The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-04
AN HBIRESS OF RED DOG.
CHAPTER 1 -(CoNTNuED.)
BY BRET HARTE.
lFrom Belgravial

of course you know the law takes no
cOgnizance Of any not expressed in the
will; but still, for the sake Of mere COR
roboration of the bequest-do you know
OF any conditions on which be gave YOU
tic propertyf'
"Yon mean, did he want anything in
rctun%
Exactly, my dear young lady"
tegs face on enc side turned deep
magenta color, on the other lighter
cherry, while her nose was purple, and
her forehead an Indian red. To add to
the effect of this awkward and dkseempos-
ing dramatic exhibition of embarrass-
ment, she began to wipeh her hands OH her
dress, and sat silent. .H}L.
II understand" said the lawyer hasti-
iy. "No matter-the conditions we're
fwAiIled"
NO" answered Peg amazedly; show
could thew be until he was deadT'
It was the LAWYERS turn to color and
e. wv embarrassed. .I.
He did say something, and make
me conditions" continued Peg, with
certain firmness through her awkward
ness; "but that's nobody's business but
nline and his'n. And it's no call o yours
osiheirs."
''But, my dear Miss Mofat, if these
very conditions were proofs of his right
mind, you surely would not object to
make them known, if only to put your,
81 in condition to enable you to carry
tieln out"
But" said Peggy, cunningly, dispose
you and the court didn't think 'em r sat
isfaetory? 'Spose you thought 'em queer?
En-"
With this helpless limitation ON the
part of the defense, the case came to
tial. Everybody remembers it; how
for six weeks it was the daily food of
Caslveras County; how for six weeks
Tic intellectual and moral and spiritual
competency Of Mr.. James Byways to dis
pose of his property was discussed with
ltarned and formal obscurity in the
Court, and with unrelented and indepen-
Gent prejudice by camp fires in bar
rooms. At the end of that time, when it
was logically established that at least
n.ne-tenths of the popIation of Caaveras
county were harmless lunaties, and
everybody eEses reason seemed to totteron
it, throne, all exhausted jury succombed
me day to the presence of Peg in the
Courtroom. 1t was not prepesse$sing
presence atany time; but the excitement,
and in injudicious attempt to ornament
herself, brought her defects into glar-
ing relief that was almost unreal. Every
frcckle Oh her face stood out and asserted
itself sngly; her pale blue eyes, that
gave no indication of her force Of charac-
tr, were weak and wandering, or stared
biankly at the Judge; her diversified
head, broad at the base, terminating in
the scantiest possible light colored braid
III the middle of her narrow shoulders,
was as hard and uninteresting as the
wooden spheres that topped the railing
q a;'lst which she sat- The jury, who
fer six weeks had had her described to
them by the plaintiffs as an arch, willy
eAchantress, who had sapped the failing
yea>en Of Jim Byways revolted to the
man. There was something so appalling
ly gratuitous in her plainness, that it
was felt that three millions would scarce
ly compensate for it. "Ef that money
wa give her, she earned it sure, boys; it
wasn't no softness of the old man." said
tn, foreman. When the jury retired, it
Was felt that she had cleared her eharac-
ter. Wien they re eatered it with their
Verdict, it was knawn that she had been
awarded three millions damages for its
defamation. Mu
She got the money. But those who
had confidently expected to see her
squander it we're disappointed. On the
contrary, it was presently whispered that
she was exceedingly penurious, That
admirable woman, Mrs. Silver, Of Red
Dog, who accompanied her to San Fran
cisco to assist her in making purchases,
was loud in her indignation. "She cares
more for two bits thanI do for five dol
lars She woHltn't buy anything at the
City of Paris because it wars too ex-
pelsive,' and at Last rugged herself up, a
perfect guy, at some slop-shops in Market
street.. And after all the care Jane and
me took of her, giving up our time and
experience TO her, she never 50 much as
made Jane single present" Popular
opinion, which regarded Mrs. Stiver's at
tention as purely speculative, was not
shocked at this improbable denouement;
but when Peg refused to give anything
to clear the mortgage off the new Presby-
terian Church, and even declined to take
shares in the Union Ditch, considered by
many as an equally sacred and safe ili-
vestment, she began to lose favor. New
thelcss, she seemed to be as regardless of
public opinion as she had been before
the trial; took small house, in which
she lived with an old woman who had
once been a fellow-servaht on, apparent
ly, terms Of perfect equality. and looked
after her money. Iwish could say that
she did this discreetly, but the fact is, she
blundercd. The same dogged persistent
cy she had displayed in claiming her
rights was visible in her unsuccessful ad-
ventures. She sunk two hundred thou
sand dollars in WORKOUT shaft original
ly projected by the deceased testator
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