Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-12-18
A POT OF GOLD.


Tho storms just about over, Mollie,
can see the rainbow
Then you can bring in an armful of
wood. Hiram" came from Miles voice
In the kitchen. This waters never
goin' to boil"
ut does beat all how some folks
make lAcney," Hiram continued.
"Seem to pick it right up off the
ground, someway. They say there's a
pot of gold at the end of every rain
bow; | wish could find one of 'em,
that's all"
Are you going after that wood,
Hiram Briggs" demanded Molie 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, I'm goin', Mollie! You're al
WAYS in sech hurry about everythIngw
exclaimed Hiram, testify, dragging his
Iank figure to its full height and saun-
tering off toward the wood pile.
pot of gold, indeedr' said Molie to
herself as She returned to her work.
IF there was pot of gold in every
acre OF the farm Hiram Brggs'd 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 little harder"
Are you goin' at the south lot this
morning. Hramqn she asked at break
fast. Hiram was slow in replying.
well, you see" he began at last,
"rm rather afraid that I'll have to wait
till afternoon. There's some men |
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
ters worse instead &C better.
"The fact is, Molhs.' he SAID, as he
rose, 1--WE about de ;God to sell the
old farm and invest in somethin' pay
ing. can't stand any more of this
everlastin' drudgery" He looked at
hei .sith little apprehension. Mollie
had risen and stood confronting him
with blazing eyes. The thought flashed
across him that Mollie was Il handsome
woman.
Sell the farmw she cried. Sell
The place where | was born an where
my father was born before me! That
you shan'tl Not one inch of ground or
stick of timber. Maybe YOU have the
right ~ law, she held up her hand as
he wi about to speak, but you know
you haven't the real right, and I'll never
let yon In nnAnrI1 ------------------
Ilirams only reply was n strong
slam of the door rs he passed through.
She watched him cross the orchard and
strike into the road leading to the viii
lage. She watched him as far as she
could see him and then turned to her
work with sigh.
Il don't know how it'll end,n she
thought drearily. I'm tired of fight
ing and scoldIng, but I'll fight to the
very end before he shall sell my faith
er's 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
uer when there was south lot waiting
for him, Night came and still he did
not return. but he had even staid away
a night before now, so at midnight she
closed the house and went to bed.
MAYBE | said more than ! need, "
she thought, as she blew out the light.
Toward evening of the next day a
man sauntered up to the house. BE
you Miss BriggSP' he asked of Molly,
eagerly watching from the door.
Yes" she said. ''What is itp'
"Wal, | got letter r Somethin'
Ser ye fumbling in his ragged peck
cts.
Wall swan, he exclaimed finally,
s'ef heveu't lost it!'
Lost it!n cried Mollie; "where'd you
get i'll"
wall, Hi Briggs sed eff was a-comin'
your way some time today might bring
1t. He said ms 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, "he'll never come
back at all, aud if he comes back with
out it he'll need EN-"
Il wonder what could have been in
Aut lCllNl' SUI tht'F- hNs plC w as SUM
30 know.
In less than a week buggy drove
up to the door, man alighted and
tied his horse, aud 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 aud had not been paid, and home
lesSness stared Mollie in the face.
For few moments she was stunn@l,
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
che 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 woman cry
or it may have been something in her
earnest womanliness that commanded
attention to her pleading, but at the