 Why was Socks a part of this story?
Mrs. Lane smiled gently and placed her soft white hand on her daughter’s lean brown one. We both want to do what’s best for you, not to stand in your way. The theater is full of beginners a year and even two years younger than I am, and girls of my age have lots of acting credits already. “None of them is as fascinating as acting to me,” Peggy replied, “and none of them is nearly as important to my life.” We think you’re wonderful, but the theater is full of young girls whose parents thought they were the most talented things alive; girls who won all kinds of applause in high-school and college plays; girls who have everything except luck. You may be one of these girls, and if you are, we want you to be prepared for it. We want you to have something to fall back on, just in case you ever need it.” I don’t see how you could miss being the biggest success ever—but I’m your father, not a Broadway critic or a play producer, and I could be wrong. All I ask is that you finish college and get a teacher’s certificate so that you can always find useful work if you have to. What I want to prove in this year is that I can act. 5 “It seems to me, Tom, that Margaret has a pretty good idea of what she’s doing,” Mrs. Lane said. If she were all starry-eyed and expected to see her name in lights in a few weeks, I’d vote against her going, but I’m beginning to think that maybe she’s right about this being the best time.” His pipe satisfactorily sending up thick clouds of fragrant smoke, he took it out of his mouth before continuing more evenly. “Peg, your mother and I are cautious only because we love you so much and want what’s going to make you happy. Before I came out here to Rockport to edit the Eagle , I worked as a reporter on one of the best papers in New York. Peggy nodded silently and walked to the kitchen door, where she paused to say, “I’m just going out to the barn to see if Socks is all right for the night. Ever since she had been a little girl, the barn had been Peggy’s favorite place to go to be by herself and think. Its musty but clean scent of straw and horses and leather made her feel calm and alive.
 Technically Socks helped Peggy pass the time, but Socks also gives us more of an idea of what Peggy's life at home is like and how wonderful it is.
 Technically Socks helped Peggy pass the time, but Socks also gives us more of an idea of what Peggy's life at home is like and how wonderful it is.  Peggy talks to Socks about all her major life decisions.  Peggy might reconsider staying home because of how much she loves Socks.  She only helped Peggy pass time while her parents made a decision.