Peggy’s Double

by George M. Dennys

Jonathan Savage, having bought a house out of town, and comfortably established himself and family therein, found himself in want of a cook.

A young girl applied for the situation.

When questioned by her new mistress, the girl proved respectful and apparently capable.

She stated that she had been brought up as a cook.

She gave her name as Peggy, and declared herself anxious to suit.

And having given satisfactory answers to all interrogatories, she took her way to the kitchen, where she set herself zealously to work without delay.

“A perfect treasure,” Mrs. Savage declared—“decidedly a perfect treasure.”

There was no cause to change the opinion the next day, nor the next.

On the third night, however, Mr. Savage was surprised, on alighting from the train, to see Peggy in her black straw hat and waterproof cloak standing on the platform.

He addressed her, but she did not answer him.

And he hastened home, wondering what had happened that the “treasure” should have been dismissed so suddenly.

To his surprise, Peggy opened the door for him.

“Well, Peggy, you must have waked fast to get here before me,” he said pleasantly.

Peggy made a curtsey, but said nothing.

“I saw you at the depot, didn’t I?” said Mr. Savage.

“Please, sir, I don’t know,” said Peggy.

“You’ve been there?”

“Not to my knowledge, sir.”

“Her way of being polite and leaving it all to me,” said Mr. Savage to himself.

But though he discovered that Peggy had not left the house all day,he could scarcely believe that he had not seen her.

That very evening another odd thing happened.

Little Thomas Savage, going to look for a lost chicken, came in with a story.

“I thought I saw a ghost, mother,” he said. “It was standing by the well,… Read More