Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-14

Jury succunlbed one day to the presence of Peg
In the court room. IL was not progressing
presence az any tine; but the excitement and
an injudiciouS attempt 10 ornament herself.
that was almost unreal. Every freckle on her
face stood out and asserted itself 5fngly; her
pale-biue eyes. that gave no INDICATION of
her force Of character. were weak and wander
ing. or stared hIaaSly at the judge her over
sized head. broad at the base, terminating in
the scantiest possible llght-coloTed ofaid In the
and uninteresting as the wooden spheres that
topped the railing against which she sat The
IuTv who fer six weeks had had her de Scrbed
10 them by the plaintiffs as an arch, willy en-
chaItress. who had Slapped the falling reason of
Jim Byways, revolted TO a man. There was
something 50 appallingly gratuitouS in her
nIajnEess that it was felt tnat three millions
was scarcely a compensation for 1t. " Ef That
money was give TO her. she earned Ii s"Ts, boys
il wasn't no SoftneSS OF the old man" said the
foreman. When the jury retired, it was felt
shat she had cleared her character. When they
re-entered the room with their verdict, it WAS
known that she had been awarded three millions
damages for Its defamation.
She got the money. But those who had con-
fidently expected TO see her Squander it were
disappointed. On the contrary, it was pre-
sently whispered that she was exceedingly pen
uriouS. That admirable woman, Mrs. Silver OF
Red Dog. who accompanied her to San Francisco
to assist her In making purchases, was loud in
her indignation. '.She cares more for two bits
than do for -. She wouldn't buy anything at
the City OF Paris because 1t was too eXpen-
aive. and at last rugged herself out, perfect
guy. at some cheap slop-shOI'S in Market street.
And after all the care Jane and me took OF her,
giving up cur time and experience to her, she
never 50 much as made Jane single present"
Popular opinion, which regarded Mrs Stiyer'i
attention as purely speculative. was not shocked
at this improbable denOuement, but when Peg
refused to give anything to clear the m)rtga re
off the new Presbyterian church and even de
clined to take shares In the Union Ditch cOnSd-
ertd by many as an equally sacred and safe in
yeStment, she began TO lose favor Neyerthe-
less she seemed to be as regardless OF public
opinion as she had been before the trial; took a
small house, in which she lived with an Old
woman who had once been fellOw-Servant, on
apparently terms OF perfect equality, and
looked after her money. wish could say
that she did this dIScreetly, but the fact IS she
Numbered. The same logged per5istelcy she
displayed in claiming her rights was visible in
her unsuccessful ventures. She sunk two nun
dred thousand dollars in WORKOUT shaft orlgi-
nally projected by the deceased teStator. She
prolonged the miserable existence of the Rock
rifle Vanguard long after it had ceased to inter-
est even its enemies; she kept the doors OF the
Rockville hotel open when its custom had de-
parted; she lost the cooperation and favor Of
fellow capitalist through a trifling miSunder-
standing in which she was deTelict and impeni-
tent; she had three lawsuits on her hands that
could have been settled fora triile. note these
defects to show that she was by no means
heroine. quote her affair with JACK FOlinSbee
to show he was scarcely the average woman.
That handsome. graceleSS vagaO0nd had
struck the outskirts or Red Dog in a cyclone OF
dissipation, which left him stranded but still
rather interesting wreck in ruinouS cabin
not far from Peg MOffat'5 virgin bower. Pale.
crippled from excesseS. with voice quite trem-
bling from sympathetic emotion more or less
developed by StimulantS, he fingered languidly,
with much time on his hands, and only a few
neighbOrs. In this fascinating kind OF general
dishabile OF morals, dress, and the emotions,
he appeared before Peg Moffat. More than
that, he occasionally ltmped with her through
the settlement. The critical eye OF Red Dog
took In the singular pair; Jack-vOlub,e, suffer-
ing, apparently overcome by remOrse, con-
science, vituperation and disease; and Peg,
Open-mOuthed high-cOlOred, awkward, yet de-
lighted and the critical eye OF Red Dog, seeing
this, winked meaDingly at Rockville. No one
knew what passed between them. But all OBJ
main street OF Red Dog In an open buggy with
the heiresS of that town beside him. Jack al
belt trifle shaEy. held the reinS with some
thing of his old dash; and Mistress Peggy, in an
enormous bonnet with pearl coOred ribbons.
