Produced by Susan Skinner, Chris Curnow, Pamela Patten and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: THE GIRL’S OWN PAPER VOL. XX.—NO. 1006.] APRIL 8, 1899. [PRICE ONE PENNY.] ABOUT PEGGY SAVILLE. BY JESSIE MANSERGH (Mrs. G. de Horne Vaizey), Author of “Sisters Three,” etc. [Illustration: AT THE CROSS ROADS.] _All rights reserved._] CHAPTER XXVII. Arthur kept his word, and tried manfully not to let his own disappointment interfere with the enjoyment of Christmas Day. The party at the vicarage was smaller than usual, for Rob and Oswald had both gone home for the festive season, and he knew well that the knowledge that “Arthur was coming” had seemed the best guarantee of a merry day to those who were left behind. Peggy too—poor little Peg, with her bandaged hands and tiny white face—it would never do to grieve her by being depressed and gloomy! “Begone, dull care!” cried Arthur to himself then, when he awoke on Christmas morning, and promptly wrapping himself in his dressing-gown, he sallied out on to the landing, where he burst into the strains of “Christians, awake!” with such vigorous brush-and-comb accompaniment on the panels of the doors as startled the household out of their dreams. “Miserable boy! I was having such a lovely nap! I’ll never forgive you!” cried Mrs. Asplin’s voice in sleepy wrath. “Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!” shouted the girls, and Peggy’s clear pipe joined in last of all. “And many of them! Come in! Come in! I was lying awake and longing to see you!” Arthur put his ruffled head round the door and beamed at the little figure in the bed, as if he had never known a trouble in his life. “What a wicked story! I heard you snore. Merry Christmas, Peg, and a Happy New Year! And don’t you go for to do it again never no more! It’s a jolly morning. I’ll take you out for a toddle in the garden when we come home from church, if you are a good girl. Will you have your present now, or wait till you get it? It begins with a B. I love my love with a B., because she’s a——” “Oh, Arthur!” interrupted Peggy regretfully. “I haven’t half such a nice present for you as I expected. You see I couldn’t work anything, and I couldn’t get out to the shops, and I hadn’t nearly as much money as I expected either. If Bob and I had won that prize, I should have had ten pounds; but the stupid editors have put off announcing the result week after week. They say there were so many competitors; but that’s no consolation, for it makes our chance less. I do hope it may be out next week. But, at any rate, I didn’t get my ten pounds in time, and there I was, you see, with little money and practically no hands, a—er—a most painful contingency, which I hope it may never be your lot to experience. You must take the will for the deed.”