Tales of Trail and Town, Bret Harte [to read list TXT] 📗

nse of keeping herhere on account of his pride, under the thin pretext of trying to"cure" her. She knew that Sally Atherly of Rough and Ready wasn'tconsidered fit company for "Atherly of Atherly" by his fine newfriends. This and much more in a voice mingling maudlin sentimentwith bitter resentment, and with an ominous glitter in her bloodshotand glairy eyes. Peter winced with a consciousness of thehalf-truth of her reproaches, but the curiosity and excitementawakened by the revelations of her frenzy were greater than hisremorse. He said quickly:--

"You were speaking of father!--of his family--his lands andpossessions. Tell me again!"

"Wot are ye givin' us?" she ejaculated in husky suspicion, openingupon him her beady eyes, in which the film of death was alreadygathering.

"Tell me of father,--my father and his family! his great-grandfather!--the Atherlys, my relations--what you were saying.What do you know about them?"

"THAT'S all ye wanter know--is it? THAT'S what ye'r' comin'