Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-02
The Golden RIDE of Misery Fiat.
EDO, Lowizy, git down off that stool,
and quit rummaging in that burey draw

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Lowry, from her perch on the stool.
only turned her sloe- black eyes toward
the cot wherein lay the invalid whose
queruoa1s tones arrested her attention,
and answered:
"'Pears like you're crosser'n usual,
Mandy I ant a-rummaging; I'm hunt
in for piece Of that striped tickin' to
set patch in Mikes overalls."
"Well, do get down and shut that
drawer" persisted the sick woman;
''Therc ant speck Of that there tickin'
left"
"There is too,' interrupted the girl,
holding up large scrap, land here it is,
so. there. And what's more, here's a lot
of new calico. Sakes! where did you
raise 50 much?"
The woman's eyes frightened and her
tones chcered perceptibly as she answer
ed hurriedly:
':Well, shut the drawer and git away
from their, and I'll give you one Of them
pieces for a new dress. You can take
your choice, the laylock an green or the
speckled pink. Do git down. Right
there by that window, too, and most time
for Mike to be a-comin'.n
At that moment Mike himself entered
the door. His not ill-natured face clouu-
ed over as he observed Lowizy coolly re-
placing the prints in the drawer, and he
stepped hastily forward as If to arrest her
farther progress A significant glance
from his wife caused him to turn towards
the cot instead of the bureau 'sNever
mind it, whispered his wife soothingly,
"she ha'nt spies out nothin.' She's only
pokin' after bit of stuff to patch Your
overalls If you flare up likely as not
she'll suspect something. I wish in my
soul we'd never taken hand in it.'
And Mandy buried her face in her pill
low and began to cry.
"You'd better take your quinine,
Mandy" said Lowizy. 'You've been
a-gapin' and stretchin' all mornin' and
now you're 5awlin'. Your ayers comm
on, sure. There's your dinner Mike, on
the fire. Lift it yourself, can't you? /
want to dose Mandy an fix these yer over
alls fore eat"
Mike lifted his dinner ard eat it in
silence, while Mandy took her dose and
Lowizy's nimble fingers piled the needle
upon the torn overalls. When Mike had
finished his repast she locked up from her
work and said:
II am going over to Bixlerville pretty
soon to get Miss Naylor to cut out my
new calico. You better not 60 over the
slough. Mandy II need you round home.
There's them late peas to brush. They're
sprawlin' terrible. And there's that
hanging shelf in the kitchen-why don't
you tinker that up? And be sure you
don't forgit to bring the dugout over to
the shore for me along about sundown
III be there, reckon, long fore you'will.
Want me to call the doctor for Mandy?''
''Doctorin' does small good" answered
Mike gloomly. "Misery Flats no place
for a man to live in. If chap could
ever get a hold of a claim over yonder on
the hill-but there's no use a-trying;
fever n ager and hard luck forever n
ever II take the go out Of any man" i
ooh, you re blue to-day, Nike laugh
ed the girl. 81 dunno what's got you and
Mandy here lately. After the cotton s
baled and sold, you'll chirk up. Misery
Flat cotton beats the hill crop all to
nothin''
EYES," said Mike, a bit more heartily;
IAN if we just could get a cabin and a
few acres on the bill where we could lice,
I'd work the Flat plantation, and ask no
odds Of any man. But there's no use
"A grumbling," interrupted the girl
cheerily. "Bymeby you'll rastle out O.
this, and get your home tother side of the
slough That is, if you don't fume your
self into the ager again. There, there's
your overalls. Now I'm going"
Missouri Flat is one of the many is
lands that dot the Mississippi river be-
tween Cairo and New Orleans. River
pilots know it by its proper number, its
local name, Missouri Flat, being given to
it by the small colony of humble folk
from the State Of Missouri who, in the
hope of lettering their condition, had set
tied on the island which, like many 9th
ers, was luxuriantly fertile, producing at
small expenditure of labor abundant
crops of the finest Gotten, as we'll as grain
and vegetables. AS usual, where
eXuberance OF vegetable life is found
there also is found malaria, and the I'm.
fortunate settlers ON Missouri Flat came
in time to deem the name flung at their
island in the ironical speech Of passing
boatman no misnomer.
Mike Flynn, a bright young man Of
Irish parentage, with is young wife, q
rosy, healthful Missouri girl, had come
with the small colony to the island full
of the hopeful enthusiasm of youth, and
had set about the work of cultivatine
the soil and building up an honest home
with commendable zeal. Before they
had been a twelvemonth on the island
they found out that wealth could only
be gained on Misery Flat at the expense
of health. Over on the rolling lands Of
the main shore it was healthful. 1t only
they could secure a home there! To &C
complishd this Mike toiled early anG
late, carefully boarding every dollar o
his earnings. But sickness and death
three baby forms were laid away in the
neighborhood graveyard on the hillside
beyond the slough-had brought conse
quent expense and loss, and Mikes hoare
increased but slowly. Mandy's healtl
gave way at last, and then all thing.
seemed to go wrong.
Mike, by nature, thrifty and saving
grew close, even covetous. 1t troubled
Mandy to witness the growing change.
When they had first come to Misery
Flat thay had found but one plantation
on the island. Its owner was eager Il
sell out his claim to Mike for small sun
of ready cash. With the plantation b,
turned over to the Flynns child o
about seven years Of age, with but the ex
c,1sa that che was Unnne n, fheir'n }, q nf