〃afore〃 She gasped again； but the words seemed to strangle in
her throat。 Intent only on her words and scarcely heeding her
sufferings； Peter was bending over her eagerly； when the doctor
rudely pulled him away and lifted her to a sitting posture。 But
she never spoke again。 The strongest restoratives quickly
administered only left her in a state of scarcely breathing
unconsciousness。
〃Is she dying？ Can't you bring her to；〃 said the anxious Peter；
〃if only for a moment； doctor？〃
〃I'm thinkin'；〃 said the visiting doctor； an old Scotch army
surgeon； looking at the rich Mr。 Atherly with cool； professional
contempt； 〃that your mother willna do any more washing for me as in
the old time； nor give up her life again to support her bairns。
And it isna my eentention to bring her back to pain for the
purposes of geeneral conversation！〃
Nor； indeed； did she ever come back to any purpose； but passed away
with her unfinished sentence。 And her limbs were scarcely decently
composed by the attendants before Peter was rummaging the trunk in
her room for the paper she had spoken of。 It was in an old work…
boxa now faded yellow clipping from a newspaper； lying amidst
spoils of cotton thread； buttons； and beeswax； which he even then
remembered to have seen upon his mother's lap when she superadded
the sewing on of buttons to her washing of the miners' shirts。 And
his dark and hollow cheek glowed with gratified sentiment as he
read the clipping。
〃We hear with regret of the death of Philip Atherly； Esq。； of Rough
and Ready； California。 Mr。 Atherly will be remembered by some of
our readers as the hero of the romantic elopement of Miss Sallie
Magregor； daughter of Colonel 'Bob' Magregor； which created such a
stir in well…to…do circles some thirty years ago。 It was known
vaguely that the young couple had 'gone West；'a then unknown
region；but it seems that after severe trials and tribulations on
the frontier with savages； they emigrated early to Oregon； and
then； on the outbreak of the gold fever； to California。 But it
will be a surprise to many to know that it has just transpired that
Mr。 Atherly was the second son of Sir Ashley Atherly； an English
baronet； and by the death of his brother might have succeeded to
the property and title。〃
He remained for some moments looking fixedly at the paper； until
the commonplace paragraph imprinted itself upon his brain as no
line of sage or poet had ever done； and then he folded it up and
put it in his pocket。 In his exaltation he felt that even the
mother he had never loved was promoted to a certain respect as his
father's wife； although he was equally conscious of a new
resentment against her for her contemptuous allusions to HIS
father； and her evident hopeless inability to comprehend his
position。 His mother； he feared； was indeed low！but HE was his
father's son！ Nevertheless； he gave her a funeral at Atherly； long
remembered for its barbaric opulence and display。 Thirty
carriages； procured from Sacramento at great expense； were freely
offered to his friends to join in the astounding pageant。 A
wonderful casket of iron and silver； brought from San Francisco；
held the remains of the ex…washerwoman of Rough and Ready。 But a
more remarkable innovation was the addition of a royal crown to the
other ornamentation of the casket。 Peter Atherly's ideas of
heraldry were very vague；Sacramento at that time offered him no
opportunity of knowing what were the arms of the Atherlys；and the
introduction of the royal crown seemed to satisfy Peter's mind as
to what a crest MIGHT be； while to the ordinary democratic mind it
simply suggested that the corpse was English！ Political criticism
being thus happily averted； Mrs。 Atherly's body was laid in the
little cemetery； not far away from certain rude wooden crosses
which marked the burial…place of wanderers whose very names were
unknown； and in due time a marble shaft was erected over it。 But
when； the next day； the county paper contained； in addition to the
column…and…a…half description of the funeral； the more formal
announcement of the death of 〃Mrs。 Sallie Atherly； wife of the late
Philip Atherly； second son of Sir Ashley Atherly； of England；〃
criticism and comment broke out。 The old pioneers of Rough and
Ready felt that they had been imposed upon； and that in some vague
way the unfortunate woman had made them the victims of a huge
practical joke during all these years。 That she had grimly enjoyed
