Peggy Stewart at School | Page 3

adding: "Sis Cynthia done make
de sallylun jist ter de perfection pint, an' she know dat pint too."
Peggy made no comment upon the implied reproach of her guest's
tardiness, but crossing the room to a big chair, whither Tzaritza had
already preceded her to rub noses with a magnificent white Persian cat,
she stooped to stroke Sultana, who graciously condescended to purr
and nestle her beautiful head against Peggy's hand. Sultana had only
been a member of the Severndale household since July, Mr. Harold
having sent her to Peggy as "a semi-annual birthday gift," he said. She
had adapted herself to her new surroundings with unusual promptitude
and been adopted by the other four-footed members of the estate as "a
friend and equal." The trio formed a picturesque group as they stood
there.
The dark-haired, dark-eyed young girl of fifteen, with her rich, clear
coloring, her cheeks softly tinted from her brisk walk in the morning
sunshine was very lovely. She wore a white duck skirt, a soft nainsook

blouse open at the throat, the sailor collar knotted with a red silk scarf.
Her heavy braids were coiled about her shapely head and held in place
with large shell pins, soft little locks curling about her forehead.
The past year had wrought wonderful changes in Peggy Stewart. The
little girl had vanished forever, giving place to the charming young girl
nearing her sixteenth milestone. The contact with the outer world
which the past three months had given, when she had made so many
new friends and seen so much of the service and social world, had done
a great deal towards developing her. Always exceptionally well poised
and sure of herself, the summer at Navy Bungalow in New London, at
Newport, Boston, and at other points at which the summer practice
Squadron had touched, had broadened her outlook, and helped her
gauge things from a different and wider viewpoint than Severndale or
Annapolis afforded. Though entirely unaware of the fact, Peggy had
few rivals in the world of young girls.
Presently a step sounded upon the polished floor of the broad hall and
Mrs. Peyton Stewart, Peggy's aunt by marriage, stood in the doorway.
Under one arm she carried her French poodle. Stooping she placed it
upon the floor with the care which suggested a degree of fragility
entirely belied by the bad-tempered little beast's first move, for as
Peggy advanced with extended hand to greet her aunt, Toinette made a
wild dash for the Persian cat, which onset was met by one dignified
slap of the Sultana's paw, which left its red imprint upon the poodle's
nose and promptly toppled the pampered thing heels-over-head.
Tzaritza stood watching the entire procedure with dignified surprise,
and when the yelping little beast rolled to her feet, she calmly gathered
her into her huge jaws and stalking across the room held her up to
Peggy, as though asking:
"What shall I do with this bad-mannered bit of dogdom? Turn her over
to your discipline, or crush her with one snap of my jaws?"
"Oh you horrible, savage beast! You great brute! Drop her! Drop her!
Drop her instantly! My precious Toinette. My darling!" shrieked
Toinette's doting mistress. "Peggy, how can you have such a savage
creature near you? She has crushed every bone in my pet's body. Go

away! Go away!"
The scorn in Tzaritza's eyes was almost human. With a low growl, she
dropped the thoroughly cowed poodle at Peggy's feet and then turned
and stalked from the room, the very picture of scornful dignity. Mrs.
Stewart snatched the poodle to her breast. There was not a scratch upon
it save the one inflicted by Sultana, and richly deserved, as the tuft of
the handsome cat's fur lying upon the floor testified.
"I hardly think you will find her injured, Aunt Katherine. Tzaritza
never harms any creature smaller than herself unless bidden to. She
brought Toinette here as much for the little dog's protection as for
Sultana's."
"Sultana's! As though she needed protection from this fairy creature.
Horrible, vicious cat! Look at poor Toinette's nose."
"And at poor Sultana's fur," added Peggy, pointing to the tuft upon the
floor and slightly shrugging her shoulders.
"She deserved it for scratching Toinette's nose."
"I'm afraid the scratch was the second move in the onslaught."
"We will not argue the point, but in future keep that great hound
outside of the house, and the cat elsewhere than in the dining-room, I
beg of you--I can't have Toinette's life endangered, or my nerves
shocked in this manner again."
For a moment Peggy looked at her aunt in amazement. Keep Tzaritza
out of the house and relegate the Sultana to the servant's quarters? What
had become of the lady of smiles and compliments whom she had
known at