Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-02-07
! led you into, positively drove me dis

but the worst danger my aShneS
ever brought me near-that OF marry
averted. It's true l have committed
other follies-one of which has
snatched me from the Jaws Of that
peril only to plunge me into a host of
others, from which l know not how
1 shall extricate myself. Alack, my
but a sorry fool after al's said"
Peggie's c~ountenance fell into an ex-
preston OF deep concern. For Prue to
express a doubt of her own ready wit.
was to utter heresy against the first
article Of Peggie's faith in her.
why what has ~happened?" Peggie
asked. almost tearfuliy.
"Oh! nothing but good; indeed. the
fates a " showered me with good
luck until l am afraid shall b. buried
alive under It,"
Come. there are worse ways OF be-
ing buried than that" cried Peggie.
Frightening up. "A fig for Sir Geoffrey's
croking. II there be nothing else to
fear. Now tell me where you have
been all the evening; with the duchess.
of course. as she brought you home?"
Not all the time. First l found the
necklace. Then l took 1t to the duchess
and together we returned 1t to the
queen. And nov Peggie. bring down.
your eyebrows out OF your hair and
don't open your mouth wide enough to
cngulf me. and I'll tell FOL everything
that has happened to me, If you will
undress me. for l am too tired to move
a finger"
Peggie o gladly set to work and
had her cousin unlaced and unpinned
II comfortably tucked in bed, long
before the history Of he evenings
events had been expounded. From her.
Prue hid nothing: in fact she was
L fpQV win q IN vNnarr 1,D r,anf HnOoA into thot
kindly ear and receive such ungrudg-
ing sympathy and shrewd advice as
the circumstances prompted.
When Peggie had exhausted the vo-
cabuLary OF establishment, admiration.
congratulation and anticipation-had
s~huddered at Prue's danger laughed at
her willy devices. marveled incredu-
lousy al her passionate avowal Of love.
and rejected all possibility Of fear for
Robins safety, she withdrew reluct-
antly. declaring that h should not
close an y that highland was fast
asleep almost before her head reached
the pillow.
Prue was less fortunate. and for an
hour or two tossed and turned, vainly
trying every soothing device to calm
her racked nerves and WOO repose
While Peggie the optimistic was be-
side her, Robins escape appeared more
than probable; she could almost per-
0SAA lIIdl ~ was OH dCCOIlle
plished fact. But 1t looked less GER
tain. now her blood ran cool, and her
high spirit tagged in the darkness and
silence of night. Her faith in his cour-
age n resource could not entirely re-
sist the paralyzing touch OF fear. and
even her confidence ia the value Of the
pledge she a extracted from the
duchess vas shaken by the unmistak-
able GOODNESS of the queen, who had
listened In silence to the explanations
of her former favorite and reserved all
her praises and expressions of salts.
faction for Prue, to whom she had been
cordially itself.
Toward morning h slept so long
n heavily, that Peggie came and
went a dozen times before the Ions
lashes lifted and the sweet blue eyes
smiled drowsily up at her. And even
when she woke h was loath to rise.
ana rain to rest more thai once during
the tedious process of her toilet. in
terrupted as 1t was by an %obsequious
procession of MERGERS and modistes.
eager to make their peace with the re-
stored favorite by the most pressing
n disinterested services.
But a curious change had come over
the wilful beauty. and instead of
throwing herself heart and soul into
the enhancing discussions Of hoops
and poffes. sarsenet and tabbinet,
plumes and perfumes, h declined the
counsel Of this n and the coaxing Of
that one. and sent the sycophant crowd
away wondering what had happened to
turn the most extravagant Of court
butterflies niggardly. The most be-
witching head" the richest farthingale
Won but a passing glance and a word
OF careless criticism, and when Peggie.
almost as dissatisfied as the rejected
q blind neglect of opportunity, Prue
lay back YEARLY in Their chair and
dropIIng her arms loosely at her side.
said ampatiently:
Cousin, cousin-I am sick t death
OF it ALL"
All of what?" cried Peggie brisk
~. "All you have lost for q whole
year and won back In less than q
week?'
AYE. all that and more; sick, Of
court and. courticrs, sick Of idle men
and vapid women. sick of myself most
Of all"
Then she n to her feet and
burst out laughing. What q fool !
am. Peg, and what a fool you look
standing there, open mouthed, drinking
IN my vaporings an though you never
had heard me grumble before! Did
you thin0 Twas in earnest? Why,
was never SO happy In my life. Did
not h queen kis me on the cheek.
and the duchess swear to give me
whatever I might ask Of her: even the
frst choice Of the places she has nc
longer to dispose Of and the royal fav-
ors hat she can no longer influence?
Am l not invited to Windsor an lady
in-w4iting on probation and lauded Ia
the skies as q heroine by"
.Str Ge0ffrey Beaudesert wishes to
know s,% = ,your ladyship viii receive
The voice Of James at the door pro-
duced . silence SO profound that after
short pause he repeated his mes
sage In q louder tone. "Sir 0eofIrey
wishes to ssee our ladyship most par