South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-02

days when uniforms had been blue.
There was something about him that
reminded her vaguely OF someone
she had seen before. Cousin Joshua
Pendleton, she thought it was.
Cousin Joshua had been a hero, dead
at the battle Of Gettysburg. He had
had the same square jaw. the same
frank eyes. the same courtly bear
ing. Looking at Peggy's young lieu
tenant the old lady saw him TO be OF
the stuff Of heroes. She was very
gracious TO him, proud that the Pen
dleton board had the honor of this
presence. She asked him to come
again.
Il didn't know young men were
so polite. nowadays" she said to
Peggy after he had gone. He is
quite different from the rowlyish
boys who used to come here, Peggy"
sort of stih. think" deprecated
Peggy, whereat the old lady gave an
offended snort
After that Lieut.. Smith-Mrs.
Pendleton assured her grand-daugh-
ter that some very nice people are
named Smith, came TO the house
very often indeed. But it was the old
lady who asked him, and it was the
old lady who entertained him while
Peggy sat with her knitting, silent
and slightly bored. 1t was obvious
that the young man was falling in
love with Peggy. what was the mat
ter with the girl? Still thinking
about that miserable blacksmith?
Here was a sutton worthy of a
Pendleton. yet she gave him no en-
cOuragement. The grandmother fell
into the way of all match-makers,
she pleaded illness so that they
might dine alone together, she LEFT
them alone while she took her maps.
she talked of his projections to
Peggy so constantly that it was a
wonder the girl did not grow to hate
him.
And gradually Peggy did begin to
thaw a little, she admitted that he
was rather nice. in spite of his dig
nifty His eyes were not bad, for
brown ones, and he did talk inter-
estingly. He was not the sort of per-
son she could ever be interested in,
of course, but he was good COM
pany.
So. under the circumstances. the
old lady was quite unprepared TO
come into the library one evening
and find Peggy in Lieut.. Smiths lap.
with his arms around her.
The lieutenant was so startled at
seeing Madame PendIeton that he
quite forgot TO stand up. Since Peggy
made no move to rise first he could
not have done so without spilling
her, and Peggy was quite comforta-
bic where she was.
"Oh grandma" she sang out
What do you think? Lieut.. Smith
has just asked me to marry hint
May II"
MY dear! My dear children! AL
low me to congratulate you. OF
course. my darling grand daughter,
you may do whatever your heart
Dictates
We'll" said Peggy slowly, my
heart dictates that l should be mar
ried at once TO Lieut.. Robert Carter
Smith of the United States army.
former owner and general manager
of Smiths Hardware store in New
ton. Virginia.
The old lady sank Imply into a
chair.
Peggy" she gasped. you don't |
mean to tell me that Lieut.. Smith !
is the same person who-who-'
THE very same, Mrs. Pendleton," I,
the lieutenant spoke for himself. II |
think that I have not presumed upon |
your hospitality. You see you con- |
demned me before you knew me at
all. And your chief reason for con- |
sidering me ineligible was, l believe, /
that I kept a hardware store. That's /
all over now, and perhaps, as an Of I,
fcer-"
Good gracious" chuckled the old !
lady. 81 guess if I'd know you well (
enough to realize that it was you |
Peggy wanted to marry 1 wouldn't /
have minded what you did. And as L
is. well. I'm glad that the Pendle- !
ton family is TO have the honor of /
soldier!"