The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-07-28

Mrs. Chichester naQ peen e6dulluluS
Peg minutely. She suddenly tx.
claimed:
why, that Is Ethel's coat"
"Sure IT. is" replied Peg. AN this
Is her hat I've got, an here's her bag"
Peg was striving her utmost to divert
Mrs. Chicilester's attention from Ethel.
who was in SO tense and nervous a
condition that it seemed as If she
might faint at any moment. She
thrust the dressing bag into the old
lady's hand. Mrs. Chichester opened
1t Immediately and found just inside 1t
Ethel's jewel box. She took 1t out and
held it up accusingiy before Pegs
eyes. Her jewel box: Where did you
get this?". :. ,
II took It," said Peg promptly.
Mrs. Chichester opened the box. 1t
was full. Every iewel that Ethel own
ed was in It
Her jewels-Ethel.s jewels"
Eyes. ] took them too"
"You were stealing them?"
mo, ! wasn't stealth them. ] just
took 'em. ! wanted-to wear them"
answered Peg readily. Suddenly Peg
saw a way Of escape. ana she jumped
quickly at II. Il wanted b wear them
at the dance"
"What dancer" demanded Mrs. Chi
chester.
lover therein the Assembly rooms
tonight. i. went i've there, an 1
danced, an when l came back | made
a noise, an Ethel heard me. an she
threw on some clothes. an she came In
here to see who 1t was, an it was me
an we were both goin' up to bed when
l slipped an fell down the stairs. an
some noisy thing fell down with me.
an that's all"
Alaric called out from the window:
There's some one providing in the
garden. He's on the path. He's COM
ing here. Don't be- frightened" /.
Alaric pushed bis electric light full
into the visitors face and fell back.
Good heavens. jerry" he CALCULATED.
completely astonished. II say. you
know" be went on. what Is happen
ing in this house t~onight?"
Jerry anne straight down to Mrs.
Chichester. -. Z
81 saw your lights so up. and l came
here on the run. l guessed something
like this had happened. Don't be hard
on your niece. Mrs: Chichester. The
whole thing was entirely my fault. 1
asked her to So" ,
Mrs. Chichester looked at him
stOnily.
..You took my niece to a dance In
spite Of my absolute refusal to allow
her to goT''
He had nothin' to do with It." said
Peg. II took him TO that dance"
Mrs. Chichester looked steadily at
Jerry for q few moments before she
spoke. When she did speak her voice
was cold and hard and accusatory.
Surely Sir Gerald Adair Knows bet.
ter than to take q girl Of eighteen to a
public ball without her relations sane
tiona"
81 thought only Of the pleasure 1t
would give her." he answered. please
accept my sincerest apologies"
Peg looked at him in wonder.
"Sir Gerald Adair! Are you Sir
Gerald AdairT
"Yes. F'eg."
$50 We have a title. have ye?'
Peg felt somehow that she bad been
cheated. why had he not told her?
Why did he let her play and romp and
joke and banter with him as though
they had been children and equals?
II am ashamed Of you! You have
disgraced US all" cried Mrs. Chiches.
ter at Peg.
"Have r." screamed Peg f1ercely.
1--WE disgraced ye. have I? Well. none
Of you can tell me thu truth. I'm 60
in back to me father"
go back to your father, and glad
/ we are to be rid Of yon!"
Before Peg could shy anything fur
Their Ethel suddenly rose u~nsteadily
and cried out:
"Wait. mother! She mustn't go. we
have all been grossly Unfair to her. 1t
is / should 60. Tonight she saved me
from-sha' saved me FROM Sudden
iy Ethel reached the breaking point.
She slipped from Pegs arms to the
chair and On to the floor and lay quite
still.
Peg knelt down beside her:
"She's tainted. Give her air"
Peg Ioosened Ethel's dress and talked
to her all the while. and Jerry and
Alaric hurried out In different direc-
tons in quest of restoratives.
Mrs. Chichester am toward Ethel
thoroughly alarmed and upset.
But Peg would not let her touch
the inanimate girl.
go away from her" cried Peg hys-
terlcally. What good do ye think We
can do herr What do you know about
her? You don't know anything about
yer children. Ye don't know how to
raise them. Ye don't know q thought