〃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。