Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-11
HE MooNshlNER,s WIFE.


to the End.
At midnight there came "A sudden knock
ing at the door of the mountaineer's cabin.
Who's thar"
Open the door, Bush. have five men
with me, and it's no use for you to resist,
If we have to fire into the windows, some Of
your family will be killed"
I'll come out. What ails yo' all any
way!''
It's for moonshining, Bush"
HUH I'm not skeart of that Yo' all
would a-showed more sense to come by day
light. Reuh Bush hain't been ahidin from
nobody"
\ deputy United States marshal and
posse on the one side, and the owner of 20
acre farm on the other. There's a still
hidden away in some gorge of the noun
tain, but the marshal's men have spent
days and days in a vain search. Some one
has given information that Reub Bush is
a moonshiner. however, and he is to be car
ried off to jail in hope that a case may be
worked up against him. In 10 minutes the
mountaineer is ready to 90 with the posse.
He betrays neither Indignation nor sur
prise. His wife has few questions to ask
and no tears to shed. His three children
have been aroused from sleep. but they rub
their eyes and stare blankly at the officers
and utter no word.
Who all did it, Reub'' queries the wife
in a whisper.
Dan Meachem, | reckon" he replieA
Him went to town today on his mewl
Him's jest that emery"
They handcuff him and hurry him away.
The children drop back on their pillows
and fall asleep again. and the woman blows
out the candle and seeks her bed. Dan
Meachem is a constable at the crossroads
hamlet, three miles away. The woman
could recall two or three other cases in
which he was believed to be guilty of Civ
ing information, and as her heart hardened
she said aloud:
IF they all let Reub 20 it will be all
right, but if they all put him in prison Dan
Meachem shall die
There was no more thinking or wonder
ing or planning. She had said she would
do thus and so. Her resolution was IN
changeable. She hoped her husband would
return that day, but he did not. Days
passed, and at the end of week a neighbor
told her that the government had case
against Reub and would hold him for
trial. She did not fling herself down and
weep. Her eyes were not even moist as
she turned to her children and said:
Children, yo'r pops gwine ter be shet
up in Jail fur a right smart while, and it's
no use to look fur him"
What's jail:" asked one in dreamy
way.
place fur pore folks who try to make a
Twin. Scatter off to bed now, cause yO'r
mann wants TO think
She sat in front of the log fire with her
elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand
until they were fast asleep. Then she rose
up and reached down the long barreled
rifle from its resting place on the deer
horns 1t was loaded She drew the charge,
wiped the barrel clean and reloaded. Her
face had worn an expression of sadness as
she sat looking into the fire. She had no
sooner taken down the rifle than danger
Gus CLEAN came 10 her eyes, and she shut
her teeth so hard that her breathing WAS
labored.
They all ar Ewine to hang TO Reub,"
she said as she replaced the gun. and to
morrer I'll mhush Dan Meachem."
That settled it. She was abed and asleep
20 minutes later. In the morning she would
shoot the man who betrayed her husband
to the officers. Why not; An eye for an
eye had always been her maxim. OF course
! shewould shoot him. He no doubt expect
/ cd her TO do so. She never slept more
souudly than on this night After break
fast next morning she said to the children:
MANS gwine to the crossroads. No'
all kin keep the cabin while I'm gone"
Dan Meachem was hoeing corn in a field
half mile from his house. At 10 O'Clock,
as he reached the west end of a row and
leaned on his hoe to rest for moment, a
| tongue of flame darted out of the bushes, a
| rifle cracked. and the man fell back dead,
shot through the heart
Il said would. and hev," whispered
Reub Bush's wife as she stood up and
| looked over The hazel bushes at the man
! lying on his hack three rods away. Dan
| was ouery. Him give Reub up. Him de
| served ii.
At noon she WIS home with her children
| They were not observing children, or they
would have noticed her pale face and com
| pressed lips. She had work to do, but shG
laid it aside and sat down on the Doorstep
with her pipe She had shot man. She
was waiting for men to come and arrest
her for the crime. She had been seen OF
the highway with the rifle ON her shoulder
and no doubt she would at once I've suspect
ed. Very we'll; let them come.
An hour before sunset an officer drove up
| "Howdy. Mrs. Bushs'
"Howdy, Tom!"
Got to go with ME fur shootin Dave
Meachem."
"Haas"
She put on her sunbonnet, refilled and
lighted her pipe and was ready. The chill
dren betrayed no curiosity asked no ques
tions. As she followed the officer out &c
the wagon she said:
"Yo' all shet up the cabin an go over &c
| Uncle Jim's. They all is gwine to hang
yo'r mann fur shootin Dan Meachem."
She climbed over the wheel to "a seat on
the wagon and was driven away, never
once CHANGING backward-not a word &c
the man who was driving her to her death.
NJ QUAD