The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-27

l know of no more dreadful fate than
to be forever mistaken for an angel"
That last came like the cry of a heart
in torture. The next moment Peg was
gone and left gasping.
OF what avail to think? AS she had
said, / was a laundering blindwit,
and, by me at least Peg would not
be made out. l had declared how
Eaton owned a footless fancy which
could not raise to realize a goddess.
And now, in my own high superiority,
L had come bravely off l had been
properly paid as one who is churl
enough to give a woman a compliment
at the expense of her husband. Was
l to suppose my goddess would accept
fattery at the cost of her self-respect?
The goddess from her furious pedestal
mad denounced me as one who planned
for her dishonor.
Congress was now come down upon
us like high wind. The town be-
gan to rub its eyes free of those cob
webs of vacation slumbers; the taV-
ems took on a buZzing life, while the
streets lately so still and lonesome
showed thickly sown of folk going here
and there, for this reason of legisla-
ton or that hunger of office and with
faces gay or sombre as success was
given or denied.
Noah was one to be denied. He had
come to town somewhat in advance of
Congress. The General brought him
quickly to the White House and made
him unpack his budget of gossip. How
was Burr? How was Swartout? How
Jared Hoyt? Thus ran off the Cen
erals curiosity.
"All well. all prosperous" respond
ed Noah, and the town itself growing
up to weeds of riches. The New York
cry is, Money! They revise your friend
Crockett, and, for an aphorism, say
BE sure you're rich, then go ahead /"
The General would have it that Noah
must take an oftice-a collectorship or
some such gear.
1.-The Senate would defeat my con-
frmation," said Noah; first for that
I'm Jew; and next because of Ca
tron."
"And even So" returned the General,
1t is still worth while to discover who
would do that"
Noah was right, and his name came
up TO be refused by one vote Cal
houn from his place as president of
the Senate proved as flint against
Noah, while his mouthpiece, Hayne
led the war on the floor. 1 have yet
to look on more anger than was the
Generals when the news arrived.
Heed it not" said Noah, swapping
his fingers. Il have still my laughter
my newspaper, and my Spanish
swords"
But the insult of it," cried the Cen
eral
ITO the cynic," said Noah. lightly
there can come no insult Your philos-
opher who laughs is safe against such
WITNESSES l shall long remain both
fat of pride and fat of purse for all
Senate may do. You do not know
me; 1 should have been a Diogenes
and insulted Alexanders from nv
tub"
Calhoun and his coterie brought with
them to town their great question of
Modification. They worked on it in
cessantly and made a deal of hubbub.
Calhoun set forward his man, Hayne.
to the exposition of this policy of ma
tional disintegration. Hayne was met
in that debate and overthrow by the
mighty Webster The country echoed
with the strife of these Titans.
For himself, the General followed the
argument, North against South, word
by word and step by STEP He had
the debate of each day written off.
and Peg would come over and read If
to him while he smoked and pondered
and resolved.
About this time 1 must write down
how 1 was made to feel rebuked and
neglected. Following that unguided
reference to her husband. Peg would
seem to have deserted me. My eyes
had little of her, and l heard her voice
still less; for while she was often in
to gossip with the Gneral, or read those
Senate speeches to him, she gave me
only stray cold chances and monosyl-
tables. She came no more to my work.
shop; and day after day I sat alone
while melancholy crept upon me like
MOSES over stone. I was not so dense
but l could tell how 1 had offended.
Peg was proud; she resented nv sug-
no 10 TO-
that was why she flew upon me. beak
and talon, and said it was l who lived
in darkness of her. / had been the
wiser had l forgotten those tears of
hers so soon as they were dry, and
withstood myself from meddling opin-
ions concerning her lot in life. Peg
GOODNESS was the proper retort for my
impertinence, and l must bear it even
while it broke my heart.
1t would be the expected thing that
I should turn cherries and be cast
down when now Peg left me with my
thoughts alone. l had grown so used
to her about me, and to hear the sweet
laugh of her, that it was to miss some-
thing out of my life when she took her
self away And yet it would be ego
tism Folk miss and for a while de-
plore what has become a piece of their
days-even chains and dungeons so
I've heard. Nor is this due to any love
save self-loVe. l have often consid-
cred, as folk shed tears on a grave.
how they wept for themselves and not
for him who slept at their feet. IT
was the merest selfshness of habit, this
detection because Peg would desert me.
Her absence would become custom in
time, and then, should she return. that
coming doubtless would irk me lust as
much.
For all my wisdom, however, when
now my starved eyes came only by
stray, sparse glimpses Of Peg, as I be-
held her now and again across in
the Presidents Square, or when she
went by my door on her visits to the
General, my spirit fell to be faded and
vastly lowered.
Had l known my way to go about
it, would have sought Peg out and
talked with her freely and in fun of
what had fallen to be our differences.
l would have acknowledged my error.
But l saw no open gate through which
TO come by such converse, and I fear
ed with an attempt to plunge bad into
worse.
once. indeed, my resolve was half
Matched to gain some plain speech OF
her ] lay in wait until the day be-
ing fine, l had sight of her on a rus
tic seat over across in the square. She
was wrapped in a fur of some sort
martin, l think-and, with this drawn
high about the throat, it so framed
her face as to make her beautiful to
the verge of witchcraft
Seeing how she was near a path T
lounged out of door ana crossing the
road, would make as though to walk
by her, casually and for exercise and
air. It was my plan TO greet Peg, and
next drift into word with her as in