The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-06-21

PEE p'sHAtjcHNEssY ,
PART If

PEE p'',sHAucHnEssY =. .
PART IL .~@, -:
Al cannot tell you,-whats& she reason
wasS batc certain tits that @frein that
night forward Peg C'Shaughnessy
declined in my uncle's !ayor.- Some.
one else was presently asked 10 read
the:spewspaper, some one else was
expected to hand the coffee: Peg
was soen totally dismissed FROM TIE
service, and some one else elected In
hen place. And the some one else
was my Lady Fitzgibbon.
,Yhus discharged, Peg was as one.
adFift On the world. She stayed
nauch in. her own room, or sat in
corner. when in company. She vas
enbatrassed in conversation. and
Stunned notice She was not popu-
isE. People said she, was proud and
sskndsoH. So, thought, she GER
.tainly ywas; but / believed the fault.
was not her own. - ~.
For my own part, I tried; without
forcing particular attention upon her,
to wear off her fear of me, and to es.
tabEsh q friendly footing between us;
and I succeeded. Knowing her bet
ter, found that she had a bright
fancy, andca large capacity for en-
ioyment; only the misfortunes of
poverty and debt had overshadowed
all the. sunny side of her nature. I.
loved her more every day. and longed
toshft her from under her cloud into
the broad light of happiness.
Meantime, I unused much as to
whether my love might or might not
be returned; on the possibility of
Pegs crushing troubles having made
her mercenary; on her gentle atten-
taons to.sGiles Humphrey until she
was set aside. [ detested myself for
these doubts, and endured them still.
But meanwhile something occurred.
One night, after we had all retired,
Giles Humphrey kept me long in his
bedroom, listening wearily to his
Wild egotistical talk At last I broke
away from him, and was coming
softly down the corridor, so as to dis
turb no one, when I was startled by
hearing the rustic of woman's
dress, and looking, saw, by the faint
light of dim lamp, two figures, a
man and . woman, separating quick
y, and moving in different direc-
tlons. The man, / could see, was
my uncle's black servant, and, after
a moments reflection, I concluded
that the woman was some silly house
maid, who could not help flirting
with even Jacko. The adventure did
not disturb my nights rest.
But the next evening it happened
that, coming into the drawing-room
after dinner, I looked round the
room and missed Peg. also noticed
that neither was Lady Fitzgibbon to
be seen, but that did not much dis
appoint me-. Watching impatiently
for some time, and finding that Peg
did not appear, I left the drawing
room for the purpose of asking Mrs.
DAILY to step up to her room. lest
she might be IL. But, before doing
this, [ went up stairs myself to fetch
something I had forgotten in my
own chamber. Going thither, I had
to pass the end of that corridor
which have mentioned more than
once before. At this hour of the
evening it was lit more brightly than
it had been late last night. Ap-
preaching it, I hearls the same hur-
rying Of feet I had then heard, and
the same rustling of woman's
dress; but this time 1 saw the skirt
OF q black gown disappearing. It
was not a servants dress, for the
sound was that of silk. Neverthe-
less, it was the black man Jacko who
skulked past me the next moment in
the passage. AS I walked on I found
something white lying at my feet,
just where the woman had fitted
past. l picked it up; it was lady's
pocket handkerchief. pure and fine.
| thrust it into my bosom, and did
not examine it, though it was some
time before returned to the draw
ing-room. Re-entering there I be-
held Lady Fitzgibbon playing chess
with my uncle. She was dressed in
the glittering maize colored silk which
I mentioned before; dress she was
fond Of. I looked around for Peg;
she was not there, but entered the
room a few minutes after, looking
pale, I thought. In she came, in her
everlasting black gown. never had
felt revolted at its monotonous reap
pearance before. A sickening chill
crept over me rs glanced away from
her, and looked scrutinizingly all
round the room. Not lady Of the
company was dressed in black save
and accepting Peg O'Shaughnessy.
How the evening wore do not know.
[ examined that handkerchief before