PEGEEN
BY
ELEANOR HOYT BRAINERD
AUTHOR OF
MISDEMEANORS OF NANCY, Etc.
NEW YORK
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1915, by
The Century Co.
Copyright, 1915, by The Ridgway Company
Published, October, 1915
TO
THE AUTHOR’S MOTHER
WHO, LIKE PEGEEN, HAS THE NEIGHBORING HEART,
THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY
DEDICATED
PEGEEN
I
“Please, sir, I’ve come to see to you,”announced the Very Small Person.
John Archibald turned from his easel, eyedthe intruder with amazement, faintly tingedwith alarm, and thought of laughing—but didnot laugh. She was such a mere wisp of achild and so profoundly serious.
“Oh, you have, have you?” the painter remarkedfeebly. There was a solemn determinationabout this invader of his privacy thatmade him uncomfortably sure she would dowhatever she had come to do.
“Yes, sir, I’m Pegeen O’Neill. I’ll beginin the kitchen. They say it’s a sight.”
She was taking off her battered straw hatand her wet coat and rubbers, and rolling upthe sleeves of her clean but much patchedgingham dress. The artist liked her betterwithout the hat, though the extraordinarymass of black tumbled curls was too heavy aframe for the thin, sensitive, little face.
“I brought cleaning rags with me.” Thechild had an oddly efficient air. One understoodthat she would always bring the neededthings with her. “Men never have suchthings around. They’re the wastingest creatures.”
“Oh, but I do have rags around—often,”protested Archibald, “only I’m usually wearingthem.”
The weak attempt to meet the situationlightly made no impression upon her seriousness.
“Never mind. I’ll keep you mended upnow,” she said, with an air of brisk capability.
“B-b-but,” began the painter.
“You go right on with your painting,” sheadvised kindly but firmly.
“I won’t want to come in here to-day, if thatkitchen’s anything like what they say it is, ’n’maybe it’ll clear up by to-morrow so that youcan paint outdoors and not be in my way.What time do you have dinner?”
He looked helples