Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1906-08-30
Low RS
LUCK
by Constance darcy Mackay
Copyright. 1906, BY {. II. Sutcliffe
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y " v ' y ' ' ' ' ' ' v = ' ' ' y
On a bright My morning as Barry
| O'Gill.was crossii. the fields by Il well
| worn footpath. balancing n bag of meal
OH his back. he caught sight of MORA
| Nolan washing linen in the little river
| that brawled its way through The vii
| lage Of Ballymoran. The brook giished
and sang over its pebbles, and Moira's
| young voice sang with it as her white
arms flashed IN the clear water She
| was on her knees, straight lnd supple
as n willow. her bare feet tucked UNI
| der her with only the rosy heels show
| iag. The wind caught a strand of her
hair and whipped it out till it slione
| like beaten gold in the sun. Barry
| paused. dazzled, and gazed at her. his
| mouth agapc his sack of meal forgot
| ten on his back Presently the girl
| was aware OF his presence and that he
| was watching her
| what are ye gaping at ut all!' she
| questioned.
AT the lovciest girl in all Ireland"
| said Barry. never taking his eyes from
her
sorrow be to We IL your mother
knew it." laughed M0ira bending TO
her work again. And angry she'd he
to find We here. Ye'd best go back to
| her.
| Barry flushed till his cheeks were
rcddcr than his lair. Its here that
| I'll sthop," he said decidedly, dumping
| down his sack and seating himself on
| the grass.
| Moira's thrust had been Il keen one,
| for all the village knew that he lived
| in fear Of his mothers tongue. 'Shurc,
| it's the sting of Il wasp she has en-
| toircly," was the verdict of her neigh
bOrs from whom the Widow OGill
held somewhat aloof. though now anu
| again she condescended to call on Mrs.
Terlune for "a bit of gossip and a
| dish of tay."
Barry was Mrs. OGills only child
| and the idol of her heart. Did he so
much as look at II girl, Mrs. O'Gill was
filed with alarm. SO while the other
lads fingered ABOUT the church steps
| after mass that they might see their
| swecthearts. Barry was hurried Off
| homeward by his mother. Therefore
| it was with sense of recklessness
| and novelty that he gave himself up
| to talk with MORA. She babe him
help her wiring the clothes and then
laughed ut his awkwardness and
| splashed him with glittering drops.
The time went quickly. 1t was noon
before they knew it, and Barry sped
home to his dinner and scolding.
Yet he hardly heard the words his
mother heaped on him, SO engrossed
was he with the memory of Moira's
| gray eyes and the exquisite curve OF
her lips. Love comes swiftly when one
is young in Baflymoran.
He and MORA met often after that,
sometimes at the edge Of the little
| river and sometimes on the roads by
which the hawthorn hedges bloomed,
mass of pink and green. The more
Barry thought of Mora the more he
realized that his mother would never
consent to his marriage Moira's
beauty was the only dowry the girl
had. OF all the poor folk in Balymo-
ran she was by far the poorest.
Nor was Barry much richer. 1t was
his mother who held the purse strings
Once, in desperation, he thought Of
| giving up MORA, and for three whole
| days he did not see her. Then quite
by accident he met her coming across
field. She was about to pass hiul
with averted face -'~
"Moira"' he cried brokenly. ~.
At that she turned. She was pale
and there were deep shadows under her
eyes All that Barry had kept pent in
his heart rushed to his lips, and MORA
listened. looking down and plucking at
bit OF hawthorn she held in her hand,
A lark lose from the long meadow
| grass rear by. and soaring into the air
| poured out Il song that seemed but an
| echo of the ecstasy that was in their
| hearts. 1t was Mora who made the
| first return to earth.
| Does your mother know of it," she
| questioned.
| "Divyle bit" said Barry cheerfully,
land where would be the good O. tell
| ing her? She'd niver consent TO it in
| the wide woruld. 'ris a runaway
| match We'll have to make mavourneen
| Wen be afther taking Il "Trip TO the
| next parish and back some foine day"
But where Will we live at all, Barry,
| darlint" cried Mora, still troubled
REST aisy," said Barry; Il can make
| somewhat working in the boys. and
| that viii give us a bite and Il sup And
there's ovid McShane's cabin that's
been desarted ever since ne went to
America. Troth. it's n ramshackle
place, and there's no denying IL The
roof lakes but can mend It with fresh
turf, And though the room Is as small
MS nut, what a folne view wen have
from the doorway. And il the Chin
aAv j. ovid 9.lj 1hlpnluE. afiug al.
Twill he our own .lrrah trust TO luck,
MORA, achree. And lovers luck shure,
It's the best of air.
True for We, Barry" agreed MORA.
and happy and improyident they
drifted back into their lovers paradise.
and one morning before the first birds
were astlr and Ballymoran lay In the
cool grayness OF the dawn they slipped