Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-27

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| quently filled from bottle of whisky, Of
as one might augur from the smell-homt
manufacture. The person whose first view
had startled Peggy, made more free with
the beverage than the other; the pale
young man visibly avoiding the liquor
but eften filling for his friend, and urging
him to drink bumpers.
SEQ, Phil, my boy" resumed the old
woman, addressing the pale lad, take
Ned and yourself up stairs an the bottle
wild you; you must have the hot wather,
when its ready, and the sugar along wild
it this young woman and myself ii stay
together.
Phil arose, taking the bottle and glasses
he was siding out of the room before his
companion, when, at renewed signal from
the woman, he hung back, allowed the
other to stagger out first, and then she and
he paused together, beyond the threshold
of the room, in the passage, where Peggy
could hear them exchange few earnest
though cautious whispers. An now,
Peggy Nowlan, resumed the woman, " as
you don't seem to like the whisky, you
must have whatever the house can give
you" 81 would like some tey, ma'am. ="
Then, sure enough, you'll get it; we
won't be long lighting the fire an billing the
wather, and wen take our tey together"
There were some embers dimly cleaning
in the blackened fireplace, to which the
woman added wood and chips, that, by
blowing with her mouth as she kneit. soon
blazed and, according TO her promise, a
dish of tea, not badly favored, was manu-.
featured, of which, with much seeming
hospitality and kindness, the hostess pressed
her young guest to partake. Peggy felt
thankful, and strove to compel herself to
feel at ease also; but, amid the smiles and
blandness Of her entertainer, there were
moments when her thin and bloodless,
though handsome lips, compressed Them
selves to line SO hard and heartless-mo-
ments when a shade of deep abstraction
passed over her brow, and when her eyes
dulled and sunk into an expression 80 dlsa-
greeable that the destitute girl internally
shlvered to glance upon her. The mo.
mentary changes did not, however, seem to
concern her. She argued that they rather
intimated an involuntary turn of thought
to some other person or subject. The
woman never looked upon her without
getting up occasionally and going to the
door of the room, as if to catch the sound
of voices from above, that her countenance
wore any bad character. But, whatever
might have been passing in her mind,
Peggy prudently resolved not to allow her
hostess to perceive that she observed these
indications of it. Her glances were, there
fore, SO well-timed and SO quick that they
could not be noticed, and her features so
well mastered as always to reflect the easy
smile of her companion. Her manners,
too, she Invested of every trait of alarm or
doubt and even the tones Of her voice
were tutored by Peggy into an even,
pleased cadence; and the questions she
asked, and the topics she started, calcula-
ted to lull all suspicion.
As part of her plan, she would show no
uneasiness to retire and it was not until
the woman herself offered to attend her to
her bed that Peggy rose from her chair
She was conducted out of the little, half
ruined parlor, or kitchen, a few PAGES along
the passage, and then few steps up a
rent and shaking staircase, into mean
sleeping. chamber, of which the door faced
the passage the stairs continuing to wind
to the right, to the upper rooms OF the
house. As they passed into the chamber,
it was with difficulty Peggy prevented her
self from drawing back, when she perceived
that the patched door had bolts and a pad
lock ON the outside, but no fastening
within. Still, however, she controlled her
nerves, and displayed to her attendant no
symptom of the apprehension that filled
her bosom. "Pm sorry the poor house
doesn't afford betther an handsomer
lodgin' for you, Miss Peggy" said the
woman, as both stumbled about the half
boarded floor of the room; but you'll jist
take the will for the deed an SO, good
bye, an pleasant nights sleep to you.
Cant you oblige me with the candle ?"
asked Peggy, as her hostess was about to
take it away. 81 would, with heart an
a half, if it was to spare but I'll have
nothing else to light me to bed, an help me
to set things to rights for the morning for
the matter o that, the good moon shines so
bravely through the window, and believe
through another little place in the loft here,
that you'll be able to say your prayers an
go to bed by it, Miss Peggy SO bannochth-
lath !" and she finally took the candle away,
securing the door on the outside, and leav-
ing Peggy standing in the middle of the
filthy chamber.
The moon did, indeed, stream In upon
the floor as well through the shattered
window as, first, through breach in the
states of the house roof, and then down
the broken boards of the room overhead.
Peggy looked around for her bed, and saw,
in corner, miserable substitute for one,
composed of straw laid on the floor and
covered with two blankets. There was no
chair or table, and feeling herself weak,
she cautiously picked her steps to the
corner, and sat down on this cherries
couch.
The motive of her conduct hitherto had
been to hide her feelings, SO as to throw the
people of the house of their guard, and
eventually create for herself an eppor-
tunity to escape to the main road, and
thence to the next cabin at hand. In
furtherance of her project, she now begged
God to strengthen her heart and keep her
in steady mind and after her jealous as
piration Peggy continued to think of the
best part to act. At once she resolved
not to stir in her chamber until the woman
and the two men should seem to have re-
tired to sleep-n, indeed, it was doomed
that they were to do so without disturbing
her. In case of noise at the door, she
determined to force her way through the
crazy window, and trusting herself to God,
jump from it to the ground, which, she ar
gued, could not be many feet under her, as
Peggy had not forgotten to count the steps
while she assembled from the earthen pas
sage to her present situation. If, after long
| watching, she could feel pretty sure that
no evil was intended to her during the
night, still she planned to steal to the win
| dow, open it with as little noise as possible,
| drop from it, and try to escape.
More than an hour might have passed,
| when she heard noise, as if OF two per.
sons stumbling through the house it came
nearer, and two men, treading heavily and
unevenly, entered room next to hers, and
only divided from her by wooden parti
ton, which here and there admitted the
CLEANS of light they bore. Without any
fustling, Peggy applied her eye to one Of tbs
chinks, and gained a full view of the scene
within. She saw the person she SO much
I draodad Iod bu Tho N, N ri (