Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-09-12
PEG

Il was not a ''ptch dark night,
though there was neither moon nor
star. The road lay white and glim-
ncilng, as roads will lie even on such
nights Perhaps the moon was some
where behind the clouds
Peg, the toll keeper at the gate, had
often seen the pike appear just 50; and
50 bad jim Wagner, plodding along the
roai
One might Keep safely along, or
might instead, by accident or sudden
tightening of the rein, turn square down
the silver Thread, thinking it was the
pike especially If one were dreaming.
But Jim had passed the Silver, Thread
safely In soothing tones he was be-
seechiny Black Fan to 'sgo 1t keerful
and not to clank her hoofs, as ef She
couldn't make enough noise
For answer, Black Fan in senseless
and provoking manner clanked her hoofs
louder than before, and lifted her head
ard whinnied.
There WAS no light in the toll house
| nor sound OF life about the place; every
thing was quiet and dark as it should be
at almost twelve o clock at night. But
as Black Fan clankel her hoofs almost
in front Of the little porch, the door of
the house few open 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 untended, or the keeper, if she
choose, might keep for herself the few
coppers that c;ahe.
81 b'lieve she'd set up watchin' for a
| feller till mcrnn'," crumbled jim, as
! Black Fan ratified on toward home.
''She's the stngicst woman in these
parts
Bill Walsh, Pegs husband, had his
blacksmith shop close by the toll gate.
IT, ten years before, he had not gone to
the Eastern Shore and brought back the
chills AMI fever, he would have got on
we'll enough But the chills and fever
and the blacksmith trade were never
meant to 90 together
,'IIe'l set an shake day after day,
meobe for weeks at Il time, and then not
be over it !" said Josh Bcrnet, explaining
this curious disease to i neigh Dor; ''an'
his face about the color of them there
aslcs.'
Thcre we're Four children at the toll
house.
One wa, 4 little GIRL who had 4 way OF
leaning out at the yarret window and
shaI.iu, her fist At people who, she I'm
aencd, were planning to keep her
mother waiting after dark. Sac was
such very pretty little girl that people
only laughe whca they ssSher shaking
her fist
There were tnv two boys who went tC
school whenever they were sent and
then tie bad little boy who generally
sat on the porch N tinC weather, wearln:
his SUNDAY shoes every day. lie was hi
mother pet
None Of Pegs children were sent t
school regularly. TaeF wcas when then
clothes were new ana when these gar
meuts were old faded AMI patched, Ii
children stayed Al home
For PEG was proud. Her neghb n
u.re aware Of it, AMI stunned her &C
oorlingly Poverty was. in their minds
something sent By the Lord, aal moth
inc to be ashamed Of. Sickness was
trial sent from heaven; bat pride was {
crime whlch they could not forgive.
Pee did no. love her nciSh5ors an
more thaa they loved her. pcrhay
there was littic jealousy intermixct
with the frelinr she bore them. Mos
Of them were not nearly SO poor as she
some were farmers. with well-cultiyate
acres. There we're Mr. Jones, the droy
cr. and Mr. Ed Coon, who had set UP
rival blacksmith shop on the other sid
Of the creek, aud got plenty Of work.
.Ef Bill warnt sickiy, We might hs