Then her letters took on
a different aspect. They contained a curious half-note of happiness
in them. No more mention of returning. On the contrary, Peg appeared
to be making the best of the conditions in which she was placed.
These later letters set O'Connell wondering. Had the great Message
of Life come to his little Peg?
Although he always felt it WOULD come some day, now that it seemed
almost a very real possibility, he dreaded it. There were so few
natures would understand her.
Beneath all her resolute and warlike exterior, it would take a
keenly observing eye to find the real, gentle, affectionate nature
that flourished in the sunshine of affection, and would fret and
pine amid unsympathetic surroundings.
That Peg was developing her character and her nature during those
few weeks was clear to O'Connell. The whole tone of her letters had
changed. But no word of hers gave him any clue to the real state of
her feelings, until one day he received a letter almost entirely
composed of descriptions of the appearance, mode of speech, method
of thought and expression of one "Jerry." The description of the man
appealed to him, he apparently having so many things in common with
the mysterious person who had so vividly impressed himself on Peg.
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