Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-14
AN HEIREss OF RED DOG.
By BRET HARTE.


OF the testator was. think. in the s)ring OF
lisa. lie was at that timc IN posses. IN OF a
considerable property, heavily mort aged -
one friend. and a wife of some attraction. on
whose affections another friend hr!i al e IrIrn-
bering lien. one day 1t was found that he mai
secretly dug. or caused 20 BE- dug. a deep trap
before the front door of his dwelling, into
which few friends. in the course of the even
ing, casually and Familiarity dropped. This cir
cumStance, slight in Itself, seemed ~ point 10
the existence of certain humor in me man.
which might eventually get into literature
although his wife'S lOver-a man of qnicS dis
cernment, whose leg was broken b. the fall
took other views. 10 was some weeks later that,
while dining with certain other friends OF his
wife, he excused himself from the table to
quietly reappear at the front window with
three-quartertnchh hydraulic pipe, and stream
OF water projected at the assembled company.
An attempt was made 70 take public cOgnZance
OF this; bur majority OF the citizens OF Rel
Dog, who were at the dinner, decided that a
man had right TO choose his own methO1S or
diveTting his company. Nevertheless. there
were some hints OF his insanity; his Wlfe re-
called other acts clearly attributable ID deTnen-
tia; the crippled lover argued from his own
experience that the integrity OF her limbs could
only be secured BY leaving her husbands house;
and the mortgage, fearing further dlmlgetO
his property. FOR eclOSed. But here the cause OF
all this anxiety took matters into his own hands,
and disappeared
When We next heard from him he hal in
some mysterious way, been relieved alike OF his
wife and property, and was living alone at
Rockville, nifty miles away, and editing a news
paper. But the orr sinality he had di 5playei
when dealing with the problems OF his own pri-
waite life WAS Sln%luaTly unsuccessful when APP
piled 10 politics IN the columns OF the RI :kyiile
t'dRGuard. IN amusing exaggeratiOa, purpo-t-
ing to be an exact account OF the manner in
which the opposing candidate had IalTdere | his
Chinese ldttndTyman was I regret 10 say, an
SweTed only by assault and battery. \ era nit
our and purely imaginative description OF
great religious revival in CalayeraS, In viii ii
the sheriff 0f the cOunty-a VIGOROUSLY profa1e
skeptic-waS alleged TO have been the chief ex-
hOrter, resulted only in the withdrawal OF the
county advertising from the paper. In the
midst OF this practical confusion he suddenly
died. II WAS then discovered, as a CROWN
Ing proof OF his abSurdity. thai he had
left will, bequeathing his entire effects
to a Iteckle-laced maid servant at the
Rockville Hotel. But tn It abSurdity became Sc
TiOu5 When IL was also discovered that ain0 ls
these effects were a thousand shares in the
Rising sun Mining Company" which, dag
or two after his demise. and While people WerJ,
Sttl laughing AT his gTOte5que belefactiOn. SID
denly Sprang into Opuience and celebrity.
Three millions Of dollars was roughly eStim ited
as the value OF the estate thus wantOlly Slcri-
tced! For il Is only fair to state, as lust
tribute tn the enterprise and energy of that
young and thriving settlement that there was
not probably a single citizen who did not feel
himself better able 10 control the deceased
humOTisS property. Some had expressed a
doubt Of their ability 10 support family; others
had felt perhaps too keenly the deep RESPONSE
blity resting upon them when chosen from the
panel as jurors. and had eyaded their public
duties; few had declined office and a low
b1lity of having been called upon to assume the
functions OF Peggy Moffat-the hereSs.
