Year: 1870

of the household So lay in prison with
this awful charge upon me, until they knew
whether master would live or die and my
greatest grief was Peggy.


" Keep it from her" begged them, un-
I'll she must know it,


And they were kind and did it and her
letters were sent to me in prison. Ii was a
weary time, and the one drop Of comfort in
il came from those letters. | had had five
from her when at the end Of one, came
this


" Dear jack II never hide anything from
you, and do not want TO boast of my conquests,
thing I'd never do but just to let you
know | keep no secrets to myself must tell
you what has happened. Our master hos
hired a man, lazy fellow, that | disliked at
first sight, Mark Hulker by name and what
should he do but take a notion to me, or pre-
tend to do so trying his best 10 sit up with
me after his work hours, following me about
wherever 60 Of holiday. Then he tries
to make me like him by telling me how rich
he is. Four hundred dollars he has laid by,
he says, and gold watch like a gentleman.
The other Sunday | was dressed for church,
and up he walks. Why, Peggy says he,


You've no pin to your collar Said |, |
can't afford money for Gnery Then says
he Now, how lucky it is that I've one to
give you and he pulls pin from his pocket.
Jack, couldn't help looking at it, 1t was
ady's portrait, with hair all white though
she was young, like an old woman's. He said
it was powdered as they done it in old times;
and a pink dress, and no bigger than silver
quarter altogether How he came by such a
thing, goodness knows But Of course |
wouldn't have it. Says he Now do take
it, Peggy want to keep company with
you, and now you know the truth So says
Il: want neither your company nor your
presents, and please remember that hereafter
II was rough, | know, but [ hate him so.
And was none too rude, for he bothers me
yet as much as ever. Though you know if
he were ever SO good and handsome, | am
your own Peggy, and think Of no one else"


When | read that you might have knocked
me down with feather The pin was the
one the old farmer had lost and | knew it,
aud it was Mark who was the thief, and who
had tried to murder him.


sent for the lawyer who was to take my
side, and who had all along believed me inno-
cent gave him the letter.


" It's old masters PIN | said. What
shall do, sir ?"


And he said" You can do nothing, my
poor fellow, but wait and hope | have a
clue and I'll follow it up


Then he went away, and afterwards heard
what he did. lie went down to the place
where Peggy lived, and took her out Of dan.
ger of the eaves-droppers, and told her all that
had happened. The brave girl trembled and
wept but she spoke out


" He's innocent" she said I'd not be-
ieye him guilty if an angel told me he was"


Aud the lawyer said, out of his heart,
though she was but serving lass


" He's worthy of you Peggy Grey, do
believe, and that's saying good deal.


Then he asked her about the pin, and the
two had long talk. 1t ended in Peggy
bursting into tears, and promised to do any
thing and everything he asked, if he would
but tell me why she did it.


He told me afterwards and it was hard
work for little Peggy with her honest heart.
Bless her She turned herself around made
different creature of herself, and she tried
hard to make Mark llulker think she had
been coquetting all the WHILE and oh how
she cried when she told me that she let him
kiss her, and put his arm around her waist.
But she gained her end by it.


One night my good old lawyer and two
other men, were shut up in the pantry with
Peggy's master, and she dressed in her best
and waiting for Mark Hulker. That night
she had promised to take his pin, and if be
proved he had the money he Dragged of, to
marry him and Mark was as merry as
could be, and little the worse for liquor


"Now lass, said he "a promise is prom
Use. There's the money to count and the
watch to look at, and the pin to wear. Now
you'll have me ~


And just then the pantry door opened behind
him, and hand came down on his shoulder.


ave have you, my fine fellow said
voice, and there and then arrested him for
the money and the watch and the pin, were
old masters.


He gave up all hope from that minute,
and confessed everything. How he had made
up his mind to rob old master that evening
before he was dismissed. How he had seen
me climb out of the window, and so dressed
himself in clothes like mine, and made his
plans to throw suspicion upon me.


My Peggy brought the good news first,
brought it into my cell, and threw herself,
weeping, into my arms, crying out, "you'7e
free, darling free and clear, thank heaven"


They did not hang Mark, for master after
awhile got better, and in the end quito well.
But they punished him for the robbery, and
for something he had done of the same kind
before ever he came to masters.


And as for the old man, when he was well
he was 50 sorry for the charge he had made
against me, Though he had honestly believed
me guilty, as | well knew that he made me
present Of little farm, and stocked it for
me. And he gave the wife Peggy her outfit
and here we are, as happy as the sheep in the
meadow yonder, or the bees in the hive hard
by. And when we bear talk Of books and
plays, Peggy says to me Jack, if they
only knew our story, they'd make one of it,
I'm very sure p and as they say you're a
writer, why tell it to you, sir.


Ia, nH