The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-02-27

laugh scOrnfully:
who would be afther marryin', I'd
like to know? Where in the wurrld
would find man like you:"
And no coaxing would make her car.
~ on the discussion or consider its
possibility.
1t still harassed him to think he had
so little to leave her IL anything han.
pened to him. The offer to 20 to Amer.
lea seemed providential. Her mother
was buried there. He would take Peg
to her grave.
Peg grew very thoughtful at the idea
Of leaving Ireland. All her little likes
and disiikes, her tmpulsive affections
and hot hatred, were bound IN In tina,
country. She dreaded the prospect Of
meeting number Of new people.
Still. It was for her fathers good. 80
she turned a brave face to It and said:
Sure it is the finest thing in the
wurrld for both Of u.s."
But the night before they left Ire.
land she sat by the little window 10
her bedroom until daylight looking
back through all the years of her short
life.
1t seemed as IL she were cutting Oh
all that beautiful golden period. She
would never again know the free, care.
less. happy-go-lucky, living from day
to day existence that she had loved So
much.
1t was a pale. wistful, tired little
Peg that Joined her father at break
fast next morning.
His heart was heavy too. But be
laughed and joked and sang and said
how glad they ought to BEGGING to
that wonderful new country and, by
the way. the country Peg was born in
too! And then be laughed again and
said how fine she looked and how we'll
he felt and that it seemed as If it were
Gods hand in 1t oil.
And Peg pretended to cheer up, and
they acted their parts right to the end
until the last line of land disappear
ed and they were headed for America.
Then they separated and went to their
little cabins to think Of all that had
been. And every day they kept up the
little deception with each other until
they reached America.
They were cherries days at first for
O'Connell. Everything reminded him
of his first landing twenty years be-
fore with his young wifc-both so full
Of hope. with the future stretching out
like some wonderful panorama before
them. He returns twenty years older
to begin the fight again-this time for
his daughter.
His wife was buried in a little Cath.
olic cemetery few miles outside New
York city. There he took Peg one day.
and they put flowers on the little
mound of earth and knelt awhile in
prayer. Beneath that earth lay not
only his wife's remains, but O'Con.
nell's early hopes and ambitions were
buried with her.
Neither spoke either going to or re-
turning from the cemetery. O'Con-
nel's heart was too full. Peg knew
what was passing through his mind
and sat with her hands folded in her
lap-silent. But her little brain was
busy thinking back.
Peg had much to think of during the
early days following her arrival in
New York. At first the city awed her
with its huge buildings and ceaseless
whirl Of activity and noise. She long.
cd to be back in her own little green.
beautiful country.
OConnell was away during those
first days until late at night
He found Il school for reg. She did
not want to go to it, but just to please
her father she agreed. She lasted in it
just one week, They laughed at her
brogue and teased and tormented her
for her absolute lack Of knowledge.
Peg put up with that just as long as
she could. Then one day she opened
out on them and astonishcd them
They could not have been more amaz-
ed had a bomb exploded in their
midst. The little. tilmid looking. open
eyed, Titan haired girl was veritablc
viragO. She attacked and belittled and
mimicked and berated them. They
had talked Of her brogue! They should
listen to their own nasal utterances.
that sounded as If they were speaking
with their noses and not with their
tongues! Even the teacher did not go
unscathed. She came in for an on
siaught too. That closed Pegs career
as a New York student
Her father arranged his work so that
he could be with her at certain peri
DDS Of the day and outlined her studies
from his own slender stock of knowl-
edge.
One wonderful day they had an adj
dition to their small family. A little,
wiry haired. scrubby, melancholy Irish
terrier followed O'Connell for miles.
He tried to drive him away. The dog
would turn and run for few seconds.
and the moment O'Connell would take
his eyes Off him he would run along
and catch him up and wag his over
long tail and look up at O'ConnelI with
his sad eyes. The dog followed him
all the way home, and when O'Connell
opened the door he ran in. O'Connell
had not the heart to turn him out. so
he poured out some milk and broke up
some dry biscuits for him and then
played with him until Peg came home.
She liked the little dog at once, and
then and there O'Connell adopted him
and gave him to Peg. He said the
dogs face had a look of Michael Quin-
Ian, the Fcnian. So Michael he was
and he took his place in the
little home. lie became Pegs boon