The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-15
ppp P[EGG0E NDW EN- 1o1
BY JOSIAH FLYNT and FRANCIS WALTON

WV j - 0OA(lIluf1 1EOd. YOU DtiiFI
cough up an have no rows, cause I've
got you dead 20 rights. You just dive
down in that stockin' o. yours an haul
out the roll. If l can, I'll fix it up an
let you mooch.'
Peggie knew Of nothing better than "a
keep up her bluff, and she kept it up
with vigor and force.
Want me to pinch you?"
"Oh pinch your old clapper-tongue, will
YOU, an shut up"
"All right, then" said Izod, put up
your dukes while l put the cuffs or en-
Peggie had no more than seen the hand
cuffs when she changed her "bluff"; she
screamed and wept like a woman in a ct
OF Mysteries. Prankerd pushed his wa
through the gathering, and he and the
woman looked each other full IN the face
Suddenly the woman again changed
'front.'
"Aw! git away its my pail she said
laughing, and grabbed Prankerd's hand.
That's the one | had IN Omaha; don't
you remember Omaha"
Yes, I remember Omaha, but whats
that got to do with pal?'
Don't you remember the two nights
you We're held up out there? I'm sure
you're the blOke. Amt forgotten, have
you, how the fellow that held you dp
divvied with you? He had on a brown
coat, don't you recollect, an talked with
you bout dinin'? You wouldn't send a
fellow like that over the road, would
your"
well, I'll be do" was all Prankerd
could say.
Sure. We're pals. Shake" said the
woman, not meaning to assent to Prank
erd's expressed opinion, but to his muck
pressed recognition.
Seems to me you've changed since
Omaha days said Prankerd, accepting
the invitation and laughing.
Prankerd meditated; he liked Peggie.
"Divvy and divvy, turn abouts fair play.
Hand out the roll and III split it with
you; I'll give you half
Peggie produced the roll from her stock
ing and handed it to Prankerd. He
counted it and landed her back half.
"You'se a man. she said.
so are you-sometimes!"
The detective viewed the exchange with
greedy eyes, but said nothing; there was
nothing for him TO say. By rights, as
rights go in such circumstances there
was nothing for anyone to say, but one
Edwin Partly, also a passenger, thought
otherwise. Edwin Partly had a Calvinist
scmewhere among his forebears; he did
not know just where, but no matter for
that; he spelled government and justice
Ia large caps and had IDEAS Of pubic
spirit. He topped forward and addressed
Prankerd.
= beg your pardon; do I understand
that you mean to allow this woman tC
go free?"
Prankerd looked at the speaker with
exa~sperating good humor. I'm sure
don't know what concern that is Of
yours" he said.
although you kno absolutely that sic
has picked your pocket?'
although I know absolutely that she
has picked my pocket. | repeat, | don
know what concern it is of yours. The
pocket was not your pocket. The lady
happens to be a friend of mine; she is q.
liberty to pick my pocket whenever she
likes; indeed she has exercised that priv
lcge from the first time she met mel"
I'll soon maxi it some colCern O
mine!" said the virtuous Partly. "Detec
tive, l call on you to arrest that woman
as a thief, and the man as q witness
or worse, leaving the State. IT you don't
III do it myself; and I'll make it damned
hot for YOU
Fate. which makes history, and is mucl
concerned 20 make it worth reading, or
dained that ten years after the three &C
tors in the little scene in the railway
carriage should find themselves settleC
in the same municipality. The place wa:
i'll the far west, and need not be desig
hated otherwise than as the city 0
Blank.
The three he'd prospered greatly in thc
interval. Edwin Parlby had recently go
the leading bank of the city of Blanl
u-bo,a bo could So11aa1a If ord haf
squeezed. Lisle Prankerd was one of tn
directors; it had been in the city )
2 Blank that he had found his fortune. H,
resigned from the board and parted witt
his interests in the bank when Parlb.
was elected. Peggie Niven was the loca
queen, in the city of Blank, of the Unde
World. She was % years old when sh
first introduced herself to Prankerd. Sh
| had shifted from New York to the ives
out Of motives of personal shyness; tn
| metropolis wished to show her publ
courtesies which she would have foun'
embarrassing. The police had made he
: acquaintance, had demanded and secure
5 d photograph of her none too attractiv
countenance, had given her a number j
> their gallery of celebrities, and were cage
upon the first opportunity to show he
still other mars of their esteem.
IL Nhdo1Iii(u nv ~ ihdNii ~ - -
in Columbus by the judge before whor
stakeholder Partly had succeeded i
1 bringing her, that it was the will of tn
= commonwealth that she settle in its per
itentiary for five years. Its my laS
trip east was her resolution on re
\ ceiving the sentence, which was shortene
by good q to three years and min
: months-time enough, however. for nc
to come to some conclusions, tn
most important of which was 'graftll
t doesn't pay and that she was "goin' t
!. chuck it, On her return to the west sh
e took a fresh deal in the game and he
name appeared in the tax collector
books in the city OF Blank as that 9
the owner of certain temples where me,
sacrificed to fortune and to other heathe
deities whose worship is not extinct.
t II a gambler went broke" he betoo
himself to Peggie for a fresh stake;
and if a friend got "pinched" Peggle wa
/ the one to bail him out. 1t is even re
ported that the Upper World levied upo1
) her/for contributions to charity, and GO