St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-03-04
havin' the means o. conshumnin' me
sown shInoke when T'm cpo1si

havin' the means O. conshumnin' me
Town sh1noke when Pm coo1kin's'
I. Tt was after II o'clock and all was YET
/ silent outside SO far as the deaf and
dumb waAs of the cellar reported the
Isound Of the night. Darcie was lying
on the pallet of boards and blankets
that Mike had prepared for him, broad
awake, and staring in the darkness.
His arm was aching steadily, and be
was thinking, thinking the black
thoughts oflgrief at night, trying the
depths of hiF pain, and finding it very
about the doctors poppy and mans
/ dragora. He stretched forth his hand
and felt Mikes shoulder, and shook
the honest sleeper beside him.
| ''Make a light, will you? can't lie
here in thesdark, 'he complained in all
| injured voice, as if Mike had several
times End persistently refused him the
| small boon of candle.
g Whats the matter that We cannot
sleep?. Mike inquired. is your arm
1lurtin' We bad?s
"EKerything is hurting me- Darcie
specified. "My arm weighs ton, and
IeQery pound is pulling onsthe small of
my back, and theresa siekish lump in
my chest that stiles me. Is it likely j
can sleep?"
THAT'S quare mess av symptoms We
have. Il snags, dunno what to make
ay it. Whisper, Darcie! Mike coaxed,
lowering his tumultuous voice to sen
timental aside that might have been
heard, barring the Intervention of the
cellar-walls, across the guleh. "Have
We got it all fixed wild your gurl? Are
ye in it?''
HDon't talk to. me- Darcie groaned,
turning his faeesaway from the candle.
"Sure, twas yourself that was talkin'.
What was / sayin'? Diy'l word be-
.yond what's civil" Mike protested
rather sulkily. He lay silent, watching
Darcie's face till he could bear. its
changed expression no longer.
"Oh, bad luck to thin! What was
fye doin', anyhow, that they fired ye
aout, an you no betther nor a sick
.choild?,
Shut zup!" shouted Darcie. ST fired
myself out"
''Musha, ye needn't be so mad vid
me! There's not a thing won't take
from We, the way ye are; so pile it on.
SBut what want to know isand I'm
bound to know it, for I've me plans to
lay-wil1 she be comm wild us whin
We re ready to put out o. this ??''
She will not" said Darcie through
his set teeth.
II dunno what she's made of, StIin -
said Mike dignantly. Hefelt hin4self
helittled in the person of his partner.
who had been foolish enough. surely.
and hadrisked enough for this partie,l-
lar girl to have met with all possible
success. Thin Ammerykin girls is
hard as nails; niver seen wan O. t2sat
s1nall-waisted breed that had as mrch
blood in her as ye csu'd squeeze out av
turnip. They sit readin' books and
huggin' the stove the whole Hvin' day !.
There's no health nor naythur in thin
G'way wild her; l wouldn't break me
pipe fer her! Let her shtay wild the
'ould man that's a dishgrace to the
mother that t4bore him. Doye mind how
she piped up the night I lep' aerost the
road? I hard ye, Mike says she.
and ! thought by the sobo' laughter III
her voice, and the trimbleso' tears, that
she had a woman's feelin's--' k
Heaven save us. Mike, / wish yon
could be quiet! I suppose you can't,
though; your tongue is hung in the
middle" Darcie wound the blanket
around his sound arm, and dragged ii
over his head. ..
ITO RE froNTrNTTET