Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [Illustration: UNCLE JOHN AND THE YOUNG CUBANS.] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOKS FOR GIRLS By Laura E. Richards The MARGARET SERIES Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House The HILDEGARDE SERIES Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest DANA ESTES & COMPANY Publishers Estes Press, Summer St., Boston ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THREE MARGARETS By LAURA E. RICHARDS Author Of "Captain January," "Melody," "Queen Hildegarde," Etc. Illustrated by ETHELRED B. BARRY Boston Dana Estes & Company Publishers ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright, 1897 By Estes and Lauriat Colonial Press: Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. Boston, Mass., U. S. A. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. The Arrival 9 II. First Thoughts 21 III. The White Lady of Fernley 36 IV. Confidence 51 V. The Peat-bog 65 VI. The Family Chest 81 VII. The Garret 98 VIII. Cuba Libre 115 IX. Day by Day 131 X. Looking Backward 147 XI. Heroes and Heroines 163 XII. In the Saddle 187 XIII. In the Night 208 XIV. Explanations 220 XV. Farewell 237 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Uncle John and the Young Cubans Frontispiece Aunt Faith's Room 43 Peggy at the Bog 73 In the Garret 105 "Cuba Libre" 125 Peggy Writes Home 143 Horseback 201 Rita's Apology 227 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THREE MARGARETS. CHAPTER I. THE ARRIVAL. Long ago and long ago, And long ago still, There dwelt three merry maidens Upon a distant hill. Christina G. Rossetti.