Mexico Missouri message., 1900-06-14
patch and could hear the tearing Of


of her melons and angry at the insolent
u;srnss. slipped on a calico gown and
listened from the garden fence. The
watch dog, encouraged by her pres
ence, advanced beyond the barn and
harked more hercely. But everyone
knew he was not dangerous.
Then Mary Brennock heard the
bursting Of ripe melon as II was
hurled upon the ground Another and
another followed. II was simply wan
ton destruction OF her crop-the de-
spelling of her property And she
would need that money to pay the In
terest. For she would not burden her
new husband with financial obliga-
tions.
No one but farmer can conceive the
anger such a revelation inspires. And
Mary Brennock, self-reliant, because
women of the period had to be selfre-
liant. ran into the house and got down
her late fathers old rife. II had not
been handled since his death. and she
did not even stop to wonder II 1t were
loaded. 1t was gun!
She ran again to the garden fence
and laid the barrel between two OF the
palings and tried to lift the hammer,
Twice 1t slipped from her thumb and
fell against that dusty old cap. Then
she tried to push up the hammer with
the Nat OF her left hand. holding the
stock clumsily. And this time when
1t slipped the blow was harder, and
the gun was discharged.
For moment there was silence in
the watermelon patch and then two
shots we're fred and Mary ran back
terTifed-but still angry-to her moth
er and her baby girl.
They listened, but there was no more
noise. except the provokingly insistent
barking of the house dog.
The excitement kept Mary awake un-
I'll way along toward morning, when
she heard James Monahan's wagon
rumbling through her lane and knew
he was gathering the load OF melons
for market.
Then she slept; and 1t was dawn on
her wedding day.
Monahan found ready buyer for the
load. They said afterward he was sin
gularly In haste to close the trade. The
buyer had the wagon driven to posi-
tion on Main street where the crowd
was already gathering and there he
began selling the melons at retail Mo
nahan hurried with his horses to uv-
cry stable.
And as the demand was large the
buyer quickly disposed OF many mel
ons But beneath them he found the
lifeless body Of Jim Wilkinson. He
was lying on HIS face at the bottom Of
the wagon box. n wound In his back,
The railroad gang had Just bought
melon and they shared the discovery,
one OF them having mounted to the
hub In order to pick out fine speci-
: men.
At once the cry was for James Mona
: han and the gang told loudly of the
. quarrel and OF the farmers threat,
Some one had seen Munahan going to-
ward the depot. That looked bad. The
town marshal ran down the tracks
and saw the suspected man waiting.
very nervous and kinder dodgin'," ne
said. by the baggage room.
SO they arrested him just as the cir
Gus procession was passing and locked
/ him up in jail
} Mary Brcnnock went to the Jail and
told Monahan about having fired the
rifle, but he laughed at her
= "You couldn't hit a flock Of barns"
q he said and held her close. patting her
p shoulders. which shook with the sob
3 bing Didn't you hear me shoot
s Eyes. but why"
. We'll, didn't know the cues had
: crcpt into my wagon. | reckon when
X he was hit he Just run-they all did;
- and he slipped down the lane and found
. my wagon and crawled In. lie was bad
I hurt But he won't destroy any more
5 And then, Mary ~
, "Yos," said Mary, and kissed him,
70 and went away with the jailer, and
cried all the way home. forgetting the
circus and the priest and the marriage
license.
Well he didn't get ont Of IT, He
came near hanging. for the men on the
new railroad swOre steadily at each
trial And after the extreme penalty
had been pronounced twice, they got
twenty years on the last trial, and
James MOnahan took II.
lie told Mary Brennock not to say
n word about flring that old rife
"It would only make you trouble" he
said. "and you didn't do thing only
why. you couldn't hit flock OF barns,
Just wait Mary"
And she waited tin she died
: IIc came back In little over twelve
years. having learned the timers
trade. and he set MP little shop In
Fairvicw He was steady and thrifty
and saved n good deal Of money. and
he finally accumulated quite prop
crty.
Little Martha lircnnOCk grew To wO.
d manhood an orphan long ago. She
met James MOnahan when he came
r back from prison and once week sh'
l. visited him at the tlnshop, and they
10 understood II was she who, In hit
u last Illness. wrote that line in his
! prayer book, but he would not sign II
n. And SO he died, l.. A.
H. ITO Buy on Tick"
IN ITO buy on tiCk'-that Is, on credit