me time looking at the shabby
clothes, the hungry-looking dog, and the soiled parcel.

"I don't want anythin' with her. I was just told to wait!"

"Who are you?" Peg was now getting angry too. There was no mistaking
the manner of the proud young lady. Peg chafed under it. She looked up
sullenly into Ethel's face and said:

"I was not to say a wurrd, I'm tellin' ye. I was just to wait." Peg
settled back in the chair and stroked "MICHAEL." This questioning was
not at all to her liking. She wished Mr. Hawkes would come and get her
out of a most embarrassing position. But until he DID she was not going
to disobey his instructions. He told her to say nothing, so nothing
would she say.

Ethel turned abruptly to Brent and found that gentleman looking at the
odd little stranger somewhat admiringly. She gave an impatient
ejaculation and turned back to Peg quickly:

"You say you have only been here a minute?"

"That's all," replied Peg. "Just a minnit."

"Were we talking when you came in?"

"Ye were."

Ethel could scarcely conceal her rage.

"Did you hear what we said?"

"Some of it. Not much," said Peg.

"WHAT did you hear?"

"Please don't--it's so hot this mornin'," said Peg with no attempt at
imitation--just as if she were stating a simple, ordinary occurrence.

Ethel flushed scarlet. Brent smiled.

"You refuse to say why you're here or who you are?" Ethel again asked.

"It isn't ME that's refusin'. All the gentleman said to me was, 'Ye go
to the place that's written down on the card and ye sit down there an'
wait. And that's all ye do.'" Ethel again turned to the perplexed
Brent: "Eh?"

"Extraordinary!" and Brent shook his head.

The position was unbearable. Ethel decided instantly how to relieve it.
She looked freezingly down at the forlorn-looking little intruder and
said:

"The servants' quarters are at the back of the house."

"ARE they?" asked Peg, without moving, and not in any way taking the
statement to refer to her.

"And I may save you the trouble of WAITING by telling you we are quite
provided with servants. We do not need any further assistance."

Peg just looked at Ethel and then bent down over "MICHAEL." Ethel's
last shot had struck home. Poor Peg was cut through to her soul. How
she longed at that moment to be back home with her father in New York.
Before she could say anything Ethel continued:

"If you insist on waiting kindly do so there."

Peg took "MICHAEL" up in her arms, co