The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-13
CONTINUED from Last Sundays News.)
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MAD CAPRICIoUs PEG.

THE MAD CAPRICIOUS PEG.
Next morning the sun had not climb
ed overnight when the Rev. Campbell.
head down and secret eye aslant, came
shutting 10 call upon the General
caught the black shadow of him-for
all the world like the shadow of some
vulture 10 sail between one and the
sun-as the dropping. furtive creature
sided through the hall The General
had sent for him, for the General was
not one to let the grass grow deep be-
tween resolve and action.
Il will see the man alone, Major
observed the General; 'he might COM
plain, were you present, of situation
offering two against one and planned
to override him"
Such management was much to my
appetite since it would but serve to
boil my anger-this listening while
the Reverend Rogue laid out his pack
of calumnies upon Peg. In good truth,
l much misdoubt If 1 had withstood
my hands from him when under such
honest provocation; and that, maugre
his black surtout and pulpit snuft1e.
feature hard TO be read for its sig
nificance, that now was the earliest
time when the General had shown HIM
self so equitable 8 to think on Two
against one and fail to ask my pres
ence for his conferences, He had met
folk for war and peace, and they had
come alone; I had been there, and no
one spoke of overriding. However,
the subject was not worth quizzlng
ones self concerning; the Rev Camp
bell was come, the best thing about
it being that the General lived am
pie and to spare to arrest Whatever
of SANDER he should bring us in his
mouth, and put it to the death. The
General could track a lie as surely as
ever he tracked Creek, and lived even
more inveterately its enemy
Peg met the Rev. Campbell almost
in the great front door, for she was
on her usual journey to consult with
me about some trifiing nothing. When
his sidelong glance encountered Peg s,
the rascal covered and seemed to turn
more mean, if that were possible, than
by nature belonged with him. But
he said no word; he did not so much
as muster against her one square look,
but sinuously. and as a snake might,
writhed himself out of her path. Peg,
for herself swept him with chill,
intolerant eye as if he were some gut
ter-being, offensive though unknown.
"And what brings that bird of mall
omen to fiutter about ones door?-so
bright morning, tool" This was Pegs
question on the Rev. Campbell as she
walked in to me and climbed to her
customary chair at the left hand Of my
desk. What should you say, watch
dog, was his bad mission? Is he a
threat? Does he drag a danger after
him? You must be alert if you would
make safe your little Peg"
The tone of raillery which Peg adopt
cd secured me; she had no surmise,
then, to the purpose of the Rev. Camp
bell.
Its quite sure" I returned, eva
sively, that our swart visitor would
be much uplifted were the General to
relent and dispose of Florida accord
ing to his wish"
And now while Peg sits before the
mirror of my memory with her sweet
face. as she on that far morning sat
in the great leathern chair, let me
please my fond pencil with a word of
her. There were so many expressions
of the unexpected to our Peg-for so l
had grown to call heroine must needs
be describing and redescribing her with
each new page one turns. A born en-
chantress and a witch full-blown be-
sides! it is the mere truth that Peg
bore upon me like a spell.
There was never woman to be Pegs
marrow for flash and spirit, and be-
yond all to creep so tenderly near to
one. And for a crown to that, she
was as wise as the serpent. There were
moments when Socrates himself might
have listened to her and not lost his
time.
And she could shift color like a.
chameleon. Behold her on some day
of social parade. or where she meets
strangers or half acquaintances, and
she will be Older by fifteen years than
now when she plants her small self in
that armchair, and makes me turn
my writing downward to talk with her.
Tender, wilful, plant, wise, patient
petulant, true, uncertain, sure, con-
fiding and confusing, she offered con-
tradictions equal with the General.
would exhaust the roll-call of the ad-
jectives were I wholly to set forth this
child-woman in the last Of her frank
arts and sage simplicities.
Peg wore as many moods as a lake