Peggy Stewart, Navy Girl at Home | Page 4

as though a huge gossamer veil had been laid over it. If
ever pastelle colors were displayed to perfection Nature here held her
exhibition. Soft pinks, pale blues, silver grays, the tenderest greens with
here and there a touch of the maple buds' rich mahogany reds, and
above and about the maddest melody of bird songs from a hundred
throats.
As the horse swung along in his perfect gait, the great dog making
playful leaps and feinted snaps at his beautiful muzzle with a dog's
derisive smile and sense of humor, and if any one doubts that dogs have
this quality they simply don't know the animal, the girl sang at the top
of her voice.
They covered the ground with incredible swiftness and presently the
lane grew broader, giving evidence of more traffic where a wood road
crossed it at right angles. Just a little beyond this point an old
gentleman appeared in sight. He was walking with his hands clasped
behind him and his head bent to examine every foot of the roadway.
Evidently he was too absorbed to be aware of the trio bearing down
upon him. He wore the clerical garb of the Church of England, and his
face would have attracted attention in any part of the world, it was so
pure, so refined, so like a cameo in its delicacy of outline, and the skin
held the wonderful softness and clearness we sometimes see in old age.
He must have been over seventy.
Just then he became aware of the colt's light hoofbeats and looked up.
He was tall and slight but very erect, and his face lighted up with a
smile absolutely illuminating as he recognized his approaching friends.
The girl bent forward to say:
"One bell, Shashai." Whereupon her mount slackened his gait to the
gentlest amble, but the dog went bounding on to greet the newcomer.
First she dropped down at his feet, burying her nose in her forepaws as
though to make obeisance, but at his words:
"Ah, Tzaritza! Good Tzaritza, welcome!" she instantly sprang up,

rested her forepaws upon his shoulders, and looked into his face with
the most limpid pair of eyes ever seen; eyes filled with something
deeper than human love can ever summon to human eyes, for those
have human speech to supplement their appeal.
"Tzaritza. Dear, faithful Tzaritza," said the old man in the tenderest
tone as he caressed the magnificent, silky head now nestling against his
face as a child's might have nestled. "Good dog. Good dog. But here
are Peggy and Shashai. My little girl, warm greetings," he cried as
Shashai came to an instant statue-like standstill at Peggy's one word,
"Halt!" and she slid from his back, braced at "attention" and saluted in
all gravity, the clergyman returning the salute with much dignity. Then
in an instant the martial attitude and air were discarded and springing
forward the girl slipped to his side, caught one hand and by a quick,
graceful motion circled his arm about her waist and laid her head upon
his shoulder just where Tzaritza's had but a moment before rested, her
face alight with affection as she exclaimed:
"To meet you 'way, 'way out here, Compadre!"
"'Far from the madding crowd,' Filiola. Five miles to the good for these
old legs of seventy-four summers. They have served me well. I have no
fault to find with them. They are stanch friends and have carried me
many a mile. But you, my child? You and Tzaritza and Shashai? Come
hither, my beauty," and the free hand was extended to the colt which
instantly advanced for the proffered caress.
"Ah, thou bonny, bonny creature! Thou jewel among thy fellows. Ah,
but you possess a masculine frailty. Ah, yes, I've detected it. Oh,
Shashai, Shashai, is thy heart reached only through thy stomach?" for
now the colt was nozzling most insinuatingly at one of the ample
pockets of the old gentleman's top coat. Never had those pockets failed
him since the days when he had ceased to be nourished by his dam's
milk, and his faith in their bounty was not misplaced, for a slender
white hand was inserted to be withdrawn with the lump of sugar
Shashai had counted upon and held forth upon the palm from which the
velvety lips took it as daintily as a young lady's fingers could have
taken it.

Three was the dole evidently for when three had been eaten Shashai
gravely bowed his head three times in acknowledgment of his treat and
then turned to nibble at the budding trees, his benefactor returning to
Peggy.
"So this is heyday and holiday, dear heart, is it? Saturday's
emancipation from your old Dominie Exactus when you may range
wood and field unmolested, with never a thought for his