The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-15

Al4lO q ,GudlEss alC aSlL cnaLEof1ng W1CA terror until she beard her father nov ing in his room. She went to the door and asked him to let her go in to him. He opened fha tsoor and saw his little Reg, wild eyed. pale and terror strick- en-, standing on the threshold. The look in her eyes terrified him. sssEVh hat is it, Peg. me darlin'? What : is 1t P
 She crept in and looked up into his face with her startling eyes, and she Sgrasped him with both of her small hands and in a voice dull and hopeless cried despaffingly: 0
 ysI drearnt he was dead-dead! An Icouldn't rache him. An he went on past me down the stream-with his face upturneds' 7 The grasp Ioosened, and just as she slipped from him 0sgonnen caught her in his strong aInas and placed her gently on the sofa, ana she fell asleep
 
 A hose first days following Pegs re- turn found father and child nearer each other than they had been since that amous grip through Ireland when he 1ectured from the back of his his terical cart sa st she became O'ConnelPs amanuensis. During the day she would go from library to library in New York verify ing data for her father's monumental work.
 One evening some few weeks after her return she was in her room pre- pairing to begin her nights work with her father when she heard the bell ring. That was unusual. Their caiI- CTS were few. She heard the outer door open, then the sound of distant voice mingIing with her fathers. Then came knock at her door.
 There's somebody outside here to see ye, Peg,Y said her father.
 'sWho is #, fatherT
 "A perfect sthranger-to me. Be I quick now.''
 She heard her fathers footsteps go into the little sitting room and then l the hum of voices. l Her father was talking. She opened the door and walked in A tall, bronz- ed man came forward to greet her. Her heart almost stopped. She trem- bled violently The next moment ter 1 ry had clasped her hand in both of 1 his.
 5 s.How are you, Peg?" l He smiled down at her as he used to in Regal Villa, and behind the smile there was a grave look in his dark i eyes and the old tone of tenderness in his ~nfce
 eHow are you, PegT he repeated.
 "I,m fine. MT. Jerry" she replied in daze. Then she looked at 0'Connel. and she hurried on to say:
 saTl1is is my father, Sir Gerald I Adair.,'
 ready said O'Connell good naturedly, I .Y=- al while. "And what might ye be do1n in New York?'' he asked. "I have never seen America. take an EngIishrnan's interest in what we once owned''-
 I "An' lost through misgovernment"
 .eWell, we'll say misunderstanding" "
 s'As they'll one day lose Ireland
 .ssI hope not. The two countries un- derstand each other better every day.
 The bell rang again. Peg started to 1 go, but O'Connell stopped her
 sNIcGinnis. This is his night to I call and tell me the politics of the town. I'll take him into the next room. Peg, until yer visitor is gone:''
 stOh, please" said Jerry hurrfedly and taking step toward the door. ''al- low me to call some other time r
 ''Stay where ye areF' cried O'Con- nell, hurrying out as the bell rang again.
 sI want to ask ye somethin'. Sir Gerald she began
 ssJerry!' he corrected.
 Please forgive me for what said to ye that day It was wrong of me to say it. Yet 1t was just what ye might have expected from me. But ye'd been so fine to me-a little no body-aIl that wonderful month that it's hurt me ever since, an didn't dare write to ye. It would have look ed like presumption from me. But now that ye,ve come here we've found me out. am want to ask yer pardon, l an I want to ask ye not to be angry with me-
 s.I couldn't be angry with you, Peg" "
 He paused, and as he looked at her the reserve of the held in. self contain F ed man was broken. He bent over her and said softly:
 Peg, love your
 The room swam around her. ,. Was aH her misery to end I Did this man come back from the .mists of memory because he loved her.
 She tried to speak, but nothing came from her parched lips and frightened throat.
 Then she became conscious that he was speaking again, and she listened to him with all her senses, with all heI heart and from her soul.
 "I knew you would never write to me. and somehow wondered just how