Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-03-11
CHAPTER ".

by d hullabaloo III the street.
CHATTER ".
"HROUGH the fast gathering
mist. through the smoke that's
LendOn's own, the two women,
leaning. behold a gay company
of gallantg rounding the far corner, 200
feet away, linked arms. swords a-touch-
Ing, heels a-clattering; one voice high
and young Cplfted in lit like this
Lady Peggy had heard that voice be-
fore:
I'm years to come when gallants sing
In praise of ladies fair,
All will allow. l pledge you square.
That brighter eyes ne'er banished care
Than those that babe US do and dare
When George the Third was King!
Let roof and rafter chime and ring;
Let echo shout 1t back: we sing
The merry days. my lords and sirs,
When George the Third was King!"
And at the chorus a brave dozen
more Of pairs of lusty lungs to take It
up and urge 1t on with flashing rapiers,
knocking points. ip the flare Of the
lights from the coffee house at hand,
and good twelve of plumed hats a-toss-
ing in the air and catch again, and
laughter loud and long, then dying
down as that fresh sweet voice begins
Its second verse, and just so the old
charwoman knocks hastily at the door,
calling in Lady Peggy's head and
Chockey's from the open.
'Haskin' your ladyship's parding,"
says she. but thought it no more'n
my duty to acquaint your ladyship, as
can't see from this eight, that your
ladyship's brother. Lord Kennaston, q
a-comin' 'Ome and a-bringin' with i'm
is comrades, among 'em Sir Percy de
Bohun. and mayhap 'er ladyship d
like best'-now addressing Chockey,
as Lady Peggy paced the floor in too
evident agitation-"like best" contin-
ued the dame, Ito 'ide 'erself, and, hif
SO, the noble gentlemen, hall Of 'em, I'm
thinkin', bein' summat raised with
wine. my tumble bit of a place his hat
FER ladyship's service for the night or
as long as 'er ladyship sees fit, for I
am this minute sent for to 60 down
into the country immediate, where,
God help us all, my tenth daughter,
what's married to her second husband,
lies at deaths door,"
And all the while the old charwom-
an is speaking between her bits Of
broken teeth Peggy hears that other
voice uplifted, ringing, gay, glad. care
free, as it seems to her strained ears,
up and down the darkening little
street. tapping at the window panes,
tapping at her heart strings and
stretching them to such a tension of
anger, outraged pride and wounded
affection as never lady suffered before.
She thanks the old woman and has
tily dismisses her; then, facing about
from the window, whence she has been
able to descry the merry group making
a rush into the coffee house. her lady
ship, seized by a sudden mad impulse,
says to her woman:
''ChOck, take my purse, tumble as
fast as your two legs can carry you
down, out, across to the wigmakers
we laughed at when we came in. buy
me the yellow wig, Chock. that adorns
the front, and come not back without 1t
an you love me, Chock. Wheedle, coax,
promise more'n there II here" stick
ing the purse In the astounded wom-
ans hand, but get me the wig that II
the very double of dear Sir Robins
own sweet pate"
She pushes Chockey out on the land
ing with an impetus that sends her
well on her errand, and then, shutting
and butt0ning the door, Lady Peggy
gets herself out of her furbelows and
petticoats. her stays. her bodice, her
collar. brooch. kerchief. pocket, hoop
and hairpins and into her brothers
suit Of grays, the new waistcoat and
cravat she's brought him for a gift;
abe tips the eoffeepot and washes her
face and pretty throat and hands in the
brown liquid; she plaits her long hair
and winds 1t close and tight about her
head; she buckles on Kennaston's court
rapier: she fetches his gray plumed
hat with its paste buckle from the
press; she ogles herself In the six inch
mirror; she swaggers, swings, struts,
and. says she. dipping her finger in the
SCOT of the old chimney and marking
out two black beetling brows over her
own slender ones:
IAN know not how to play at being
Sir Robin. Lady Peggy's chosen sweet
heart, boldly and with a loud voice;
know not how to swear and prance and
pick petty quarrel. crying Match me
your Lady Diana with my Pretty Peg
gy! then never did I dozen times for
sport don my twins brooches ana coat
and masquerade at being that sweet
creature-a man! Hal have 1t all at
fingers, endsw cries Peggy, fumbling
in her discarded pocket. "Here's the
very letter writ for Sir Robin to take
and present to my brother. Twill
stand me in good stead tonight that
forgot to give It to him. II Chockey
but succeed In cajoling the man out of
his wig, and II the gallants come not
ere I can at It to my heady'-opening
the door impetuously almost to bump
against the returning Chockey's nose.
Thou hast it! Oh, Chock! IT'S /.
Be not afraid. Come In; adjust it to
my poll-so! Lose not a moment. Pick
up my petticoats. Leave not scrap that
bespeaks q woman-there! You're drop
ping Aairpip. Now, up with you to the
loft! And no matter u rats nibble your
toes, Chock, or mice come play bopeep
with your eyewinkers or spiders weave
across your mouth, an you stir, cry out,
move an inch to the creaking Of a
board, I'll leave you here your lone self
TO shift as best you may! Up. girlw
touching the speeches. Chockey with
the rapier tip urgingly. And It's Sir
Robin Mozart that bids your
The obedient and trembling waiting
woman was not much sooner out Of
sight in the loft than again the voice
echoed up to where Lady Peggy stood
In the grewsome ambush of the land