, 1906-01-17

out again in a few days, or, if you will.
it shall be the old one-the Monty you
once knew"
'The old Monty?" she mrrmured
softly, dreamily. at would be good
to see him-so much better than to see
the Monty of the last year."
"And in spite of all l have done,
Peggy, you will stand by me? You
won't desert me like the rest? You'll
be the same Peggy of the other days?"
he cried, his calmness breaking down.
How can you ask? Why should
you doubt meI'
For a moment they stood silent, each
looking into the heart of the other, each
seeing the beginning of a new day.
"Child'-his voice trembled danger
ously-"I-I wonder if you care enough
for me toto But he could only
look the question.
''To start all over again with your
she whispered.
'Yes-to trust yourself to the prodi-
gal who has returned. Without you,
child. all the rest would be as b
husks. Peggy, l wan you-you! o
do love me. l can see it in your eyes; L
can feel it in your presence
"How long you have been in realiz-
ing it!' she said pensively as she
stretched out her arms to him. For
many minutes ne held her close, find
ing a beautiful peace in the world
again.
How long have you really cared?"
he asked in a whisper.
always, Monty; all my life"
"And |, too, child; all my life. I know
it now; I've known it for months. Oh,
what a fool l was to have wasted all
this love of yours and all this love of
mine. But I'll not be a prof1igate in
love, Peggy. I'll not squander an atom
of it, dear, not as long as live"
"And we will build a greater love,
Monty, as we build the new life togeth-
err. We never can be poor while we
have love as a treasure"
"You won't mind being poor with
me?' he asked.
81 can't be poor with you," she said
simply.
"And l might have let all this escape
mel" he cried fervently. Listen, Peg
gy; we will start together, you as my
wife and my fortune. You shall be all
that is left to me of the past. Will you
marry me the day after tomorrow?
Don't say No. dearest. l want to begin
on that day. At Z in the morning, dear?
Don't you see how good the start will
be?"
And he pleaded so ardently and so
earnestly that he won his point even
though it grew out of a whim that she
could not then understand. She was
not to learn until afterward his object
In having the marriage take place on
the morning of Sept. %, w hours be-
fore the time set for the turning over
Of the Sedgwick millions. If all went
well they would be Brewster's millions
before II o'clock, and Peggy's life Of
poverty would cover no more tina
three hours of time. She believed him
worth a lifetime of poverty. So they
would start the new life with but one
possession-love.
Peggy rebelled against his desire to
spend the $40 that still remained, but
he was firm in his determination. They
would din and drive together and see
all of the old life that was left-on $40.
Then on the next day they would start
all we again. There was one rude mo-
ment of dismay when it occurred to
him that Peggy might be considered
an asset if she became his wife be-
fore 8 o'clock. But he realized at once
that it was only demanded of him that
he be penniless and that he possess no
object that had been acquired through
the medium of Edwin Peter Brewster's
money. Surely this wife who was not
to come to him until his last dollar was
gone could not be the product of an old
mans legacy. But so careful was he in
regard to the transaction that he decid-
ed to borrow money of Joe Bragdon to
buy the license and to pay the minis
ter's fee. Not only would he be penni-
less on the day of settlement, but he
would be in debt. So changed was the
color of the world to him now that even
the failure to win Sedgwick's millions
could not crush out the new life and
the new joy that had come to him with
the winning of Peggy Gray.
[TO BE CONTINUED.