Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-23
PATTON'S DEVIL.
SHE HAS SWELLING HIPS AND is
CALLED BABY.
A Los Angeles Girls Play at the Rev.
TheophiIus Pegrane of Banning Every
Newspaper Should Have a Similar
Devil.

There is the devil to pay in the Her
aid office, says the Banning paper edited
by Harry Patton. Some weeks ago we
published notice, more in fun than
anything else, that we wanted female
devil. Well, we've got her, and thought
she was liable to prove lovely little
white elephant on our hands. The
other morning we were working in the
back room, and the Rev. Theophilus
Pegrane, a nice, weak-lunged pilgrim
from the east, was sitting in the front
office, waiting for "Whiskars" to come
in. We heard clear, sweet, albeit
somewhat loud, voice say. "Ah, there,
old mani What do you think of me ?"
And we also heard a sound as if some
one was clappng the Rev. Pegrane on
the back. We moved our position, so
we could command view OF the other
room, and what a sight met our gaze
There WAS lovely little fve-foot appa-
rition. in red dress, with square
shirt front, and polka dot, four in hand
tie. She had on hat that turned up be-
hibd and projected in front over q cher
ub-like facs, ladorned by pair of the
most DEVILS h black eyes ever put in a
woman's head. He hair was very
golden, and fiuted up under her hat in
a most bewildering manner. AS her
eyes were so black, we thought the hair
must be a wig. She was standing
squarely in front of the Rev. Pegrane,
her hands Oh her shapely, swelling hips,
and, with her head on one side, was
winking at that gentleman. He was
couched as far back in his chair as he
could get, and, as the girl calculated,
Pm the DEVIL" he certainly loos ed as
if he believed it thoroughly. The Rev.
Pegrane opened his mouth to speak,
when this remarkable young lady ex-
claimed with vivacity: mot word
until I tell you all about myself. My
name is Viola Backstarrs; but in Ari-
zona, where I hail from, Pm called
BABY General Gill, mash of mine
in the territory, told me you wanted a
female devil, and I'll bet dollars to
doughnuts, I'll suit you."
She took hold of her dress with both
hands, and raising it until she showed
just touch of stocking, one blue and
the other red, above the tops OF her rus
set shoes, she strutted like little pi-
ge0n and sang:
Look at me here; look at me there;
Criticize me every where.
I'm so neat and so sweet
And most perfect and complete.
When she finished this ravishing song
she gave little spring in the air and,
with deft fiounce OF her 1.-the body,
she alighted full in the Mortified Pc
grane's lap, and, throwing her arms
around his neck, eaid: you'll keep
me, won't you, dear?"
At this interesting juncture, we heard
a sound as OF cat choking to death on
a fish bone, and looking towards the
front door, beheld. to our unspeakable
horror, the Rev. Mrs. Pegrane, with her
features and fingers working convul-
sively. We cast one glance at the Rev.
Pegrane, and, seeing that he had not
yet caught sight OF his wife, we made a
hasty dive out the back door, and sought
refuge under the billiard table in Sweet
ers's place, adjacent. Nothines olowed
us, and in few moments we mustered
up courage enough to crawl out and ven-
tu1e back to the office. There we were
treated to another surprise. The two
females, with their arms around each
other, were shrieking with laughter,
while the Rev. Pegrane sat up in his
chair, with an expression between a
fearful happiness and sheepish desire
to crawl in a gaspipe, struggling for the
mastery.
When the ladies could control their
laughter, we were favored with an ex-
PLANTATION of the, to US incomprehensi-
BILE, incident. 1t seems that the young
lady, who is really about Is years old, is
a cousin of Mrs. Pegrane, whom Mr.. Pc
Crane had never seen, and lives in Los
Angeles. She came up on the local the
evening before, only Mrs. Pegrane being
apprised OF her coming. Mrs. p, know
ing her husbands bashfulnees, deter
mined to have joke at his expense.