Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-11
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
BY Mary Douglass.
THE DILEMMA.
CHAPTER .XXVU.

had been week with Mrs. Newton,
| when ] realized that Peggy had not
acknowledged my check. At first l
thought it was just her natural careless
ness But when l had written her twice to
the address she had given me, IN Newark,
and still / received no answer, was
worried ! telegraphed her. When | had
telegraphed her a second time and still
| had heard nothing | was frantic with
anxiety.
| Mrs. Newton was going to spend the
week end out of town; SO fortunately /
| was fl quite free and could act.
| ] started out for Newark. On, the tedl-
Gus journey, pictured all sorts of calami-
| tics that could have happened to my little
sister. She might be sick and unable to get
word to me-or she might have moved and
not received the check. Further than that,
l dared not go in my dread imaginings.
| As | climbed the steps of the cheap
| boarding house, which was Peggy's ad-
| dress, | almost knew she would not be
| there.
| Miss Richards?' | asked at the door.
| ''"There amt no Miss Richards here"
| the girl at the door answered tartly.
"But there must be-" | persisted.
| The maid shook her head and began to
| close the door In my face,
4
| door was quite closed, | cried, "a little
girl, with hazel eyes and dark hair that
crrls she is pretty"
The door opened a trifie. "You mean
Miss Delphine Donald. Why didn't you
say SOP
YES" ] said thankfully, not noticing
the girls rsIdeness.
| | stood in the cluttered hall, with
wrangle of voices coming to me from be-
hind n closed door.
"You kin go up the maid said, "the
second door to the right"
/ Suppose this Delphine Donald was not
Peggy, after all, ] thought. Which way
should | turn next?
Come inr' the hute-hke voice was
none other than Peggy's.
pushed open the door and saw my lit
| tie sister sitting amidst IA melee of clothes
that were heaped about her on the floor.
| An open trunk took up almost all the
space OF her small room
Peggy, dear, ] cried, what has been
the natter
Matter" Peggy repeated, a frown
wrinkling her smooth brows.
Didn't you get the check, the tele-
grams
Peggy stared back at me defantly. She
finally spoke, "Yes, got themp'
but, Peggyr' | gasped anger sweeping
over me In quick gust of feeling.
Peggy sprang TO her feet, scattering
the clothes about her and caught the
window ledge as il she would leap ont.
Il was going away without telling you,
| Hazel YOU can't stop me, at any rate! 80
it's useless to try!' 1t was all said in n
defiant tone; but heard underneath, the
| tremble in her voice and | saw the qulver
| of her lips.
81 am going off with man" the color
| flushed her soft checks" OF course you
| won't understand. YOU have such narrow
ideas about marriage and all that"
Still | said nothing and Peggy, glanc-
ng away from me, hurried on. The words
might have been 3 lesson she had learned
| sonewhere-they sounded as though
someone had fought her 70 say them:
Its only the narrow people that
bother about marriage and all that What
are few words said by minister? All
those ideas are old and out-of-date--
am big enough to live wsth a man be-
cause | love himI'
'7Hho is he, Peggy" asked, the blood
beating through my heart IN sickening
thuds
.IIe plays the piano, oh, wonderfully,
IN the show Peggy explained.
Why wont he marry you?' | asked
gently
Peggy's anger fared at the question.
Ell thought Id explained to youi We
. don't believe IN marriage" She was
turning and twisting her handkerchief.
She kicked a dress that lay on the floor at
her feet "He's married, F" she said, and did
not lift her eyes 70 mine.
must act part now, / realized, if
| : f,tF fla
sister.
"Of course your ideas are bigger than
mine, about marriage and all that. He
must be doing it for your good"
~Oh yes, DC is Peggy hurried on, "He
knows / will be happier. He will be true
to me, he swears 1t. He says he loves me
better than anything else In the world"
do YOU love him." / asked | felt
very old and tired, as though / had known
all this before.
II don't know" Peggy said Her
hshes swept her cheek and | saw the color
dip into the neck Of her frock, 81 ike it
when he Kisses me"
That's all right, then" I saisi as if it
were all settled, I've come over to invite
you TO stay with me for the week end.
I'm IN a beautiful apartment-we have a
car-and We can do anything at all We
choose"
Tin afraid 1 can't go this week end, -
Peggy began restiessly.
/ thought desperately Of some induce
nnent could offer her. 'I'II get you u new
dress. Do you like unne?"
Peggy's eyes widened and frightened,
at is stunning she said Perhaps Will
come before go away. she weakened
Throw your things into that bag"
pleaded
Tomorrow Friend IN Need