Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-02-18
-e--e-'s.F-s-s.
UNDER THE
COPPER MOON
By CHARLES
SLOAN REID
Copyright, 1863, by T. c. Mcclure.

ii
filled with uncanny figures Of miasma
arising over the swamp that stretched
away southwark from cabin on a
knoll. From the muffled distance came
the sound OF the pile drivers sinking
timber on top of timber into the marshy
soil of the swamp. 1t was the night
shift at work. The construction of the
railroad was being pushed az rapidly
as the situation would allow, and men
there were yielding up their lives ev-
cry day to the insinuating grasp OF
malaria.
On the steps of the cabin sat young
woman, gazing with hollow eyes to-
ward the moon, while from beyond in
the deeper darkness of the cabins In
terror came sonorous sounds from the
nostrils of a man in drunken sleep.
At last the young woman arose and
walked across the yard to the dense
shadow of palm, and she limped with
pain. At the roots of the palm she sat
down and rested her chin in her small
hands. The sound of a light footstep
she did not raise her head until her
name was called close to her ear,
Gus" she murmured, i've been
hopin ye'd come, though l don't reckon
it's hardly right TO do it. But how can
body help it, Gus, when he does the
way he doesy"
Cant, Mag, an I'm proud We can't.
reckon it's seltishness in me. an it
may not be right for me TO be steppin'
in between Il man an his wife an
shown We my love the way | do, but
ye warn't mated right, Mag, an Jim
knows it as well as you do. But, little
I'm, what I'm thinkin' about is where's
the help"
That's so. Gus Where's the helpf
l took Jim for better or for worse, an
if it's worse | reckon it amt for me TO
complain-that is, to anybody but ye.
Gus"
81 notice ye're limpin', Mag. More
of Jims meanness, l reckon
"Nothin' much, Gus. IL
Il reckon ye'd as well tell it, Mag
to me-"
Yes know. But Jim didn't know
what he was dom hardly, an the ia
BILE was rickety anyhow"
Jest about made We run over the ia
bic, | guess. But, Mag, | been Won
derin' if ye had any rations. | know
Jim amt struck a lick since--I mean
in the last two weeks"
Il know what ye mean, Gus. Ye
mean since ye give me the last money.
An'-an' I'm obliged to say it's so. !
don't know how. but somehow he found
out | had the money, an he wanted to
refuse him"
II reckon not. He always gets
enough to get drunk on. But what !
want to know is how long we've been
without anything to eat?"
Mag gazed for a moment toward the
silent, the muscles Of her gaunt face
twitching slightly at a suggestion of
the hunger she felt.
Mag, l reckon ye'd jest as well tell
me-"
Il know, Gus, l know-but''- Mag
dropped her face into the crook of her
arm and began to cry.
Gus sat on the ground few feet
away, gazing upon the woman, with
all the love and yearning Of his soul
in his eyes, and allowed her to cry in
silence, But at last he spoke again.
Il know it's been long enough" he
said, lingering a gold piece he had tax
en- from his pocket
Mag looked toward him. "Since yes
terday mornin', Gus, an / reckoned
I'd die this time. An, though ye'd
hardly like to hear it, | was kind of
hopin' | would"
Mag" Gus was on his knees and
had seized the girls hands. II was
afraid it was comm TO this again, an
l tried TO get back sooner an | know
now | should have sent Ton Bolus In
my place"
mo, We shouldn't, Gus. What right
had ye to be sendin' any one in yer
place to earn yer money, jest so ye
could be here on my account? Some
times | most forget, Gus" Mag nodded
toward the house and slowly withdrew
her hands from the mans grasp.
But Gus caught one of them again
and pressed its slender finger down
upon the piece of money he had drawn
from his pocket.
Mag he said, lit don't look like It
would be wrong for me TO take We In
my arms an kiss We jest once. But,
then, | reckon it would be, since ye're
Jim's by the law an the gospel, sich
as 1t was"
There was silence for few moments
after this speech; then Mag reached
out and laid her hand on Gus arm
'When I'm dead, Gus" she said.
won't We come an kiss me when no
body's lookin? There1l Ice no harm
then"
Mag. Macr Gus had seized her by
the shoulders in q frenzied grasp
Don't ye talk about dyin' or I'll kiss
ye to death right here now in spite o
Jim an the law an the gospel"
Mag drew quickly away from him.
and he, too. shrank back and arose
Both realized how insurmountable was
the barrier between them. and Mag re-
treated slowly toward the cabin lust
as man staggered to the doorway