| Show P Peggys Peggy's Holiday Guest rr r w-r- w r r By Dy L L. L A A. A ROSE ROSI II hL u w RAT nAT do you ou think stout about n ask k VV Ing Mrs lire Jamieson OD asked Peggy doubtfully to so alone In the world except for tor that nephew that never shows up up Belle Sperry who wan was writing down the list lilt of 01 to guests tapped her herred red ltd lips lIls with her pencil thoughtfully We IVe Intended to ask all the old ladles of or the neighborhood It If would he be rather a shame to omit anyone just because she seems snobbish Youre right said sold Peggy prompt prompt- ly Iy y Write her down Now how man many does that make The two girls continued their plans for tor the holiday party and were soon as ns absorbed as If preparing their own coming out coming out festivities As n a matter of 01 tact fact Peggy and andRelle Belle Relle were past the age of ot debuts They had been bern art students together In In New Nv York and at the time of ofle le trouble trouble the the departure without without without with with- out n a word of 01 the nun man who lind Just asked her to marry him him Belle Belle had louk after lifter her like a mother He- He they hail pooled their resources and 1 nn an old fashioned house houseIn In this old fashioned town and were making n II fair Income out of 01 nil all sorts of 01 odds and ends of 01 Jobs along with Belles Belle's free lancing and Peggys Peggy's pen pen- Ink and sketches The holiday party had been Peggys Peggy's Idea Ideo It must be dreadful she had said to Belle Delle to be old and spend all your our time with people not of your own generation Sometime Im I'm going to get all the old ladles to together ether and let them then talk of days gone one by The girls had fairly outdone hem bem- selves In fn preparation They had nil all arrived but one one and that one Mrs JamIeson when the thet t telephone rang Peggy with a glance at Belle Delle which said laId I knew shed she'd back out at nt the last minute flew to answer When sh she came come back her face tace was troubled Oh she's coming she whispered to Belle who was giving the final touch touches s to the table but she's bringing n guest I I didn't quite catch the name hut but some relative from abroad who Just dropped In la laAs As It happened Peggy lellY was busy In the kitchen when Mrs JamIeson arrived and It was Belle nelle who received ro- ro her tier und and her guest Two minutes minutes min utes later Belle lied had flown out to Peggy with startled stort eyes Peggy darling what shall shull I do Its It's Its It's Its It's Paul I 1 am tart sure he doesn't know I INor Nor or hI his aunt of 01 course She's having have bay ing ins the loveliest time tIme as friendly as can be with everyone I She rattled on giving Peggy leggy time timeto timeto timeto to recover recover herself for tor the girl had gone dead white Then she rallied Of 01 course theres there's a terrible mistake mistake mis 1 take somewhere He De couldn't come so casually If It he knew Well We'll have bave to go through with it It but I cant can't possIbly possibly possibly pos pos- sibly see him hint or let him know I am here beret Ill I'll Just keep out of sight Say Im I'm sIck Or or or any anythIng thing I ISo 1 So the uninvited and unspeakably unwelcome guest bad had Peggys Peggy's place while Peggy carved turkey replenished replenished the vegetables and cranberry sauce und and cut the pies Quite as If U her heart was not In utter torment Just once she caught a glimpse of hIm when the door swung wide behind behind be be- hind Belle Belie bearing out the turkey between between between be be- tween courses Afterwards Peggy sat on the top stair In the hall ball above listening to the chatter below She had been quite wron wrong as to what they would talk about They were concerned every everyone everyone everyone one of them with the present with radio concerts bobbed hair the lat latest st picture Suddenly above the others she ahe beard heard PaulI Paul I 1 wonder he was saying quietly If any of ot you here have bave ever heard of a Miss Margaret Everett I have come from England to find her and heard that at one oDe time she lived here Why Why why that's our absent hostess hos hoe tess J she ehe heard some one say Her Iler hand at her throat Peggy leaned forward straining to hear henr She thought Pauls Paul's voice sounded shaken Aunt Harriet this is' is ti I Ire possible I You spoke of 01 a Peggy Pem- oh I wonder where wonder where Is she Two minutes later Paul faced Peggy Pen across the empty room dining-room table There can be nothing to say Peggy was saying sternly But Bat oh listen I pleaded Paul rant J 1 accepted your note at the time as Inevitable but lately I have wondered If I came back there would be a chance chance- M My note asked the girl rId Why yes res said Paul I 1 nav have carried car car- vied ried It with me Fr From m his bis pocketbook he took a II wrinkled bit of note paper and passed It across across ss to Peggy Peggy Peru read It silently Read I It ii twice Have Ilave considered your proposal and cannot accept My answer is Ii Iian an unconditional un UD conditional No I I For a moment her ber eyes were blank Then they filled Oiled with tears Oh Ob tb the wasted years rears she murmured This was written to an on advertising man who wanted to use 8 u a picture of mine for a hosiery advertisement Some Som Someway way It It got cot Into the wrong envelope Oh Ob Paull If It I 1 hadn't remembered my aunt aun lived here the here the place I 1 bad had traced yo yoto you to and to-and and visited her ber And If I hadn't had bad the party party party- who knows said Peggy Pega Then Nev l Never lever er mind she said It happened happened- u ha beat I r v. v 4 i |
