Show A talisman of brass BY GLENN ROY mcclintock copyright 1902 by dally story pub co n old log house stuck on the slope of a west virginia hill and a corn field which looked as though it might at any time slip off into the valley below was the heritage which fell to sarah mccoy and her daughter euza beth upon the death of the husband and father henry stonewall maccy had his bequest been of a more pr tent lous nature elizabeth and bifi gardner long since betrothed would not in all probability have been ling on the worn stoop gloomily atif ing to figure out a means to circum vent the difficulties that enthralled their matrimonial hopes the beauty of the night did not ap peal to them the sea of and the mystic shadows below them the humble family burying ground in its depths from which arose a shaft of spectral white marble were all batern reality an unproductive val ey a grave yard in which father grand father and great grandfather lie tor led a bit of marble that represented the savings of years the notes of a whip poor will coating across the hills the answering call at its mate from the distance bore no sentiment or romance to them they were the discordant cries of a very or bird liz without looking around what Is it jima after a pause another wait and then when be we a coln to get mar rieda pause somewhat longer it we ever bea the long silence following Is broken only by the chirping of the crickets until does seem as though me and you ve been a powerful long time a gettin married another pause don t it jim more silence liz what jima short pause and then I 1 be goin away more silence where be you coln jim pres antly he answered to the ohio river I 1 ve hearn tell that folks Is gettin rich fir din oil out there when d ye low to go after an interval T morrow no tellin when you 11 b bach I 1 I 1 low not long silence again jima what take this with you and she drew from the pocket of her homespun a brass button that had graced the rebel uniform once worn by her father and handed it to him he took it slowly and holding it in the palm of his hand examined it curiously it for liza it a tal talisman the blank look on his face showed that she had propounded a mystery that was too much tor him to solve she divined this and after silence added take this with you it means good luck pause ead about it in a book once he shuffled to bis feet took r couple of steps and said good be good bye she watched him go down the wind ng path until his figure was lost in he rising tog from the valley below hen turned slowly and disappeared nto the house in the course of three years the oil industry in west virginia had as burned proportions and I 1 standard oil company had beyus to extend its operations into the inte lioy of the state farms that cauli haw been bought before for two dol lare an acre were bringing thousand and were eagerly sought at dhosi fricas the oil belt extending south easterly was thought to cross thi tarn owned by liz and her mother the wagon load of nitroglycerine had exploded an eastern syndicate having paid them a big price for an oil lease and allowed a royalty had erected a derrick and the clanging of the jars was now heard in the near by corn field it had never occurred to liz that her lover would not return she knew he aou d and was content to wait when the day arrived on which the well was to be shot she was filled with an inexplicable feeling that a chiala was at hand the shooter had been ordered from wheeling and would arrive some time that afternoon she resolved to watch for him as her view from the cabin commanded the road up the valley over which he must come presently her vigilance was rewarded A stout wagon drawn by two tired horses appeared on the road from around the base of a hill she could see the driver urging his jaded beasts over the rough broken road until a bend in its course and a thicket hid them from view he did not reappear and she was wondering it an accident had occurred when from the very spot she was watching a shaft of dirt stones and parts of a buggy shot high into the air followed immediately by an elpio slon so loud and terrific that it seemed the hills must be torn from their rock foundations the wagon load of treacherous nitro glycerine had ex plodded an occurrence not uncommon in the oil fields As she sat dazed and bewildered watching the flying debris tall to the earth an object dropped at her feet she stooped and picked it up a brass button blackened and bent that evening liz discerned a faill lar figure approaching the house she did not move from her seat on the stoop but as it drew near said quiet ly hello jim hello liz when did ye get backa day jim what here s yer button thank ye pause lowed id lost it lett my coat on the wagon seat while I 1 went to water the horses bin in my coat pocket bout three years now A long silence low we kin marry now liz low we kin another pause and then whenn morrow I 1 low all right goodnight liz good night jim |