Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-06-26

tice of the legislature, and wise, though tardy
act of parliament declared il unlawful. Tas stat
ute, however, like many others framed for tn,
protection of the poor, easily evaded and in tn,
extensive coal district Of Stafordshire. is lit
tie more than dead letter. It is true, the miner:
are not now paid in commodities, but they receive
their wages only at long intervals, during which
having no money in hand, they are obliged to sub
sist on credit easily procured at the village huck
sters, who as well as the keeper of the beer-shop
is under tribute for their custom to the proprie-
tor Of the colliery. When at length the settle.
ment day arrives, the operative is not paid in cash
the plain undoubted purpose of the law, but in q
draft on some provincial bank, twenty or thirty
miles distant, and which, Of course, he is but toe
glad to get changed by the provision dealer, thus
secure of his own terms. Such was the system
in force at the works Of the opulent Mr. Belwood
AS soon as Millicent had received her cheque
she made her way through the throng to the door,
resolving, if she could possibly elude Black Jem
to Belwood House, and report what had happen
ed to the young lady. But in passing down the
village, she saw the relentless doggie was follow
ing, and, defenceless in her own dwelling, she
ran for protection into the hovel adjoining tenant
ed by Jack Rolln and his mother.
Dame Rollin who had herself been employed
in the coalpit in the successive trades of trap
per sitter, and bearer was now, at fifty, deere
pid old woman; but asthma and rheumatism, those
scourges of the mine, though they had bowed her
frame, had not broken or weakened her spirit
cpd loike to catch 'un comm here arter you,' -
she said, in reply to Millicent's appeal for her
intervention. ''There, set Zee down, and don't
mind. I'll see he do thee no harm"
''But can't go home for Jem,' replied Mill
| cent, with look of despair. S'He'll be hansin'
about till he sees me; and then if so be no ones
by, he'll have me off. He'll never let me go, |
knowo
swell, at the worst ont he can only ha' you up
afore Squire Belwood; so be of good heart The
Squire knows there be too much go on with ba-
bees hereabout, to be particular hard. speshly as
this 'un warnt yourn It's bein' dead's agen zee,
but then it died natral, you says"
"That he did, poor wee thing But they NAV
do what they win, they'll get no word ont out o.
me-if go 10 prison ever So"
"Ah! you maum gle yourself up for other
volk, wench, and get no thanke thereby. II it
comes to that I'd have zee speak out, and make
no gear ont. Howsomever, as thou's afeard to
keep in your place, thou'd best bde here day or
two; and Ill get Jack to see and speak up for zee
if so be he even goes to the squire himself.'
This proposition, which seemed to insure pres
ent safety, was joyfully accepted by Millcent,
who, now relieved from apprehension, thought it
better to defer proceeding to Miss Helen tin the
next day, when her appearance at Belwood House
would be less likely to excite suspicion. But a
long time was to elapse, and events very impor-
tant to her, intervene, before she again Helen.
CHAPTER vi.
The mine not being workable, as the deadly
gases arising from the explosion still pervaded it,
there was idle time for the pitmen; and on leav-
ing the butties, Jack Rollin passed the remainder
| of the day at = cock-tight. Perhaps, rugged
| though he was, had the better qualities of his
strong and manly character been drawn out by
even the initiatory training Of education, instead
Of being left to sink to level lower than the
brutes, he would have shrunk in disgust from a
pastme SO degrading, and spent his leisure in the
civilizing fellowship of book. As it was, i,
was late when he returned home, and heard from
his mother, to whom he was tende.ly attached, OF
her having given asylum TO M!llicent,
| Night came on wet and stormy, making Milli-
cent glad that she not to pass it. like the pre-
vious one, in the open air, or even in her own
shattered and shelterless domicil. In the latter
| respect, indeed the abode of the Rollins Was bu,
slight improvement; but all the incony cnence
fell on Jack alone, who, with profound indiifer-
ence to the weather, occupied the upper room
regardless of the rain which streamed through
the broken roof, saturating his bed, and the vio-
lent gusts of wind entering by the same airy and
permanent apertures. Still, with such a larger
share Of comfort, and though worn in body and
mind, Mllicent could not sleep. The anxiety
the extreme uncertainty of her position, and the
probable fate before her, now. after the terrors
Of the day, assumed a sterner form; darker
gloomier. Long habit had made her needless of
the precarious state of the house but after time
even she began to observe as the tempest increas-
ed in fury that the walls seemed TO rock and tot
ter, and the brick floor shake beneath. Ii was
not rain that poured down, but a torrent--one in
cessant. unbroken food. mingled with large hail
stones beating the half demolished lattices like
shot, while peal on peal of thunder broke over
head, amidst vivid flashes of lightning. Gradu-
ally Millicent listened to the loud, mighty voice
of the storm with an undefnable feeling of awe
| Was it Imagination. or did she, in real truth heal
| another voice below ?-an answering echo from
the depths and bowels of the earth?
A host of vague fears rose distractingly in heI
mind, which she stlove in vain to compose. She
knew that the ground, having for years been
worked for coal, was in many places hollow, and
more than once had slipped, causing serious loss
of life, and ingulphing entire houses in the abyss
Might she not be on the brink of another of these
chronic earthquakes? As the dreadful though
occurred, she was almost blinded by lightning
followed instantly by tremendous clap of thun.
der: the old ruinous walls tottered the earth
yawned beneath she could no longer doubt tha
they were sinking.
Dame Rollin and Jack were aroused by this
last shock which was accompanied by shove,
of broken bricks from the walls, while the roof
suddenly deprived of its props, fell in with .
crash.
ssMother! Milly! where be you? ?" cried Jack
in tone of despair.
But though fearful scream, rising above the
din Of :ae elements, announced too clearly theil
danger, if not their fate, he saw that it was i'm
possible to reach them, and narrowly escaped
himself by jumping from the easement.
Millicent had sprung desperately from the bed
dragging with her the almost helpless dame, just
as the paved floor broke through, and, thrown of
their feet by the conclusion, both fell into the
hole Down they went, almost suffocated BY
the pent air and dense clouds Of dust, mingled
with falling rubbish but fortunately few fee
below there was a ledge, heaped with sftings
which being loose and soft with the perpetua
damp, broke Milcent's fall, although she was
burdened with the weight of the dame. Bruised
breathless and poweress, she yet contrivedto stay
herself with her hands, or, as the ledge was ex.
tremely narrow, they would both have fallen over
and inevitably have perished Even as it was
indeed, they could scarcely hope to survive.
From the rank noxious vapors, it was eviden
to Milly that they hung on the verge of an ex
exhausted coal-dgging, which, as frequently oc
ours in those parts, had for years been covered
with landslip, and was now, by second con
vulsion, opened anew Life, indeed, would hav,
failed Immediately, only that the most fatal gase
had escaped, admitting, at the same time, rusl
of fresh air. though the fallen house, with its hea,
of bricks and rafters, had now closed the aper
ture. In short they were now buried alive.
ssThis is HORRIBLE" said Millicent, at length
finding words. ssDo you feel much hurt, moth