shade darker than her hair. holding in her
short pink-gOved fingers bOquet OF yellow
roses, absolutely glowed crimson in distreSsful
qualification over the dashboard. SO these two
Jared On-out OF the busy settlement. into the
woods, against the rosy sunset Possibly it was
not pretty picture; nevertheless as the dim
aiSIGS OF the solemn pines opened to receive
them, miners leaned upon their spades. and me-
chancS stopped in their toll to look after them
The critical eye Of Red Dog, perhaps from the
sun. perhaps from the fact that il had itself
once been young and diSSipated, took on a kind
~ moisture as il gaZed.
The moon was high when they returned
Those who had waited to congratulate Jack on
this near prospect OF favorable change in his
fortunes were chagrned TO find that. having
seen the lady safe home. he had himself de-
parted from Red Dog. Nothing was to be
gained from Peg. VINO, on the next day and en-
suing days kept the even tenor OF her way,
sunk thousand or Two more In unsuccessful
speculation. and made no change in her habits
any apparent sequel to this romantic idyl
Nothing was known definitely until Jack,
month later. turned up in Sacramento, with
billiard cue in his hand, and heart overcharged
ing 10 you, gentlemen, in confidence said Jack
to a circle of SympathiZing players; 81 don't
was as soft on that freckled faced, red-eyed.
tallOw-haired gal, as II she'd been-a-a-an
actress. And l don't mind saying, gentlemen:
that, as far as | understand women. she was
Just as soft on me! You kin laugh, but it's So
one day took her out buggy riding-in style.
too-and out on the road l offered to do the
square thing-just as If She been lady-orered
TO marry her then and there! And what did
she do?.' said Jack with a hysterical laugh
why, blank il all offered me twenty-five dol
lars I week allowancempay to be stopped when
greeted this frank confession was broken By
quiet voice asking, land what did you save"
- Say?" screamed Jack, 81 just told her to go
to - with her money They say" con-
the loan OF two hundred and fifty dollars to get
you to Sacramento-andt that you got it?" " VINO
says SO?' rOared Jack-"ShO me the blank
liar" There was dead silence, Then the pos
SCISSOR of the quiet voice, Mr.. Jack Hamifn,
reached under the table, took the
chalk, and rubbing the end of his billiard cue,
began with gentle gravity. at was an old
friend OF mine in SACRAMENTO, a man with
a wooden leg, game eye, three fingers on his
right hand, and a c0nSumptiye cough. Being
unable naturally to back himself. he leaves
things to me. So, for the sake of argument
Hamlin. suddenly laying down his
cue, and fixing his wicked black eyes on the
speaker, "Say it's me-.
| am afraid that this story. whether truthful
Or not, did not tend to increase Pegs popularity
IN community where reckleSSneSS and gennr-
Osity condoned for the absence of al the other
virtues; and 1t is possible also that Red Dog was
no more free from prejudice than other more
civilized but equally disappointed match
makers. Likewise, during the following year.
She made several more foolish ventures and lost
heavily. In fact, feyeriSh desire to increase
her. At last Ii was announced that she intended
TO reopen the infeliX Rockville Hotel aud keen
ii herself Wild as this scheme appeared In the
DRY, when put into practical operation there
seemed TO be some chance Of success Much
was owing TO her practical knowledge
or hotel keeping, but more to her rigid economy
and untir1ng industry. The mistress of millions
she cooked, washed, waited on table made thr
beds, and labOred like common meniaI Visi
tors were attracted by this novel spectacle. The
income OF the house increased as their respect
for the hostess leSSened. No anecdote of her
ayarice was too eXtravagant for current belief
IL was even alleged that She had been known to
carry the luggage or guests to their rooms that