The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1904-05-21

terday norma e.
Id die this tgga
hardly like 10 aaEr
hopin' ! woulG.
'Nag!!" Gus W3a at
had seized the Ggrs E
afraid it was coE2ia'
| tried to get back
now | should have sect
my place"
mo, ye shouldn't, Gfs
had ye 10 be senaIn' 1
place to earn yer raaut
could be here or my aet
times / most forget, Gus. .&
toward the house and SLOW
her bands from the mans
But Gus caught one OF tt&7
and pressed its slender 6o@al
upon the piece of money be hal
from his pocket.
Mag" he said, sit don't loa&
would be wrong for ne 10 tlaa
my arms an kiss We jest onee1
then. / reckon it would be, since
Jim's by the law an the gospel
as it was"
There was silence for q few mona
after this speech; then Mag feael3
ont and laid her hand on Gus arm.
when I'm dead. GUS she SAID.
won't ye come an kiss me when ne
body's lookin'? Thcrell be no h-rra
then"
"Mag, Magr!' Gus had seized her hy
the shoulders in a frenzied grasp.
Don't we talk about dyin' OF I'll kiss
We 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 i~nsurmountlhie was
the barrier between them. and Mag re-
treated slowly toward the cabin Just
as a man staggered to the doorway
from the dark interior and called her
name gruftly.
The next day Gus exchanged places
with Tom Bolus. Ton had been set
ting poles for one of the pile drivers,
and Gus had been captain Of the team
gangs hauling supplies from the coast.
Among the supplies Of the commits.
sary was an abundance OF red liquor
and it WAS this which kept Jim from
working as long as he could obtain a
cent otherwise with which to buy
whisky. And Gus was Surprised on en-
tering the ~cdmmissary at loon to sec
Jim in the act of throwing upon the
counter the gold coin which he had
pressed into Mugs hand the night be-
fore.
Gus turned on his heel and, taking up
his unopened dinner pail, carried it to
Jim's cabin and thrust 1t inside the
door to Mig, Returning, Gus met Jim,
and the latter lourisAed a long black
bottle before his face.
IT was t1ree Gays hefore Jim showed
himself about the works again. Then
be came lounging about the machine
where Gus was working. There WAS
a leer in Jim's eye. which made Gus
a little nervous. He did not feel alto
} getieT innocent, and once or twice he
felt like telling Jim plainly that he
: loved his wife and that one or the 9th
or of thenk must die. But as each
l thought Of TITS kind arose Gus inward
! ~ cursed himself and clinched Ills
} teeth with determination. But jim re-
2 manned, apparently only watching the
work of the pile driver which Gus was
!. operating.
: Tfle afternoon was growing gray in
= the swamp, and the time of the day
/ shift was drawing TO a close. Still,
/ jim stood Oh one side Of the great pile
. driver and Gus on the other. His
e thoughts took a new turn as the days
$ end drew nearer. Mag was ir~revocably
tied to that clod of earth before him,
? and she could never be nearer to him
/ than now unless-Jim died.
0 Gus throttled the thought of possible
murder that, unbIdden, seemed to arise
for d moment in his heart. He glanced
g quickly up at the rising follow block.
that great. square lump Of steel weigh
ing two tons or more, and Il new
thought came TO him.
There wa a moment Of fascination,
v and. as the block started Oh its return.
L its swift and powerful descent, Gus
purposeIy tripped himself and pitched
/ forward between the grooves. directly
r in the path of the block. But ut the
v same instant there was a sudden move
II ment on the part Of Jim. His lank
body shot forward. with outstretched
e arms and hands catching against the
breast of Gus and showing him fan
i back from the path Of the descending
q block.
There was a mulied thud when tbs
70 follow block struck. and the trGak Q
Jim's body was a mass of crushed
70 a.af,,1 tta roo