in his bewilderment
When I look at you I think of apple
blossoms and the spring. You should
not be in that wicked place where
every every fool that pays his money
can stare at you and talk light of
you
The natural color came under the
rouge.
"They may stare at me-" she an
swered, but they do not talk light of
me. I am a modest woman, though a
play actress. AS for the apple bios
SONS. 1 would 1 might be among them
and never leave them"
Some one knocked at the door with
the butt end of a musket, and being
hidden to enter Corporal Bum came in
and stood to attention.
1--WE have searched the house, SIR
he said. land found nothing"
Would you like to search here?''
Mrs. Peggy said, springing up. Come,
you must not let it be said that you
left any rooms unsearched. Creep I'M
der the settee, corporal, if you please.
! There is plenty of light. He can hard
/ ~ be hiding behind the tapestry
She flew hither and thither, fiinging
the tapestry aside. Once she stood be-
/ tween the corporal and the door of the
/ pOwdering closet. Fortunately the
! the good fellow was not very sharp.