The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-06-30
By j. Hartley Manners

sue ueleI lllueu " SeS bhS iS'N w.
house. First she changed to another
dress.
At the top Of the stairs she met the
maid Bennett.
Mrs. Chichester left word that you
! were not to leave your room without
permission. I was just going to tell
you" said Bennett.
All Pegs independent Irish blood
fared up. What would she be doing
shut up in a little white and gold
room all day? She answered the maid
excitedly:
Tell Mrs. Chi-ster I am not goin' to
do anything Of the kind. As long as l
stay in this house I'll see every bit Of
it," and she swept past the maid down
the stairs into the same room for the
third time.
You'll only get me into trouble"
cried the maid.
mo, l won't. 1 wouldn't get you
into trouble for the wurrld. I'll get
all the trouble. an I'll get it now
Peg ran across. opened the door con-
Meeting with the hall and called out:
Aunt. Cousins. Aunt. Come here; ]
want to tell We about meself!"
They've all gone out" said the maid
quickly.
"Then what are ye maxim such e
fuss about? You 60 out too"
She watched the disappointed Ben.
nett leave the room and then began a
tour of inspection. She had never seen
so many strange things outside OF a
museum.
Fierce men in armor glared at her
ont of massive frames: Old gentlemen
i'm powdered wigs smiled pleasantly at
her; naughty ladies in breath bereaV-
ing coiffures stared sulIerciliously right
through her. She felt most uncom-
Portable in such strange company.
On the piano she found a perfectly
carved bronze statuette Of Cupid. She
gave a little el6sh cry Of delight. took
the statuette in her arms and kissed 1t.
Cupid. ME darlin':. Faith. it's you
that causes all the mischief In the
wurrld. ye diTil ye!" she cried.
All her depression vanished. She
was like a child again. She sat down
at the piano and played the simple re-
frain and sang IN her little girlish
tremulous voice one Of her fathers
favorite songs. her eyes on Cupid:
"Oh. the days are gone when beauty
bright
My hearts charm wove.
| When my dream OF life. from morn till
night.
Was love. still love!
New hope may bloom
And days may come
OF milder, calmer beam.
But there's nothing half so sweet In life
, AS loves young dream.
! No, there's nothing half so sweet In life
AS loves young DREAM
As she let the last bars die away
and gave Cupid a little caress and was
! about to commence the next verse a
vivid fash Of lightning played around
! the room. followed almost immediate
Iy by Il crash Of thunder.
Peg covered down into a deep chair.
All the laughter died from her face
/ and the Joy in her heart. She made
, the sign Of the cross. knelt down and
prayed.
Into the room through the window
; came a young man. his coat collar turn
ed up. rain pouring from his hat. In
side his coat was a terrified looking
dog. The man came we'll into the room.
| turning down the collar of his coal and
shaking the moisture from his clothes
when be suddenly saw the kneeling
figure Of Peg. He looked down at her
in surprise. She was intent on her
prayers.
Hello" cried the young man.
Enlightened. eh?"
Peg looked up and saw him staring
down at her with a smile on his lips.
! Inside his coat was her precious little
dog, trembling with fear. The terrier
barked loudly when he saw his mis-
tress. Peg sprang up and clutched Mi
chael away from the stranger just as
another binding fash played around
the room. followed by a deafening re-
port.
Peg ran across to the door, shout
ing: shut it out. Shut it out" She
stood there trembling. covering her
eyes with one hand: with the other
she held on to the ~overjoyed Michael.
who was whining with glee at seeing
her again.
The amazed and amused young mar
closed the windows and the curtains.
Don't come near the dog. sir! Don't
come neal it." She opened a door and
found it led into a little reception
room. She fastened Michael with a
piece Of string to a chair in the room
and came back to look again at the
stranger, who had evidently rescued
her dog from the storm. He was Il
tall. bronzed. athletic looking. broad
shouldered young man Of about TWEEN
ty-six. with a pleasant. genial, mag
netic manner and a playful humor
lurking in his eyes.
AS Peg looked him all over she found
that he was smiling down at her.