The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-27
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F, icsYe had fitted them with strong lenses,
even as his triumphant suit had blind
| ed her master TO every passion but his
/ own The girl had long OWNED that
/ some other woman stood between her
/ self and Tom, and there were more
/ reasons than might appear for her in
/ stantly bouncing upon Miss Harding
/ as the one.
| Peggy was sure that Tom and Dam
| tree must have known each other in
England, or why were they more like
! brothers than master and man? Tom
would not tell her, and the Fawcetts
could not. So Peggy set them down as
two old friends, and what if the friends
had loved the same woman? The idea
occurred to her when she saw Tom
manipulating the cork ship and so
zeaIously preparing for the bride. 1t
was then an idea only. 1t became a
suspicion on the evening of the brides
arrival and Claire was not the only
young woman who lay awake all that
night.
The other had been transported for
a comparatively venial offense and had
come through the thick of her ordeal
u Dclltl "Olndh lidh Aiiool- ohC ID LII
put forward as an average specimen
of her sex and kind IN that colony and
at that time The IrishwoInen were
almost invariably the best of a de-
plorable lot, and Peggy was certainly
not the worst of the Irishwomen. But
there was evil in her, and passion was
to bring it out, as it had already
brought out the good. A callous man
she could bear with and wait for SO
long as he was callous and cold to all.
But to see and hear him signing for
another woman-and that other woman
there on the spot-was to lash a pa
tient and single hearted devotion into
tumults of jealousy and bitter rage.
The thing CALLED her while it was
still a suspicion. 1t maddened her
when she knew it for a fact. And
that was when, in the same half min
ute, she met Claire on the stairs in
tears and saw Tom in his pantry with
his head clasped tight between his
hands. Peggy stole away without
word, and there was mischief in every
noiseless step she took.
Her first thought was to tell Dam
tree. 1t she dismissed on consideration
and tried making friends with the la
dies maid in order to acquire informa-
ton. This young woman, however,
could only talk of the fourth officer
aboard the Rosamund, and it took Peg
gy half an hour to discover that she
had never even seen Miss Harding be-
fore the voyage. So she knew moth
ing, and half the morning was gone,
but Peggy was all the more determined
to learn everything before the visitors
left.
The masters departure on horse
back at last inspired the way. Tom
in the pantry was still listening to the
Gathering hoofs when Peggy opened
the door.
"Oh, Tom. the masther would like We
to clane out the boat for m when ye
can find the time"
did he say so. Peggy"
"Sure, he tould me not to tell We, wild
all the extra work we've got, but he
only wished it could be done''
Then I'll set to work this minute"
An We won't be tellin' I'M I tould
ye?"
"No, I'll take all the credit if you
like" said Tom in a voice and with a
face which he took no pains to disci-
pline for Peggy's benefit. Both sup
ported her theory and hardened her in
her plot. And as he reached the boat
shed she was knocking at Miss Hard
ing's door
'Askin' yer pardon, miss, think 1
know what would be better for you
than lynn down up here
What is that?'
''Lyin' in a hammock by the say"
at sounds pleasant. Thank you very
much but / think I'll stay where I
am
'Sure, ye'd find one in the boat shed.
an it's all the good the air would do
yer
You are very kind" said Claire
YEARLY. "But who would put the
hammock up?"
Washers gone to Sydney said
Peggy ref1eetively, IAN he won't have
me meddlin' wild such things Wait
till tell We. miss. Go this minute. an
you'll find Thomas in the boat shed
cl'anin' the boat He'll have t up in
twinkle"
well, I'll see''
Claire had colored.
Twill tell m. miss?"
mo. I'll see. / think would rath-
er be where / am
Peggy withdrew. In three minutes /
she heard the young lady coming down
stairs. In two more she was herself |
outside the shed. crouching between /
timber and shrubs and sand and sky.
CuApTEp