Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-01-10

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
,antly bouncing upon Miss Harding
as the one.
Peggy was sure that Tom and Dain-
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 II the friends
had loved the same woman2 The idea
occurred to her when she saw Tom
manipulating the cork ship and so
zealously preparing for the bride 1t
was then an idea only. 1t became q
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 vcnial Offense and had
come through the thick of her ordeal
u better woman than most. She Is not
put forward as al average specimen
of her sex and kind III that colony aud
at that time. The IrishwOmen were
almost invariably the best Of de-
plorable lot, and Peggy was certainly
not the worst Of the Irishwomen. But
there was evil In her. and passion was
to bring 1t out, as 1t 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 OIL
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 1t was
still suspicion. 1t maddened hor
when she knew 1t for 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 q
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 To-
dies maid In order to acquire informa-
ton. This young woman. however.
could only talk Of the fourth officer
aboard the Rosamund. and 1t 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 Mt 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 ye
to clane out the boat for m when ye
can lind the time"
did he say so, Peggy"
Sure. he tould me not to tell ye, Wild
oil the extra work we've got, but he
only wished 1t could be DONE"
''Thcn I'll set to work this minute"
"An' We won't be tellin' IN 1 tould
YEP"
"NO. I'll take all the credit IL you
like" said Tom In voice and with q
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 rs he reached the boat
shed she was knocking at Miss Hard
ings door.
"Askin' yer pardon, miss. I think
know what would be better for you
than lynn down up here"
"What IL thatr'
LYNN In a hammock by the say"
ut sounds pleasant. Thank you very
much. but l think I'll stay where I
am"
''Sure, ye'd find one In the boat shed,
an It's nll the good the mir would do
yer
You are very kind" said Claire
YEARLY. "But who would put the
hammock up!'
"Masthers gone to Sydney" said
Peggy refectively. "an' he won't have
me meddlln' wild such things. Walt
dll tell ye. miss. Go this minute, an
you'll find Thomas In the boat shed
cranin' the boat. He'll have t mp In a
twinkle
well, I'll see"
Claire had colored.
"Will tell IN, missY'
mo. I'll see. I think I would rnth-
OF be where I am"
Peggy withdrew. In three minutes
she heard tie young lady coming down.
stairs. In two more she was herself
outside the shed, cxouch!ng between
timber and shrubs and sand and skv
ITO be Continued