The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-08-27

II
own master, with no nearer rela-
tives than an octogenarian uncle
and aunt (who would leave him
their fortunes to swell his OWN i,
and possessing the magic name
Trowbridge, one of the oldest and
most influential In that part of
the state, he was all that the
fondest mother could ask for a
son-in-law.
But another and more potent
reason was that Peggy was only
Just outgrown the little girl" es-
tate. She had put her hair up
for the first time and donned her
first long frock and gone to her
first real dance when Ed first saw
her. Tim Norris had taken her
to the dance, and Trowbridge
had escorted Belle Dawson. But
It was Ed who took Peggy home,
and Ed had been to see her every
day since. 1t was love at first
sight with Peggy, too. Only that
Peggy's love dated further back,
to the time when Peggy was ~
years old, when. hid behind the
blinds of Sam Ichy's windows she
had shyly gazed at the passing
and needless Edwin Trowbridge of
10 and given him her heart.
In Redville township, Just half
way between Trowbridges and
the Pattons, lived Sim Ichy" and
Itchy SAM" twin brothers OF IS.
On church register and deeds and
tax receipts they were formally
Samuel Richard Loomis, and Rich
ard Samuel LOOMS. But from tiny
toddlers to septagenarians they
were known to old and young as
"Sim Ichy" and Ichy Sam" 1t
was thus they themselves had first
pronounced their cognomens, inno-
cent of the mirthful significance.
Aud thus they still called them
selves and each other, tho not in
nocently now. For fun was to them
as the marrow of their bones, and
a joke no less joke because II was
on themselves.
For ten years Sam Ichy had been
bed-ridden. But he was still the
same iovial, wise, lovable old Sam
Ichy. And Ichy Sam, his counter
part, short, roly-poly. with twink
ling green eyes under shaggy red
brows, tended and cared for him
as faithfully ass mother cares for
her babe.
These two were lifetime friends
of "Old John" Patton. Peggy's
father, and Peggy's lifetime wor-
shippers.
Peggy had not told Ed during
these six months of her childish
passion for him. She had let him
court her and plead and sigh for
her favor. And she had allowed
other signing suitors to clamor
and plead, and she would not send
them away nor give Ed his answer
till four weeks before.
This attitude or Peggy's was
Supplying, not only to Peggy
mother, but to the townships of
Redville and Greencastle, as well.
For John Patton was as poor as
Edwin Trowbridge was rich. His
farm Of so acres was soil-worn,
mortgaged, buildings out of repair,
furniture dilapidated, implements
out of date. Both Mr.. and Mrs.
Patton worked necessarily to re-
alize their living, sparse as 1t was.
Neither Peggy's parents, nor
Sim Ichy, nor Ichy Sam, nor no
one but Peggy herself, knew that
this poverty was one cause of
her aloofness. She had nothing
but herself to offset Edwin Trow-
BRIDGES magnificence, and herself
should be held so high and made
so unattainable that herself would
seem a generous exchange for her
lover and all that he could give.
1t was strange reasoning for a
young girl-if that girl had not
been Peggy.
But Peggy's strength Of will, her
persistence in getting her own
way against all obstacles, her dar-
ing and Observation-Disclosures had
been imbibed from no one, but
were Peggy's own. And these At
tributes were now to come in daily
conflict with "Trowbridge stub
bornness''-a trait that three
counties knew. and had commended
with for 200 years, since the first
American Trowbridge had settled
on the same estate where Peggy
was to live her married life.
What would be the outcome was
la question that not only caused
concern to Peggy's mother. but
deep conjecture to the whole
neighborhood.
The wedding was to be next day.
Peggy went lightly upstairs and
Hooked at the dainty muslin we'd
ding-dress and her other pretty ap-
parel, lingering them caressingly.
iSmiling dreamily she lifted from
her dressers a picture Of the man
whose wife she was to be, gazed
at 1t steadily, kissed It with soft
lips.
Darling, darling, darling" she
whispered.
She set II down, stood still a
moment. then, with a quick look
toward the hall to see that her
mother was not near, she drew a
key from a hiding place behind a
picture, unlocked the drawer of a
table, and lifted out a flat brown
book with DIARY" gold-lettered
upon 1t. One eye still on the door
she opened 1t to re-read the letter
pasted (by Peggy inside the front