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Manners, J. Hartley, 1870-1928

"Peg O' My Heart"

Then she hurried over to the windows and looked
out into the night. The moonlight was streaming full down the path
through the trees. In a few moments Peg went to the foot of the
stairs and listened. Not hearing anything she crept upstairs into
her own little Mauve-Room, found a cloak and some slippers and a hat
and just as quietly crept down again into the living-room.
She just had time to hide the cloak and hat and slippers on the
immense window-seat when the door opened and Ethel came into the
room. She walked straight to the staircase without looking at Peg,
and began to mount the stairs.
"Hello, Ethel!" called out Peg, all remembrance of the violent
discussion gone in the excitement of the present. "I'm studyin' for
an hour. Are yez still angry with me? Won't ye say I 'good night'?
Well, then, I will. Good night, Ethel, an' God bless you."
Ethel disappeared in the bend of the stairs.
Peg listened again until all was still, then she crept across the
room, turned back the carpet and picked up her treasure--her
marvellous book of "Love-Stories."
She took it to the table, made an island of it as was her wont--and
began to read--the precious book concealed by histories and atlases,
et cetera.
Her little heart beat excitedly.


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