240

XV. WHAT WAS THE MATTER WITH LOBELIA PARKINS? 253

XVI. THE TERROR BY NIGHT 268

XVII. WAITING 279

XVIII. THE END AND THE BEGINNING 297

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

"'PEACE BE TO THIS DWELLING'" (p. 79) _Frontispiece_

"'BERTHA, LOOK AT THIS, WILL YOU?'" 36

"UP THEY WENT, HAND OVER HAND." 69

THE GRAND TELL IN THE OWL'S NEST 120

"'HERE! TAKE MY HAND AND SCRAMBLE OUT'" 207

"WITH ONE OF HER SUDDEN MOVEMENTS SHE HAD THROWN OFF
HER ASSAILANTS" 237

"'OH, GRACE, SHE HAS FAINTED!'" 272

"'WE FOUR AGAINST THE WORLD!'" 308

PEGGY.

CHAPTER I.

A NEW WORLD.

"Miss Montfort!" said the Principal.

Peggy looked about her.

"I wonder if it's another cousin!" she said to herself. "It can't be, or
Margaret would have known. Dear Margaret! now if she were only here, she
could answer, and everybody would--"

"Miss Montfort!" said the Principal again, rather sharply.

"Isn't that your name?" whispered the girl who sat beside Peggy. "You'll
have to answer, you know!"

Peggy started violently, and, looking up, met the Principal's eyes bent
upon her. She struggled to her feet, feeling herself one blush from
head to foot.

"I--I beg your pardon!" she faltered. "I didn't suppose--did you mean
me?"

"You are Miss Montfort, are you not?"

"Oh, no! my cousins are both--that is,--I am just Peggy!"

There was a general titter, which the Principal checked with her pencil.
"Young ladies!" she said in a warning tone. "Miss Montfort, you will
have room No. 18, in the second corridor. You will be alone for the
present."

"Oh, goody!" cried Peggy. "I mean--I'm ever so much obliged, thank you!
Can I go now?"

"You _may_ go now!" said the Principal, with a slight emphasis on the
auxiliary.

Peggy stumbled over the foot of the girl next her, stepped on her own
dress, tripped and came to her knees; picked herself up, with a sound of
rending cloth, and finally got out of the room. This time the titter was