their ignorance of her position they did not doubt。 〃Why； I
remember onct when I was sorter bullyraggin' her about mixin' up my
duds with Doc Simmons's； and sendin' me Whiskey Dick's old rags；
she turned round sudden with a kind of screech； and ran out into
the brush。 I reckoned； at the time； that it was either 'drink' or
feelin's； and could hev kicked myself for being sassy to the old
woman； but I know now that all this time that air critterthat
barrownet's daughter…in…lawwas just laughin' herself into fits in
the brush！ No； sir； she played this yer camp for all it was worth；
year in and out； and we just gave ourselves away like speckled
idiots！ and now she's lyin' out thar in the bone yard； and keeps on
p'intin' the joke； and a…roarin' at us in marble。〃
Even the later citizens in Atherly felt an equal resentment against
her； but from different motives。 That her drinking habits and her
powerful vocabulary were all the effect of her aristocratic
alliance they never doubted。 And； although it brought the virtues
of their own superior republican sobriety into greater contrast；
they felt a scandal at having been tricked into attending this
gilded funeral of dissipated rank。 Peter Atherly found himself
unpopular in his own town。 The sober who drank from his free
〃Waterworks；〃 and the giddy ones who imbibed at his 〃Gin Mill；〃
equally criticised him。 He could not understand it； his peculiar
predilections had been accepted before； when they were mere
presumptions； why should they not NOW； when they were admitted
facts？ He was conscious of no change in himself since the funeral！
Yet the criticism went on。 Presently it took the milder but more
contagious form of ridicule。 In his own hotel； built with his own
money； and in his own presence； he had heard a reckless frequenter
of the bar…room decline some proffered refreshment on the ground
that 〃he only drank with his titled relatives。〃 A local humorist；
amidst the applause of an admiring crowd at the post…office window；
had openly accused the postmaster of withholding letters to him
from his only surviving brother； 〃the Dook of Doncherknow。〃 〃The
ole dooky never onct missed the mail to let me know wot's goin' on
in me childhood's home；〃 remarked the humorist plaintively； 〃and
yer's this dod…blasted gov'ment mule of a postmaster keepin' me
letters back！〃 Letters with pretentious and gilded coats of arms；
taken from the decorated inner lining of cigar…boxes； were posted
to prominent citizens。 The neighboring and unregenerated
settlement of Red Dog was more outrageous in its contribution。 The
Red Dog 〃Sentinel；〃 in commenting on the death of 〃Haulbowline
Tom；〃 a drunken English man…o'…war's man； said： 〃It may not be
generally known that our regretted fellow citizen； while serving on
H。 M。 S。 Boxer； was secretly married to Queen Kikalu of the
Friendly Group； but； unlike some of our prosperous neighbors； he
never boasted of his royal alliance； and resisted with steady
British pluck any invitation to share the throne。 Indeed； any
allusion to the subject affected him deeply。 There are those among
us who will remember the beautiful portrait of his royal bride
tattooed upon his left arm with the royal crest and the crossed
flags of the two nations。〃 Only Peter Atherly and his sister
understood the sting inflicted either by accident or design in the
latter sentence。 Both he and his sister had some singular
hieroglyphic branded on their arms；probably a reminiscence of
their life on the plains in their infant Indian captivity。 But
there was no mistaking the general sentiment。 The criticisms of a
small town may become inevasible。 Atherly determined to take the
first opportunity to leave Rough and Ready。 He was rich； his
property was secure； there was no reason why he should stay where
his family pretensions were a drawback。 And a further circumstance
determined his resolution。
He was awaiting his sister in his new house on a little crest above
the town。 She had been at the time of her mother's death； and
since； a private boarder in the Sacred Heart Convent at Santa Clara；
whence she had been summoned to the funeral； but had returned the
next day。 Few people had noticed in her brother's carriage the
veiled figure which might have belonged to one of the religious
orders； still less did they remember the dark； lank； heavy…browed
girl who had sometimes been seen about Rough and Ready。