, by a
miracle, had the gift of sweet sounds given her, and found herself
bathed in a flow of sweet music. She was bewildered. Her view of life
had changed. She would have to rearrange her outlook by her experience
if she hoped to find happiness.

And always as she brooded and argued with and criticised herself and
found things to admire in what had hitherto been wrong to her--always
the face of Jerry rose before her and the sound of his voice came
pleasantly to her ears and the memory of his regard touched gently at
her heart, and the thought of her final mistake burnt and throbbed in
her brain.

And with each pulsation of the giant engines she was carried farther
and farther away froze the scene of her first romance. One night she
made her "farewell" to England and all it contained that had played a
part in her life.

It was the night before she reached New York.

As she came nearer and nearer to America, the thought of one who was
waiting for her--who had never shown anger or resentment toward
her--whatever she did; who had never shown liking for any but her; who
had always given her the love of his heart and the fruit of his brain;
who had sheltered and taught and loved and suffered for her,--rose
insistently before her and obliterated all other impressions and all
other memories.

As she spoke her "farewell" to England, Peg turned her little body
toward the quickly nearing shores of America and thanked God that
waiting to greet her would be her father, and entreated Him that he
would be spared to her, and that when either should die that she might
be called first; that life without him would be barren and terrible!
and above all, she pleaded that He would keep her little heart loyal
always to her childhood hero, and that no other should ever supplant
her father in her love and remembrance.

When she awoke nest day amid the bustle of the last morning on board,
it seemed that her prayer had been answered.

Her farewell to England was indeed final.

She had only one thought uppermost--she was going to see her father.

BOOK V

PEG RETURNS TO HER FATHER

CHAPTER I

AFTER MANY DAYS

Frank O'Connell stood on the quay that morning in July, and watched the
great ship slowly swing in through the heads, and his heart beat fast
as he waited impatiently while they moored her.

His little one had come back to him.

His fears were at rest.

She was on board that floating mass of steel and iron, an