The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-13
PEGGY O'NEAL> y; =: :;;: u:
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS
38A5sAkalA4A3AEg
Copyrighted, 1908. by
A. j. Drexel BiddIe.
Entered at StatIonsr's
Hall, London.

/ talk her talk out unrestrained.
! However, catching the fashion Of her
! with the fringe of my eye as l went
| for more ink on my pen, and observ-
| ing her face to seem over sad and
| considerate, I spoke up to cheer her.
| And now what are your thoughts?'
! said l.
L was just wanting to be a man,
| that's all" And Peg stared straight
/ ahead as though in a muse. Then
starting up, and with rush of vi
vacity: "Heigh no! and now if were,
! III wager I'd be as ~ as the others
! AS dull as you, Wa,&h-dog." Then,
| changing the tune of it, but keeping
to her dash and fling: so you would
| be my slave, Come, let me mark
| you for my slave"
Without warning, she seized my hand,
and with her sharp leopard teeth bit
| until the blood flowed. Then survey
| ing her work, she kissed the pin-prick
J of wound with JUNCTION. When she
raised her face. there was a trickle of
/ blood on her lip and chin.
Walking to mirror with care
less flinging step. Peg glanced her face
over, and l thought with relish.
See if there do not come a pretty
white mark when it heals" This she
told me in an arch manner, and with
chin on shoulder. and the fleck of
blood on her chin. Now. if 1 but
hcl4 SA4C NGAll Oll' IGAuA llAll6 " lAAC
glass, Il would wear that blood al
ways and never wash it away. But
the world the worldl-ah, the world
One must wash ones face for the world,
although one owes the world nothing"
Peg. now in a climax of bubbling
spirits, and pouring a spoonful of water
on her handkerchief, washed off the
spots of red, transferring them to her
tiny square of cambria. This she con-
templated with a sort of surprised de-
light, as rendering a new idea.
II need never wash that, at any rate"
said she. Then with her glancing eyes
on me: You will wear my mark now;
Pegs mark for her slave!-who would
do her good"
The next moment she went singing
across the lawn for her home, leaving
me to think on the caprices of our ra-
| diant, reckless, blooming, madcap Peg.
All this by the way, however; now
to return to our day of the Rev. Camp
bells call upon the General.
Peg was still curled in her big arm
| chair when, following his interview
with the General, the Rev. Campbell
| left the mansion. 1t was she who told
| his departure to me where I wrought
at my desk. Peg caught a fiutter of
him through the large window.
oh" cried Peg, there goes our Rev
| erend Raven
Looking up from where I worked, I
beheld the Rev. Campbell making speed
cut of the grounds. In such hurry
was he that he left the walk of
| gravel, and to save a corner would
! cut across the grass. The black-foot
| creature slouched away for all man
| kind like unto some hen roost fox
| of the night whom daylight had sur
| prised and who now went skulking for
| the comforting safe darkness of his
| burrow.
! 1T is wonder" said Peg, what could
induce the good General to tolerate the
! presence of our Reverend Raven for
| so long. What should be the interest
| in his croakings?"
AS Peg spoke, the Generals gaunt
! form appeared in the door. He was
more than half warm with an angry
excitement. Without pause or first
words of greeting, he addressed HIM
self to Peg.
Child, where was Undertake two
years ago this summer where was he
| in June?s
Here in Washington" returned
Peg, her eyes full of wonder, as she
scanned the face of the General in
quest of clue to his sharp, unusual
curiosity. He stayed here idle for
| four years before he last sailed. He
was seeking to adjust his accounts as
purser for the frigate President. His
books were lost when the English cap
| tured the ship. 1t was that to make
all the trouble; the red-tape of the
navy office detained him here four
years before it would accept his ac-
counts. 1t was during that period we
were wed" Pegs voice, brisk at the
start fell sorrowfully away towards
the end.
Then he was here in June two sum-
mers ago." said the General, land for
three years prior and almost one year
after that time?"
Yes" said Peg.
Now there!" cried the General, with
a mixture of wrath and disgust; "see
what bald and easily confuted false
hood a fool moved of low malice will
tell! / could believe at times, when
I'm brought face to face with such
mendacious simplicity, that liars are
denied powers of reflection
What is it all about?" asked Peg.
Nothing, child, nothing" returned
the General. Now, run away home:
l want a word with your big play
mate here" Then in a softer manner:
mo. child. the Major and 1 are trying
to do you a service, and, please Cod
l think we shall accomplish it,
The whole kind attitude of the Gen
eral towards Peg seemed ever that of
a father, and he was used to call her
to him or dismiss her with no shade
of rudeness, truly, and yet with no
more of ceremonies than an affectionate
parent might adopt. Peg never grudg-
ed obedience, and received the Cen
erals word as readily, and was withal
as free of affront in any suddenness,
as should be daughter who feels her
place assured.
When Peg was off for home, the
General came and sat in the chair she
had vacated. With the white thick
brush of his end-wise hair, and the
fierce eyes of him, he made a portrait
wide apart from that tender one the
great chair so lately framed.
You are not to know" quoth the
General, without hating for my ques-
ton, the whole foul story this crea-
ture has told me. 1t is bad enough
that / was made to give ear to il.
The point lies here: If Tiniberlake
were with Peg in June two years ago
and for year before, this miserable
tale falls to the ground as false. He
makes its main element to depend up
on Undertakes absence--his charge OF
iniquity against Peg holds only by that
The Reverend Serpents hinge to swing
his villification on is the absence OF
Timberlake. And you heard her de-
clare how Timberlake was here"
Does this snake. as you rightly term
him, give you his story as Of a knowi-
edge of his OWN"
mo: he hides behind the words OF
two women; a mother and daughter
named Craven. They pretend to base
their ISLANDERS on what they allege was
told them by the husband and father
DR.. Craven-dead, he is, these ten
months"
and that is mighty convenient, .