Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-03-10

Wy " ACA OAu luC 1--WE VI SOUs
She breathed little sigh Of Salts
faction and nestled on to her fathers
shoulder. The little fit of childish jeal-
ousy Of her dead mothers place in her
fathers heart passed.
She wanted no one to share her ia
theirs affection with her. She gave him
all Of hers. She needed all of his.
When Peg was eighteen years old
and they We're living in Dublin. O'Con-
nell was offered quite a good position
in New York. 1t appealed to him.
The additional money would make
things easier for Peg. She was almost
a woman now, and he wanted her to
get the finishing touches of education
that would prepare her for position
In the world If she met the man she
felt she could marry. Whenever be
would speak of marriage Peg would
laugh scOrnfully:
''Who would be afther Margin, I'd
like to know? Where in the wurrld
would l find man like you!"
And no coaxing would make her car
~ on the discussion or consider it's
possibility.
1t still harassed him to think he had
so little to leave her if anything hap
pened to him. The offer to go 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 impulsive affections
and hot hatred, were bound up in that
country. She dreaded the prospect of
meeting number of new people.
Still, it was for her fathers good, so
she turned brave face to it and said:
Sure it is the finest thing in the
wnrrld for both Of u.s."
But the night before they left Ire
land she sat by the little window in
her bedroom until daylight looking
back through all the years of her short
life.
It seemed as if she were cutting of
all that beautiful golden period. She
would never again know the free, care
less. happy-go-lncky. living from day
to day existence that she had loved 80
much.
1t was pale, wistful, tired little
Peg that Joined her father at break
fast next morning.
His heart was heavy too. But he
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 he laughed again and
said how fine she looked and how well
he felt and that it seemed as if it were
Gods hand in it all.
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 wife-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 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,
nell'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.
ed to be back in her own little green,
beautiful country.
O'Connell was away during those
first days until late at night.
He found a school for Peg. She did
not want to go to it, but just to please
her father she agreed She lasted in II
just one week. They laughed at her
brogue and leased 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 astonished them
They could not have been more amaz
ed had a bomb exploded in theil
midst. The little, timid looking, ope1
eyed, Titan haired girl was a veritablt
virago. She attacked and belittled anG
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 theil
tongues! Even the teacher did not e
unscathed. She came in for an on
siaught too. That closed Pegs career
as a New York student.
Her father arranged his work so tina
he could be with her at certain peri
DDS of the day and outlined her studies
from his own slender stock Of know]
edge.
One wonderful day they had an ad
dition to their small family A little
wiry haired, scrubby, melancholy lrisl
terrier followed O'Connell for miles