Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-06-03
Continued From Last Week.)
CHAPTER XVI,

Alarie, Peg and Mr.. Hawkes..
~ OUSIN." said Alaric to Peg, and
his voice dropped to the ca
" ressing note of a wooer,
cousin, do you know, I am
going to do something now I've never
done before?"
he paused to let the full force Of
what was to come have its real value.
"What Is it, Alaric?" Peg asked, al,
unconscious of the drama that was
taking place In her cousins heart.
Sure, what is it? Ye're not goin' to
do somethin' useful, are YEP
He braced himself and went on: II
I'm going to ask a very charming
young lady to marry me. EhT"
Are YET"
II am"
"What do ye think O. that, noww
He waited, wondering if she would
guess correctly. 1t would be SO help
full If only she could.
But she vas so unexpected.
II couldn't guess it in a hundred
years. Alaric-ralely l couldn't"
ooh, try! Do try!" he urged.
II couldn't think who'd marry you
indade l couldn't Mebbe the poor
girls blind. Is that itT
Cant you guess? No? Really?"
mo, I'm tellin' We. Who Is it,"
"You!"
Then she leaned back against the
balustrade and laughed long and I'm,
restrainedly. She laughed until the
tears came coursing down her cheeks.
Alaric was at first nonplused. Then
be grasped the situation In its full sig
%nifcance. 1t vas just a touch Of hys
terra. He Joined her and laughed heart
lily as we'll.
"Ahal" he cried between laughs
That's n splendid sign. Splendid ",
always been told that girls cry whel
they're proposed to-"
Sure, that's what I'm doin'," gaspet
Peg. I'm cryin'-laughin'. Sure,
think I'd rather have Michael, my ter
rier-if you don't mind"
He started forward. "Oh, come, ]
sayl You don't mean that! Think
just for one m~oment-of the advan.
tages!'
IF ye don't mind" replied Peg
meekly.
To her Amusement the gloom lifted
from her cousins c~ountenance. He
took a deep breath, looked at her In
genuine relief and cried out heartily:
II say! You're a brick! It's really aw.
fully good Of you. Some girls in your
position would have jumped at me
positively jumped! But you-why,
you're a genuine little hall marked al
brick! I'm extremely obliged to you"
He took her little hand and shook 1t
warmly.
You're a plucky little girl. that's
what you area plucky-little-girl.
I'll never forget it-never. If there Is
anything l can do-at any time-any-
where-call on me. I'll be there-right
on the spot
"Bless you. cousin. You've taken
an awful load Off my mind. I was
really worried. l had to ask you.
Promised to. See you before you go!'
On the Both day Of June Mr.. Mont
gomery Hawkes. glanced at his ap.
pointmcnts for the following day and
found the entry. Mrs. Chichester,
S~carboro-in re Margaret O'Connell."
He accordingly sent a telegram to
Mrs. Chichester, acQuainting her with
the pleasant news that she might ex.
pect that distinguished lawyer on July
to render an account Of her stew.
ardship Of the Irish agitator's child.
He was shown into the music room
and was admiring a genuine Greuze
when Mrs. Chichester came in.
She greeted him trag1cally and mo
toned him to a seat beside her.
"Well?" he smiled cheerfully. "And
how is u little protegee"
"Sit down." replied Mrs. Chichester
somberly.
THANK you"
He sat beside her, waited a moment,
then. with some sense of misgiving,
asked, Everything going well, | hopper
Far from It," And Mrs. Chichester
shook her head sadly. "She wants to
leave US today. She has ordered a cab
She is packing now"
Dear, dear!' calculated the Devil.
dered solicitor. Where is she going?"
Back to her father"
"How perfectly r~idiculous!'
But don't be uneasy" he replied eas.
fly; "she will stay. May I see herr"
Mrs. Chichester rose, crossed over TO
the bell and rang 1t.
There is one thing you must know.
Mr.. Hawkes.. My son is In love with
her." she said. as though in a burst of
confidence.
what? Your son?"
Yes" she sighed. "Of course she
Is hardly Il suitable match for Alaric-
as yet But by the time she is Of age
Hawkes. was moving restlessly about
the room He stopped In front Of Mrs.
Chichester as jarvis disappeared to
notify Peg.
81 am afraid. madam. that such a
marriage would be. out Of the question.