The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-03-20

reg Followed JARVIS UP the stairs.
Down IN their MIDST.
At the hall door Mrs. Chichester told
Jarvis that her niece was not to leave
her room without permission.
AS Mrs. Chichester and Alaric pass
ed out they little dreamed that the 81 me
relentless fate was planning still fur
Their humiliations for the unfortunate
family and through the new and I'M
welcome addition to it.
Peg was shown by the maid, Ben
nett, into a charming old world room
overlooking the rose garden. Every
thing about it was in the most ex-
quisite taste. The furniture was Of
white and gold, the vases Of Sevres, n
few admirable prints on the walls and
roses everywhere.
Left to her reflections. poor Peg
found herself wondering how people
with so much that was beautiful
around them could live and act rs the
Chichester family apparently did. They
seemed to borrow nothing from their
once illustrious and prosperous dead.
They were, it would appear, only con-
cerned with particularly near pres
ent
The splendor of the house awed-the
narrowness of the people irritated her
What an unequal condition Of things
where such people We're endowed with
SO much Of the worlds goods while her
father had to struggle all his life for
the bare necessnries!
Very much comforted by the rcflec-
ton and having exhausted all the Gu
rious things in the little mauve room.
she determined to see the rest of the
house. First she changed to another
dress.
At the top of the stairs she met the
maid Bennett.
Mrs. Chichester left word that you
were not to leave your room without
permission. was just going to tell
you," snid Bennett.
All Pegs independent Irish blood
Jared up. What would she be doing
shut UP in little white and gold
room all day? She answered the maid
excitedly:
"Tell Mrs. CHESTER am not goin to
do anything Of the kind. AS long rs
stay in this house I'll see every bit of
it!' and she swept past the maid down
the stairs into the same room for the
third time.
you'll only get me into trouble -
cried the maid.
mo. won't. l wouldn't get you
into trouble for the wurrld. I'll get
all the trouble. an I'll get it now
Peg ran across, opened the door con-
Meeting with the hall and called out:
Aunt! Cousins! Aunt! Come here;
want to tell ye about meself"
'"Thcy've all gone out" said the maid
quickly.
"Thcn what are ye maxim such Il
fuss about? You go out too"
She watched the disappointed Ben.
nett leave the room and then began n
tour of inspection. She had never seen
SO many strange things outside Of n
museum.
Fierce men in armor glared ut her
out of massive frames; old gentlemen
in powdered wigs smiled pleasantly at
her; naughty ladies' in breath bcreav-
ing coiffures stared superciliously right
through her. She felt most uncom-
Portable in such strange company.
On the piano she found perfectly
carved bronze statuettc Of Cupid. She
gave little clfish cry Of delight. took
the statuette in her arms and kissed it.
Cupid. me darlin'! Faith, it's you
that causes all the mischief in the
wurrld. We divil ye" she cried.
All her depression vanished. She
was like child again. She sat down
at the piano and played the simple re-
frain and sang in her little girlisll
tremulous voice one Of her fathers
favorite songs. her eyes on Cupid:
"Oh. the days are gone when beauty
bright
My hearts charm wove!
When my dream of life. from morn till
night.
Was love. still love!
New hope may bloom
And days may come
| or Milder, calmer beam.
But there's nothing half SO sweet in life
AS loves young dream!
No. there's nothing half SO sweet In life
AS loves young dream"
AS she let the last bars die away
and gave Cupid little caress and was
about to commence the next verse q
vivid fash Of lightning played around
the room. followed almost immediate.
ly by crash Of thunder.
Peg covered down into deep chair
All the laughter died from her face
and the Joy in her heart. She made
the sign Of the cross, knelt down and
prayed.
Into the room through the window
came a young man, bis coat collar turn.
ed up, rain pouring from his hat. In.
side bis coat was terrified looking
dog. The man came well into the room
turning down the collar of his coat and
shaking the moisture from his clothes
when he suddenly saw the kneeling
figure Of Peg. He looked down at her
in surprise. She was intent on her
prayers.