oked
half-shyly at Ethel and asked her quietly: "Don't you like men?"

"Not much," answered Ethel, indifferently.

"Just dogs?" persisted Peg.

"You can trust THEM," and Ethel caressed "PET'S" little pink snout.

"That's thrue," agreed Peg. "I like dogs, too. But I like children
betther. Wouldn't ye like to have a child of yer own, Ethel?"

That young lady looked at her horrifiedly: "MARGARET!"

"Well, _I_ would," said Peg. "That's the rale woman in us. Ye know ye
only fondle that animal because ye haven't got a child of yer own to
take in yer arms. Sure that's the reason all the selfish women have pet
dogs. They're afraid to have childhren. I've watched them! O' course a
dog's all very well, but he can't talk to ye, an' comfort ye, an' cry
to ye, an' laugh to ye like a child can."

Peg paused, then pointed to "PET" and launched the following wonderful
statement:

"Sure THAT thing could never be President of the United States. But if
ye had a baby he might grow up to it."

"That's very IRISH," sneered Ethel.

"Faith I think it's very human," answered Peg. "I wish ye had some more
of it, Ethel, acushla." Ethel walked away as though to dismiss the
whole subject. It was most distasteful to her:

"It is not customary for girls to talk about such things."

"I know it isn't," said Peg. "An' the more's the pity. Why shouldn't we
discuss events of national importance? We THINK about them--very well!
why shouldn't we TALK about them. Why shouldn't girls be taught to be
honest with each other? I tell ye if there was more honesty in this
wurrld there wouldn't be half the sin in it, that there wouldn't."

"Really--" began Ethel--

"Let US be honest with each other, Ethel," and Peg went right over to
her and looked at her compassionately.

"What do ye mean?" said Ethel with a sudden contraction of her breath.

"You like Mr. Brent, don't ye?"

So! the moment had come. The little spy had been watching her. Well,
she would fight this common little Irish nobody to the bitter end. All
the anger in her nature surged uppermost as Ethel answered Peg--but she
kept her voice under complete control and once more put the letter
behind her back.

"Certainly I like Mr. Brent. He is a very old friend of the family!"

"He's got a wife?"

"He has!"

"An' a baby?"

"Yes--and a baby." Ethel was not going to betray herself. She would
just wait and see what course this creature was going to take with her.

Peg went on:

"