The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-04-15

fldn't ye!
He nodded. Il loved her with all |
the heart of me and all the strength of
me-
Peg sat quiet for some minutes: then
she asked him a question very quietly
and hung in suspense on his answer:
DO We love me as much rs ye loved
her. father?"
TITS different. Peg, quite. quite diff
ferent"
"Why is it?' She waited
He did not answer
Sure. love is love whether We feel
1t for woman or child" she per-
sisted.
O'Conneil remained silent.
Did ye love her betther than We
love me. father?'' Her soul was in her
great blue eyes as she waited excitedly
for the answer to that. to her. momen-
tous question.
why do ye ask me that?" said
O'Connell
Because l always feel little sharp
pain right through my heart whenever
e. L
ther, I've thought all these years that
l was the one ye really loved
"Ye're the only one | have in the
wurrld. Peg"
"And ye don't love her memory bet
ther than ye do me?"
O'Connell put both Of his arms
around her.
''Yer 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 u little sigh of salts
faction and nestled on to ner fathers
shoulder. The little fit of childish jeai
ousy of her dead mothers place in her
fathers heart passed
She wanted no one to share her fa
thers' 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 was offered quite Il good position
in New York. 1t appealed to him
The additional money would make
things easier for Peg. She was almost
Il 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 marryin', I'd
like to know? Where in the wurrid
would | find man like you:"
And no coaxine 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 90 to Amer
| lea seemed prOvidentiai. 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 iinpuisive 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
che turned brave face to it and said:
Sure it is the finest thing in the
wurrId for both OF us.
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
al. 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 pale, wistful. tired little
i Peg that Joined her father at break
fast next morning.
i His heart was heavy too. But he
/ laughed and joked and sang and said
how glad they ought to begging t.
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 we'll
Gods hand in it all.
i 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 unit
they reached America.
They were cheerless days at first fol
O'Connell. Everything reminded hin
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 odel
to begin the fight again-this time fOl
his daughter.
| His wife was buried in little Cath
, Ollie 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 II
. prayer. Beneath that earth lay moi
} only his wifes remains, but O'Con
| nelrs early hopes and ambitions wer
!, buried with her.
t 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 mint
and sat with her hands folded in be-
{ lap-silent. But her little brain wa
busy thinking back
= Peg had much to think of during tn,
early days following her arrival II
New York. At first the city awed he
with Its huge buildings and ceaseles
, whir of activity and noise She long