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remorse。 He said quickly：
〃You were speaking of father！of his familyhis lands and
possessions。 Tell me again！〃
〃Wot are ye givin' us？〃 she ejaculated in husky suspicion； opening
upon him her beady eyes； in which the film of death was already
gathering。
〃Tell me of father；my father and his family！ his great…
grandfather！the Atherlys； my relationswhat you were saying。
What do you know about them？〃
〃THAT'S all ye wanter knowis it？ THAT'S what ye'r' comin' to the
old washer…woman foris it？〃 she burst out with the desperation of
disgust。 〃Wellgive it up！ Ask me another！〃
〃But； motherthe old records； you know！ The family Biblewhat
you once told usme and Jinny！〃
Something gurgled in her throat like a chuckle。 With the energy of
malevolence； she stammered： 〃There wasn't no recordsthere wasn't
no family Bible！ it's all a lieyou hear me！ Your Atherly that
you're so proud of was just a British bummer who was kicked outer
his family in England and sent to buzz round in Americky。 He
honey…fogled meSally Magregorout of a better family than his'n；
in Kansas； and skyugled me away； but it was a straight out
marriage； and I kin prove it。 It was in the St。 Louis papers； and
I've got it stored away safe enough in my trunk！ You hear me！ I'm
shoutin'！ But he wasn't no old settler in Mizzourihe wasn't
descended from any settler； either！ He was a new man outer
Englandfresh caughtand talked down his throat。 And he fooled
MEthe darter of an old family that was settled on the right bank
of the Mizzouri afore Dan'l Boone came to Kentuckywith his new
philanderings。 Then he broke up； and went all to pieces when we
struck Californy； and left MESally Magregor； whose father had
niggers of his ownto wash for Rough and Ready！ THAT'S your
Atherly！ Take him！ I don't want himI've done with him！ I was
done with him long aforeafore〃a cough checked her utterance；
〃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