The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-08-09
CASE OF MOA BARRIOS
Spanard's American Story. Written for This
Paper by Phillip Braggalan.
lCopyrighkl
CHAPTER JI.-COntlnued.

CHAPTER U.-Contlnued.
what are you going 10 do:" she
asked in fear.
suppose looked wild and terrible
snough.
i am going T. seek her OUT" said.
"She says t1at she IS to marry this
man. want to know that it is so.
Then l went up stairs, changed my
clothes, put al the money had into
my pocket, AID packed a handbag for
my Quincy l heard my mother NOV
ing below. lighting the fire and getting
the meal ready: for whether a woman
had broken her sons heart or no he
should not starve: OF that she was de-
termined. Before l went down | laid
the shawl l had bought for MOa care
fully away in the chest in which kept
my treasures, and as | smOOthed the
folds great sob rose in my breast,
and u passion of tears overlook me.
But composed myself soon and rose
and went uOwn stairs.
Early the next day was on my Jour-
ney. had something else in my breast
besides my money. 1t was the gold
chain with the coral lCcket attached
TO 1t that | had given to Moa. l found
It In hollow near the threshold,
z
was broken, as if she had torn it rough
" from her neck and cast 1t from her
In breaking the last link of the fetter
that had bound her to me. Although
my first impulse was to set my heel
1pon it and grind it to powder, 1t ended
in my taking nit with me. Try as |
would, cOullenot hate her all at once.
In New York / first spent two days
IN learning that there was no theatre
cal manae or famed Mercer. Not evon
the smallesptyariety show was con-
Quoted bv such man. OF MOa l could
CT no trace freapented the tn "a
ter, 1 searched IN, !'oR Public bathrooms
seeking night audr day for months.
AT last found A,r one night in the
streets. She waso poorly dressed. and
. the yellow casYight fell full upon
me- tremb Q. ..Itdo lowed her, blindlv,
q lcng way. it seemed. Strangers spoke
10 her once or twice, but she only
turEed her face u:On them for an in
slant and glided on, like q ghost.
thought. Resentment seemed dead in
me. l kept my revenge for Mercer.
Only great wide pity filled my
heart for the woman who had b.
trayed me- We went on and on,
shrough the gas-lit streets. 1t eemed
not long after that we were in the
BOwerE and then, still following
clos ,ly behind her, We were upon the
wonderful bridge that crosses the East
River. with the long lines of lamps
stretching before us until they seemed
10 meet in point of fire at the Brook
hn end. The black sky OF midnight
was overhead. The stars were few and
,~,la falmouth r,,r foot hC rroof ri
ebbed far below the enormous span o.
Of the suspended bridge. Moa leaned
On the railing, and peer d down
through the network of iron into tho
dirk water suddenly she leaped upon
the balustrade. | seized her before
she could take tn leap. She fought like
wildcat, but would not let her 90
At last when dragged her back, and
.h Ii lit 81 on, full upon my face, she
sriei, albert. Albert" and fell at my
sect like one struck dead.
she lay IL or many days at my
lodging. waited on by me and the good
landlady. When she recovered her
senses she knew me and wept, and by
degrees learned the whole story a
sommon, ugly story enough. He had
tired of his handsome toy. and left it
b the world !, break, in a few months.
bore a We! known name. although a
black sheep in hi, family flock. He
had marri ID Moa. Tot with ceremony
hut with formality sufficient to be
binding in Law probably. That point
ha, ne, or been tested. | brought her
ba * to HOOsac OF the sad past nc
ono spoke to her. l thought of tie" as
. man thinks of q woman whom he has
loved and whom he can love no more.
But was mistaken about that. In
spite of her ruinel hope her listless
hOpelessness. her evident despair and
her physical wreck Of former self.
loved her as much as over.
a year pas ed. and t,en something
happened that you must promise
keep a secret. l tell it to YOU becau sc
you are wise man-an experienced
maa-a man tt to advise q hal.-d s.
trac ed fellow. | want to gain yonl
Confluence by intru ting to yen what
persons-Aloa. Mer. er and myself. The
belief that Mercer would seek her out
eventually mover left her. nurscd
the desire Of vengeance still. but lei
it slunber. Il time would como whe1
it won 4 wake. One day stranger
got of q train at this station and in
auired for the dive linz of Miss Bar
rios. 5 afterwards learned, hi.
errund w:s 70 obtain some papers
which Mercer had intrusted to Moa
and which she had brou .ht away frou
New York. They had become v:tall,
important to him, and he wished t
recover them. by force or fraud. B!
she strangers threats she was un
moved. to his offered brides insensible
~ his eloquent pleading she only an
sWe red in few words:
Tho paper; are mine. They wer,
given to me b.. the nan himself. lie
him come +, r them himself if he wishe
~ have them
The stranger went away detected
aud returned IN q few days. They con
ferred together in low voices, ard h,
went ava, satisfied. Mercer was com
ING then: l went about my work i,
usual, but Noa aw something in m
face that hal MT been there befor,
and beckoned me aside aud said:
You are thinking of revenge. 1t i
sirhf of YOU. fer | am only WOmA