The VIII was contested. First by the widow,
who. II now appeared. had never been legally
divorced from the deceaSe; next by four of his
cousins, who awOke, only too late, to q CON
seriousness OF his moral and Iecuniary worth
But the humble legatee, singularly plain. I'M
pretending, uneducated Western girl. eXhib-
tied logged pertinacity in claiming her
rights. She rejected all compromises. A rough
sense OF justice In the community, While doubt
Ing her ability 10 care OF the whole fortune
suggested that she ought to be content with
three hundred thousand dollars. ''She'S bound
10 throw even that away on some deTned skunk
or man Nationally. but three millions is too
much to give chap for maxim her Unhappy
It's Oferin' temptation 10 cusSedness." The
OnlF opposing voice to this counsel came from
the Sard0ni' lips Of Mr.. Jack Hamn SUP
pose" Suggested that gentleman. turning
abruptly on the speaker: ''suppOse. when
YOU Won twenty Thousand dollars or me last
Friday night. suppose that instead OF handing
YOU over the money a. | did. suppose I'd
cot mp on my hind legs and said. Look YER BIZ
NethtrSDtt EuIT a id iOOl. II give We that
twenty Thousand you'll throw it away in the first
skin game IN Frisco, and hand il over ID the
lrst short-card sharp You'll meet. There's a
thOusand-enough for YOU 10 fling away-takp
" and get. suppose what I'd said to YOU wa,
the frozen truth, and you'd knOw'd it-wouId
that have been The square thing to play on yOu?''
But here Nether5bee quickly pointed ont the
tntfllclency OF the comparison by stating that
he had won the money fairly with a stake
AND how do Won Know. demanded Hamliu
-
founded c..SuiSt. how DO You know that the
sal hezu't put down a stalker" The man STAN
mered an unintellgtbe reply. The gambler
aid his white hand on Wethersbee'S shoulder
Look yer old man. he said. '.eyery cal stakes
Ter whole piic-yOu can bet your lie on that
WhateYef's her little game. III She TOOK TO
IeerdS Instead Of her feelingS-if SHEET put up
chips Instead o body and soul she'd bust
every bank twiXt this and Frisco. You hear
me?''
Somewhat of This idea was conveyed. fear
net quite as Sentimentaliy. To Peggy MOffat
i2rSef. The best legal wisdom OF San Fran
cisco. retained by the widow and relatives.
look occasion, In private interview with Peg
~. TO point out that she stood in the quasi
criminal attitude of having unlawfully practIsed
upon the affections of an insane elderly gentle
property and suggested to her thap no u y ii7
tige OF her moral character would remain after
The trial, II she persisted in forcing her claims
10 that issue. 1t Is said that Peggy on hear
Ing this, stopped washing the plate she had in
her hands. and twisting the towel around her
nngers- fixed her small pale-blue eyes on the
:. And ez that the kindo' chirpin these critters
Keep up up, co. ,...,
sp0nueu the lawyer, that the world is cen
serious. | must add he continued. with en-
gag1ng professional franknesS, THAT we law
erS are apt To study the opinion OF the world:
ana Ihat such VIII be the theory of-Our side
Then, said Peggy stOutly, ..eZ | ALLOW !
We got 10 go into court to defend my character |
might as wen pack in them three millions !
There is hearSay evidence that Peg a1dad IN |
tllS speech wish and desire TO bust the crust
OF ner tradlcerS. and remarking that .-that was |
the klnd OF hdirpin she was, closed the CONVEX !
osttloh with an unfortunate accident 10 the DIatp
tndt leIl ere confusion the legal brow Of
heT companion. But this story. popular in tin. |
Dar-roonls ana gulcheS, lacked confirmation i'm /
hlgher circles Better authenticated was the |
IeSend related OF an Interview with her Own /
lawyer. That gentleman had pointed out to !
her the advantage OF being able to show some |
reasonable cause for the singular generosity OF
he teStatOr. "
- although" he continued. 1.-THE law does not
90 back OF the viii for reason or cause for lis
Provisions, II would be a strong point with the
Judge and JuTE-pdrticularly il the theory of
insanity were set up-fOr us to show that the
act was logical and natural. OF course YOU
nave speak confidently. Miss Mofat-cprtain
lGeiS OF your own why the late Mr. ByWays was
80 SlnguIarly generous TO YOU
No, haven't" said Peg decidedly.
Think again. Had he not expressed 10 vol
You understand that this IS cOahdantill b.
tween us, although / protest my dear yOuDs
lau{- thal see no reason why IL should not h.
made pu0lc-had he not given uttprance IN
sentiments OF nature consistent with some
IHtuTe matrimonial relatIons!" But here Mis-,
1tG large mouth. which had been SLOWLY re-
IdNihg over her Irregular teeth. stopped him.
" II you mean he wanted TO marry me-no."
= see. But were there any cOnditionS-of |
course, you know the law takes no cO!rniZa1ce !
81 any not expressed in the will: bIt still for
The sake OF mere confederation OF the beuueSt.
H. =