Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-10-23
PEG


nights. Perhaps the. moon was some
where behind the clouds.
Peg, the toll-kecper at the gate, had
often seen the pike appear just so; and
SO had Jim Wagner, plodding along the
road.
One might keep safely along, or
might instead, by accident or a sudden
tightening of the rein, turn square down
the Silver Thread, thinking it was the
pike-especially il one were dreaming.
But Jim had passed the Silver Thread
safely. In soothing tones he was be-
sccching Black Fan to ego it kccrful
and not to clank her hoofs, as Of she
couldn't make enough noise.
For answer, Black Fan in sensclcss
and provoking manner clankcd her hoofs
louder than before, aud lifted her head
and whinnicd.
There was no light in the dollhouse
nor sound Of life about the place; every
thing was quiet and dark rs it should be
Mt almost twelve o'clock ut night. But
rs Black Fan clanked her hoofs almost
in front of the little porch, the door of
the house flew oprn and Peg came out
to take the toll.
1t was the rule CT the pike that, after
nine o'clock at night, the gate could be
left INTENDED, or the keeper, if she
choose, might keep for herself the few
coppers that came.
81 b'lieve she'd set up watchiu for n
Teller till mcrnin'," grumbled jim, as
Black Fan ratified on toward home.
"She's the stingiest woman in these
parts"
Bill Walsh, Pegs husband, had his
blacksmith shop close by the toll-gate.
If, ten years before, he had not gone to
the Eastern Shore and brought back the
chils and fever, he would have got on
we'll enough. But the chills and fever
and the blacksmith trade were never
meant TO go together.
"Hc'll set and shake day after dav
mcbbe for weeks ut time, and then not
be over it, " said Josh Bernct, explaining
this curious disease to neighbor; IAN
his lacc about the color of them there
ashes"
There were four children at the toll
house.
One was little girl who had way of
leaning out ut the garnet window aud
shaking her fist ut people who, she i'm.
asined, were planning to keep her
mother waiting after dark. She was
such very pretty little girl that people
only laughed when they saw her shaking
her fist.
There were the two boys who went to
school whenever they were sent; and
then the bad little boy who generally
sat ON the porch in fine weather, wearing
his Sunday shoes every day. He was his
mothers pct.
None of Pegs children were sent to
school regularly. They went when their
clothes were new; and when these gar
ments were old, faded and patched, the
chilli en- stayed at home.
For Peg was proud. Her ncighbors
were aware of it, and stunned her ac
cordingly. Poverty was, in their minds,
something sent by the Lord, and moth
ing to be ashamed Of. Sickness was a
trial sent from heaven; but pride was
crime which they could not forgive.
Peg did not love her neigh6ors any
more than they loved her. Perhaps
there was little jealousy intermixed
with the feeling she bore them. Most
OF them were not nearly so poor as she.
Some were farmers, with well-cultivated
acres. There were Mr.. Jones, the drov-
or, and Mr.. Ed Coon, who had set up a
rival blacksmith shop on the other side
OF the creek, and got plenty of work.
"Ef Bill warn't sickly, we might hev
a house like his'n," Peg had often
thought, as she sat alone in the dark
with bitter feeling creeping about her
heart
If Peg had sent the children to school
in old clothes Ms well as new; if she had
allowed Bill to buy on credit just bit
down at the store, to show he could be
trusted; if she had sometimes let people
slip through the gate in the evening
without paying the coppers that made the
pike no richer; and above all If it hadn't
been reported that she'd said, s'if her or
any g hern was sick, she didn't want
'em to come with their custards and their
Selatine," things might have been differ.
ent.
When Bill found her, during his 9th.
erwlse unhappy sojourn on the Eastern
Shore, he saw, under her tilted back
sunbonnet, the biggest of black ewes, the
reddest of cheeks, and the daintiest of
dark brown curls. Bill had Dragged
about sup our way" until it had seemed
to her Imagination paradise; and she
had come back with him, his wife.
But cup our way Bill had seen her
harden until the black eyes had no
laughter in them; had seen the red
cheeks deeper dyed with anger and in
dignation and Jealousy; had seen her
grow into sharp, quick, grasping little
woman, whom the Turnpike Company
was glad to have at the oll-eate.
"Ef Bill warn't sckly, we might buy
yon6er corner of John Lawrences field.
and build house with red Trimmings
IAN Pegs thoughts again 81 reckon like
as NOT some other body'll be along and
snap it up before our eyes, and Bill not
a-keerin q pin. Eff them Browns BUYS
the lot and puts up their fancy buildin's
ON t, I'm a-goin' to leave. The shop
@on't be much trouble for to carry
away