The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-05
AN HEIRESS OF RED DOG.
BY BRET HARTE.
From Belgravia.l

itOia NtiN ny ttotti etbCbu-
Gle. The income of the house increased
as their respect for the hostess lcsscned.
No anccdote of her avarice was too ex-
travagant for current belief Ii was even
alleged that she had been known to carry
The luggage OF guests to their rooms, that
she might anticipate the usual porter's
eratuiIy. She denied herself the ordin-
AIRY nccessaries of life. She was poorly
clad, she was ill-fed-but the hotel was
making money.
A few limited at insanity; others shook
their heads, and said acurse was entaiied
on the property. 1t was believed, also,
from her appearance, that she could not
long survive this tax on her energies,
and already there was discussion as to
The probable final disposition of her prop
erty.
1t was the particular fortune of Mr..
Jack Hamlin to be able to set the
world right on this and other questions
regarding her.
A stormy December evening had set
i'll when he CHANGED to be a guest of the
the Rockville Hotel. He had, during
the past week, been engaged in the pros
ecution Of his noble profession at Red
Dog, and had, in the graphic language of
:, coadjutor, "cleared ont the town, ex-
except his fare in the pockets of the
stage driver" and the Red Dog "Stand-
ard" had bewailed his departure in play
iul obituary verse beginning, Dearest
Johnny, thou hast left us" wherein the
rhymes 'bereft u.s. and ''deplore" carried
a vague allusion to "a thousand dollars
more"
A quiet contentment naturally sufiused
his personality, and he was more than
usually lazy and deliberate in his speech.
At midnight, when he was about to re-
tire, he was little surprised, however,
by a tap on his door, followed by the
presence of Mistress Peg MOftat-hciress
and landlady OF Rockville Hotel.
Mr.. HamIn, despite of his previous
defense of Peg, had no liking for her.
His fastidious taste rejected her uncome-
illness; his habits of thought and life were
all antagonistic to what he had heard of
her niggardliness and greed. AS she
stood there, in dirty calico wrapper,
still iedolent Of the days cuisine Grim
son with embarrassment and the recent
heat or the kitchen range, she certainly
was not an alluring apparition. Happily
for the lateness of the hour, her loneli-
lcss and the infelix reputation of the
man before her, she was at least safe
one Aud | fear the very CONSEQUENCES
Of this scarcely relieved her embarrass-
lient.
II wanted to say few words to yc
alone, Mr. Hamlin," she began, taking
an unoitered seat on the end of his port
manteau. "or shouldn't hev intruded.
Bat IFS the onl y time | could ketch you
for Pm down in the kitchen from sun-up
till now."
'-ha stopped awkwardly, as if to listen
to the wind which was rattling the win
'ows, and spreadinga film OF rain against
'he opaque darkness without. Then,
smoothing her wrapper over her knees,
she remarked, rs if opening a deslltory
conversations >%H
"!har's q power of rain outside"
MIR. Hamlin's only response to this
meteorological observation was yawn,
and preliminary tug at his coat as he
beam to remove it.
Il thought we couldn't mind doin' me
Il favor" with hard, awkward laugh,
''partik'ly secin' cz folks allowed you'd
sartcr bin friend o mine, and he'd stood
up for me at times when you hedn't any
partikier call to do it. ! hewitt" she
continued, looking down ON her lap, and
following with her finger and thumb a
seam of her gown, 81 hevn't so many
friends ez slings a kind word for me
these times that | disremember them"
Her under lip quivered a little here,
md after vainly hunting for forgotten
handkerchief, she finally lifted the hem
Of her gown, wiped her snub nose upon
il: hut left the tears still in her eyes as
she raised them to the man.
Mr.. Hamlin, who by this time had
Invested himself of his coat, stopped
unbuttoring his waistceat, and looked ut
her. " y IN E
"Like ez not thar1l be high water on
the North Fork, ef this rain keeps on,
said Peg, as il apologetically, looking
toward the window.
The other rain having ceased, Mr.
Hamlin began unbuttoning his waistcoa,
again. anf
Il wanted to ask ye favor about Mr.
-about-Jack Folinsbee," began Peg
again, hurrie,lly. "He's ailin' agin, and
i, mighty low. And he's losin' heap O
money here and thar, and mostly to you
You cleaned him Out of two thousand
dollars last night---all he had"
'Well?" said the gambler, coldly.
"Well, | thought ez you WOE a friend
O mine, I'd ask you to let up a little on
him." said Peg, with an affected laugh
"You kin do it. Don't let him play With
you"
fATistress Margaret Mofat," said Jack,
with lazy deliberation, taking off his
watch and beginning to wind it up, 'ei
your that much stuck after Jack Folins.
bee, YOU kin keep him off of me much
easier than | kin. You're rich woman
Give him enough money to break my
bank, or break himself for good and all