The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-04
THE COWARDICE OF PEGGY.

That is quite evident" still in thu same quiet. dry tones.
 May ! take the liberty of inquirinl where you are gcing"
 '"To the ytables-for John."
 Haven't. they finished the stairways leading to your apartments" From the distance came the whtrr of
 wheels, and the gay laughter of men
 and women. pleasure-bound. An cleo trio wagonette flew around the bend. Then once more silence, upon which
 fell ten strokes from clock in the
 room behind the vine-screened window Peggy started forward.
 eOh, why have I stopped to talk to you. I must be there in fifteen min
 utesv'
 She stepped around the corner of the house. looking toward the stables, but immediately shrank back. Great floods of light streamed from both the car
 riage house and Mir. Smylie's new garage. There would be so many strange men- "oh," she almost sobbed, resting her finger tips lightly on Carruth's arm (. I must trust you, and you must help me-" /..-. "Yes," inquired carruth. regarding her earnestly. She was very pale and her eyes shone unnaturally as she
 raised them pleadingly to meet his stern gaze.
 "You must take me to Lane's Iunc- , tion in your car--and never never speak of it again." ."Really!"
 Please do not waste time arguing. It
 means everything to me. Won't you help me. ,pleaseT'
 Without another word he turned on his heel and walked by her side to
 the car. A moment later they shot out upon the great pike, joy of summer
 colonists and motoring tourists. They
 had covered e mile before he spoke. Excuse my curiosity, but isn't this all very sudden?"
 The girl fairly wrung her hands as ! she replied:
 "No-no. It has been going on for two months, but did not dare take the
 matter up with MT. Smylie. And to-
 night--well. if you only knew what he thought of elopements"
 Carruth's grip on the lever :ightened so suddenly that the car fairly bound- ed forward, and the girl clung to the seat in a spasm of fear.
 After a long pause he remarked in oddly constrained tones:
 q presume he Is handsomeT "Yes," replied the girl, looking straight ahead, wonderfully handsome. The first time I saw him he reminded
 me Of an idea1ized Italian, a figure that
 had stepped from a painting. And he dances divinely."
 "Ahr commented the man dryly.
 And he is poor. I suppose% Poor as a church mousse" q am glad that the good, oldfash- toned love still lives and fiourishes." That's the rub. If only I were srre that it is the good, old-fashioned kird. I don't suppose dancing masters make much money, not even as mlch as rio- ing masters" she added thoughtfully. "Ahw exclaimed the man again, this
 time in an entirely different one Only this morning I thought of go- ing to MT. Smylie and having 1t out with him, but he and Mrs. Smylie were
 so absorbed in preparations for the ldance-and-well, I cannot explain my feelings. He trusted me so implicit , ly-" There was almost sob in the girls voice, but the man steeled his tiness alike.
 You know the very first time Mir
 Smylie talked to me about the position he said, Margaret Che calls me Marga- ret when he is In earnest, If you have the good sense and tact your mother had before you. you are just the girl
 need to keep my Bessie in line. shs is 1 a bit wilful and Mrs. Smylie has so
 many social obligations that she really
 cannot do justice to the child. Then you know how 1t is with girls and their
 stepmothers There is always that feel | ing
 MT Smylie always has a nice way of putting disagreeable things" com mented the man, as the girl stopped
 chokingly. But he did not look down
 on the shrinking figure. The Junction,
 merely an elongeated freight car with 1 shed and platform attached. was just ahead, its single window throwing a shaft of light across the road. "Yes. that is just it," responded the girl feelingly. Tt was because he was so nice, because he trusted me so ab- solutely, that I did not want him to know how wretchedly I had failed in that trust. But then you never can count upon love as factor, cah you?'' "No." said the man with certain grimness in tone and expression. No one had ever counted on it less
 than he. Only four months ago, while | enjoying that after-dinner cigar in the
 Smylie library in cold-blooded fashion
 he had discussed this very girl, then
 an unknown quantity. And now. with his hand clutching the lever of this
 mac chine, he was calling himself vari-
 ous kinds of fool. Of course he ought
 to have known there would be a flaw
 in the gem feminine. however pure and
 clear its gleam; but he could not re-
 cover easily from the sudden realiza-