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The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, January 04, 1913, Image 19

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1913-01-04/ed-1/seq-19/

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was why people thought he was
simple.
"I guess that Tarrish girl will
be getting marric1 to Captain
Framley now that she has given
young Carew the mitten," the
gossips of Loganville said to one
another expressively. "If Peter
hadn't been such a fool well,
yo couldn't expect a high-spirited
young woman like her to mar
ry any but an army man !"
"-She'll have to get married
pretty soon, I reckon," would
come the answer. "That three
thousand insurance the colonel
left won't last forever. They say
she's living on the principal. It'll
last less than a year at the rate
she's spending it."
Thereafter the old house was
gay with company; army men,
mostly, though sometimes men
like Peter came and stayed and
went away not to return. Cap
tain Framley belonged to the
fastest set in the garrison but
Edith knew nothing about that.
She .only knew that they were
fascinating and daring and yet
respectful. And in all but the last
quality how different from Peter !
Anybody but a simpleton like
Peter would have stayed away,
but Peter came just the same, and
if he came less often he was just
as polite, just as amiably interest
ed as before. Sometimes the gar
rison officers made fun of him,
but only in a sly manner. Some
how Peter had a lurking quality
in him, a subdued power in his
"" mild blue eyes that instinctively
made itself felt. Xobody would
have cared to affront six feet of J
keyed-up humanity like Pete?
Carew.
When people saw that Peter
did not take his rebuff, the news
of which was common property,
they grinned again, but Peter had
a reason which he kept to him
self. Peter's father had called
him to his bedside two hours be
fore he died.
"Peter," he said, "that filly of
the colonel's will take the bit be
tween her teeth some day and
bolt. She's got all her father's
spirit, and she's good and fine;
but she ought to have been a boy.
There's much she doesn't know
yet. Drive her on the snaffle,
Peter, but hold the curb ready.
God bless you, Peter. I wish I
could live to see you happily mar
ried." Those were his last words, but
Peter never forgot them. And
when his illusions faded and he
began to see Edith Tarrish in a
clearer light, he felt, though he
could not have expressed the feel
ing, that it was his duty to pro
tect and aid her, if ever she need
ed his aid, and that because the
colonel had been his father's
closest friend, so he must be
Edith's.
And then the day came when
he knew he must aid her against
herself.
It happened unexpectedly, as
most things of that nature hap
pen. He was approaching the
house at dusk, and, silhouetted
against the shade, he saw Edith
and a man. He saw the man
raise Edith's hand to his lips and
hold it there. And the man was

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