The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-24
PEGGY's Mr.. HUSH
BY JANE OSBORN.

+ Z
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There had been but one reason for
Vera Maidstone's hesitation in accept
ing her sisters invitation to come and
take care of the "incorrigible Peggy"
while she and her husband went to the
exposition.
"Of course, l know you have not
wanted to visit US since your break
with Jimmy next door," her sister had
written. You probably feel that he
would think you were putting yourself
In position to make up. But three
years has made big difference.
know you have completely forgotten
him and he Is quite an old bachelor,
and am sure he won't be at home
much of the time. So please do come.
Little Peggy is not safe to be left
alone with the nurse"
So Vera had packed her trunks and
gone to take care Of Peggy. It was
hard, very hard, for her to revisit the
scenes Of her acquaintance with James
Brown, and as she actually arrived on
the scene she realized that she had not
forgotten the episode so completely as
she had hoped. :
1t was a week after her sisters de.
parture and Vera had had little time
for reverie. For she had discovered
that the care of the charming child
Peggy was enough to keep any grown
woman's mind occupied during waking
hours.
She was sitting in the library of the
old city house, reading by the subdued
light Of the afternoon sun shaded by
the soft silk hangings at the windows.
Lend me 'raser, Aunt Vera?"
Peggy was sitting on the floor at her
aunt's feet leaning over her pad.
Vera tossed rubber-topped pencil
down to the child.
Muvver doesn't let me have rasers
any more" Peggy said smiling. That's
cause / ate a needed rubber one day.
You know about needed rubbers, Aunt
Vera? ! like to eat rubbers."
Vera read on without making any
comment
Il am drawing you picture, Aunt
Vera, picture of Mr.. Hush That's
what l call him because every time l
spoke about the people next door muv-
yer just said hush And he is the
incest man-nicer than anyone in the
world but you, Aunt Vera. That's why
l am drawing you picture of him.
He's just like any other man, so I'll
have to make him like the picture I
did of father for you Except Mr..
Hush hasn't any prickly brush On his
lip that bites you when he kisses you
like father. He kissed me today when
l was there. ! asked him for two
kisses so could bring one with the
cookie to Aunt Vera, and he said that
you wouldn't take the kiss. Aunt Vera,
do you think | am a good drawer?
What's the matter? Don't you like
the picture?"
Vera was leaning back in the chair,
the book closed and her eyes lowered.
For minute she didn't know whether
to laugh or to cry, but with a bound
the incorrigible Peggy was in her lap
with the picture she had drawn.
Vera collected herself and looked
severe.
Peggy Jones, thought your
mother said you never went to see the
people in the house next door. Does
nurse take you? How do you get 2"
"Oh, no, Aunt Vera, nurse doesn't
take me. She doesn't know l 90. I
just crawl through under the wall at
the back Of the garden. But don't say
anything about 1t to muvver, cause
nurse might 'ketch it. IL did and, be-
sides, whenever ask her about those
people she says hush
Say, Aunt Vera, that man hasn't
got any little girls like me and he
hasn't any lady in his house like muv.
yer or anything. He says he is dread
fully lonesome. He says there was a
lady once who was going to come and
stay with him and play on his piano |
and sing to him and-and everything.
but she got mad at him, she did, and
now he is going to live alone all his
life in his house, and he's such a nice |
man and maybe IL you are a good
auntie to me I'll take you in to see |
him some time before muvver gets
back"
Vera was holding the incorrigible |
Peggy close to her, but as she listened |
to her story she kept her face turned |
away from the child.
Say, Aunt Vera, is 1t most six
o'clock? Cause forgot to tell YOU
that nice Mr.. Hush said he was com.
ing to see us when he came home
from down town tonight He said it !
would be six o'clock. but if / stayed
up could see him. He said he want.
ed to come to see my Aunt Vera only
he was afraid she wouldn't let him.
But | said you would. Now, Aunt
Vera, don't tell him | ate the cookie
he sent you"
copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)