The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-04-21
convriaht. 1918, by Dodd. Mead q Company


SBec8use + always feeI arUtde-Sharp
pain right through my heart whenever
ye talk about me mother. 70 see, Ia
Their, I've thought all these years that
Is,was the one ye really loved"- .~~ ,
"Yere the only one I have tn'tha
wurrld, Peg"
"And ye don't love her memory bet
Their than ye do meT
O'Connen put both of his arms
around her.
Eyer mother is with the saints, Peg.
and here are you by me side. Sure
there's room In me heart for the mem
DRY Of her and the love Of you"
She breathed a 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 n to share her Ia
Tiers affection with her. She gave him
all Of hers. She needed all of his.
When Peg was eighteen years old
and they were living in Dublin. O'Con-
nell vas offered quite a good position
in New York. 1t appealed to him.
The additional money would make
things easier for Peg. She was almost
q woman now, and he wanted her to
get the finishing touches Of education
that would prepare her for a position
in the world II she met the man she
felt she could marry. Whenever he
would speak of marriage Peg would
laugh scornfully:
who would l be afther marrytn', I'd
like to know? Where In the wurrid
would I find a man like your.
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 If anything hap
pened to him. The offer to 60 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 dislikes, her impulsive affections
and hot hatred. were bound up In that
country. She dreaded the prospect of
meeting a number OF new people.
Still, it was for her fathers good, so
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 in
her bedroom until daylight looking
back through all the years Of her short
life.
1t seemed as If she were cutting off
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 50
much.
1t was a 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 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 it all.
And Peg pretended to cheer mp, aqd
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 a little Cath
Ole cemetery a 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-
nelrs 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 c~easeless
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 q school for Peg. She did