Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-11
A POT OF GOLD.


wood, Hiram, came from Miles voice
in the kitchen. This waters never
goin' to boil"
at does beat all how some folks
make money" Hiram continued.
Seem to pick it right up off the
ground, someway. They say there's
pot of gold at the end Of every rain
bow; | wish I could find one of 'em,
that's alp
Are you going after that wood,
Hiram Briggs" demanded Mollie, APP
pearing in the doorway. IF you don't
you won't get your pot of coffee for
breakfast, an | reckon you'll miss that
more'n you will the pot of gold that's
at the end of that rainbow"
''Oh, Pm goin', Mollie! You're al
ways in sech hurry about everythIngw
exclaimed Hiram, testify, dragging his
lank figure to its full height and saun-
tering off toward the wood pile.
POT OF gold, indeed!" said Mollie to
herself rs she returned to her work
''If there was Il pot of gold in every
acre of the farm Hiram Briggsd never
dig deep enough to find it. He might
"a had deal more gold out of it than
he has if he'd a dug Il little harder"
Are you gOin' at the south lot this
morning, Hiram?" she asked at break
fast. Hiram was slow in replying.
''Well, you see" he began at last,
I'm rather afraid that ii have to wait
till afternoon. There's some men l
promised to meet down to the village
-" Mollie made no reply. 1t was
not much for ten years experience of
Hiram Briggs character to have taught
her that replying was apt to make mat
tiers worse instead of better.
''The fact is, Mollie," he said, as he
rose. ''I've about decided to sell the
old farm and invest in somethin' pay
ing. | can't stand any more of this
everlastin' drudgeryr' He looked at
her with a little apprehension. Molie
had risen and stood confronting him
with blazing eyes. The thought flashed
across him that MOllie was a handsome
woman.
Sell the farmr' she cried. Sell
the place where | was born an where
my father was born before me! That
you shant Not one inch of ground OF
stick of timber. Maybe you have the
right in law" she held up her hand as
he was about to speak, "but you know
you haven't the real right, and Illnever
let you do it, ncvern'
Hiram's only reply was strong
slam of the door as he passed through.
She watched him cross the orchard and
strike into the road leading to the viii
iage. She watched him as far rs she
could see him and then turned to her
work with Il sigh
II ,1cp't l-pCvv bcvv son opJ oh.
thought dreariIy Pm tired of fight
ing and scoIding, but I'll fight to the
very end before he shall sell my faith
ers farm," she finished, with fierce
tears in her eyes.
Hiram did not come home to dinner,
but that did not alarm Mollie. He
very often did not come home to dim
ner when there was Il south lot waiting
for him. Night came and still he did
not return, but he had even staid away
night before now, so at midnight she
closed the house and went to bed.
Maybe | said more than | need"
she thought, rs she blew out the light.
Toward evening of the next day
man sauntered up to the house. BE
you Miss Briggs?" he asked of Molly,
eagerly watching from the door
Yes" she said. What is it?"
"Wall, l cot letter + somethin'
fer ye, fumbling in his ragged peck
cts.
Wall, swan" he exclaimed finally,
''ef heven't lost it!''
Lost it!' cried Mollie; "where'd you
get i!''
Wall, Hi Briggs sed eff was a-comin'
your way some time today might bring
it. He said as how 'twould explain it.
self, an to tell you tibet he was a-goin'
after the pot of gold under the rainbow,
r some sech stuff"
The next day Mollie folded and
packed away Hiram's clothes. IF he
don't come back till he finds his pot of
gold, " she thought, hell never come
back at all, and if he comes back with
out it he'll need EN-"
Il wonder what could have been in
the letter." she thought. She was soon
to know.
In less than week a buggy drove
up to the door, a man alighted and
tied his horse. and Mollie opened the
door for him with strange feelings of
foreboding. What he told her was
what she had already dimly suspected,
that Hiram had mortgaged the farm
months before and invested the money
in mining stock. The mortgage was
due and had not been paid, and home
lessness stared Mollie in the face.
For a few moments she was stunned,
but the natural courage that had borne
her through so many trials soon re-
turned to her and with it plan where
by she might save her inheritance from
the consequences of her husbands fol-
". She would run the farm herself
and pay off the mortgage with the pro-
ceeds.
1t may have been the tears in Mol
lies bright eyes-I have heard that
men do not like to see Il woman cry
or it may have been something in her
earnest womanliness that commanded
attention to her pleading, but at the
end of an hourthat hard old lawyer had
certainly promised that her plan should
have a trial.
'1'll give YOU year, anyway" he
said. If | find by that time that it
pays me we can see about letting it
stand. My client has been abroad for
some time and leaves all such matters
in my hands, SO | will promise you a
year anyway.
The very next day Mollie went to
work on the south lot. She hired two
sturdy neighbor boys for small sum.
for in that part of the country boys
work was not worth much.
But these two soon found that if they
earned their wages and their good
board they must work for them. 1t