The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-17

be a counter weight for Rivera. I
would wager should they come to-
gether, that my mean beats him to
pumice."
The light in Noahs eyes showed no
sloth of appetite for such a battle.
The rogues about the table were made
uneasy by our presence. We looked
them up and down at no little length,
Noah, with an eye of rawest insolence,
enough of itself to draw resentment
from an image. Noah called Rivera
from where he lounged against the
door-post and held whispered converse
with him touching the fellows, and all
in a most apparent way of insult. But
beyond a wrathful growl one might
not lure them they turned their shift
ty, evil eyes away, and hastily gulp-
ing the rum, shuff1ed from the place.
IF those ruffians are come to town
for a motive of trouble" said I, why
do not they go upon their mission?
They have been weeks here. Has this
Catron so much money to waste?"
Doubtless Catron has money
enough" replied Noah. Like your
self, however, 1 can not find reason
for this stage wait in the tragedy. 1
have tempted them to a rupture with
my eye a score of times, but their
conduct was always what you saw"
Noah went with me to the General
to reply to the latter'S interest con-
corning the ambitious one.
He is wise and brave and true"
said Noah; that is the worst 1 know
of him"
And that should be enough" said
the General, devisively. What more
may one want than wise and brave
and true?'
Then you care only for the man.
said I. land ask nothing of his princi-
pies of politics."
added to those cardinals" laugh
ed the General of wise and brave
and true one would need but the other
virtue of being my friend. When you
say principles of politics. Major, l
should know what you mean. Still,
with a now and then Calhoun excep-
ton, 1 am free to say 1 care only for
your man and nothing for a measure.
If it were an election, now l should
vote for good man on a bad platform
rather than bad man on a good plat
form"
And why?" asked Noah. For my
self 1 am not so sure"
You will turn sure" replied the
General 'if you but pause and recall
your own experience. Measures are
like batteries aboard ship. 1t is ever
the man behind the measure, as it is
the man behind the gun. If he be wise
and brave and true good. If he be
otherwise-why, hang him and have
you another man.
AS l was returning. alone to my
workshop, I overheard the voices of Peg
and Jim within the room.
AN so, Miss Peg" Jim was saying,
"as soon as ever your nanny gives
Jim d'message an that mouthful of
whiskey, Jim shore lights out for you.
Honey, Jim, comes that fas', Jim does,
he jes' natcherally leaves things on
both sides of d'rOad. Your mammy's
plumb sick, an thar amt no sort o.
doubt of it. Plumbago is what Jim
allows it is"
MY mother is ILL.," said Peg, when
came in. Il sent your Jim down
to get word from her. She wants me,
and I would ask you to go with me
to her if 1 dared"
THAT should call for no desperate
courage" said 1.
The deep SHOWS had been melting
for many days, and, while the ground
was now quite bare, it lay wet as a
sponge, and the roads not to be thought
of for horses. Pegs mother, however,
lided but little mile distant, and
our way would lie through woodland
for the most, with paths to wind in
and out among the trees. These walks,
being grassy, would do well enough for
folk afoot.
I'VE must walk" said Peg, land
since that be the order, I must go
back for stronger boots to fend against
this wet"
When Peg returned from her own
home and we would be setting forth,
it was six years off her age to merely
see her. For what mud and water
we might meet, Peg had donned thick
soled, high-laced boots, and with these,
and skirts cut short to match her
boots, Peg appeared not an hour older
than 16.
You look like a school girl" said
I, in comment You will be now
more than ever the child with me-"
"'Tis a good uniform to walk in"
said Peg, land to balk mire and
water"
Pegs mother was in no strait of
weakened health more than stood
proper with her days. But she was
grown peevish and with nerves on
edge to see her daughter; for since rout
and dinner and reception made such
claim on Peg, she had not visited the
good old lady as often as was her
wont.
And now when we were there, the
old mother would hear no soon word
for our departure; we must stay to
supper; Peg should cook for us, she
said.
1t was not without surprise that I
observed how this command to turn
herself a cook would fit with Peg S
temper like a glove. In the first, Peg
hung upon uncertainties; the paths
were bad, there were mire and pool
But when told that she should cook
for me. her face frightened and she
was instantly moved to recall that a
great moon would shine and so put
those night dangers of pool and mire
to rest.
So patent stood Pegs satisfaction in
her new duties that, as she would heap
and heap again my plate-scarce eat
ing a morsel herself was driven to
ask reason.
And YOU don't know" said Peg.
pausing with a new baked tin of light
bread in her little hands-these latter
white with -four. 1T is because this
is the first natural woman thing I've
done for months. You may be very
sure. Watchdog, whenever you see. me