Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-11-15
Aliscellnnu.
A Mine on Fire.
A coLLIER's LOVE STORY.

A GOLFERS LOVE STORY.
1 was twenty-five years old, and was
working as regular pitman ON the day
and night shaft, when fell in love with
Mary Andrews, the daughter of our head
pitman.
Not that dared to have told her so,
| thought, but somehow the influence of
Mary used to lift me up more and more
till | should no more have though of
going to join the other pitmen in pub
lie house than of trying to fly.
About this time got talking to a
young fellow about my age, who worked
in my shaft. John Kelsey his name was
and l used to think it a pity that fine
clever fellow like he as-handsome,
stout and strong should be so fond of
the low habits, dog-fghting and wrest-
ling, SO popular among our men.
was going one evening past old An
drews' house, when the door opened for
moment, as if some one was coming
out, but, as if had been seen, it was
closed directly. In that short moment,
though | heard laugh, and that laugh
| was sure was John Kelsey's.
Time slipped on and / could plainly
see one thing that troubled me sorely-
john was evidently making an outward
show of being hard working fellow,
striving hard for improvement, so as to
stand we'll in old Andrews eyes, while /
knew for fact that he was as drunken
and dissipated as any young fellow that
worked In the pit.
| could not tell Andrews of this, nor
could | tell Mary. If she loved him, il
would grieve her terribly, and be dis
honorable as well, and perhaps he might
improve. can tell him, though, ]
thought, and made up my mind that
would; and meeting him one night, ev.
identity hot and excited with liquor, ]
spoke to him about it.
"If you truly love that girl, John" ]
said, "you will give up this sort of a
thing"
He called me meddling fool said
he had watched me; that he knew l had
hankering after her myself, but she
only laughed at me, and one way and
another so CALLED me that we fought.
went home that night bruised, sore and
ashamed of my passion, while he went
to the Andrews and said be had to thrash
me for speaking insultingly about Mary
l heard this afterwards, and 1 DOM
know how it was, but | wrote to her tell
ing her it was false, and that loved hel
TOO we'll to have acted so.
Six months passed over my head-six
weary, wretched months-till Christmas
came on cold and bitter, but not so cold
and bitter as was my heart.
1t was Christmas eve, and in dreary
listless way was sitting over my break
fast, before starting for work, when ]
heard sound, and knew it meant be
ore there were shrieks in the village, and
women running out and making for the
pits mouth quarter of a mile away
/ tell you | turned sick with horror, fol
| knew that at heart twenty men would
be down on the night shift; and though
it was close on to their leaving time they
could not have come up yet.
"The pits fired" heard people shrek
ing, not that there was need, for there
wasn't soul that didn't know it, for the
pit had spoken for itself. And as I hur
ried out thought all in flash like, OF
what Christmas it would be for some
families there, and seemed to see long
procession of rough oofins going to the
churchyard and to hear the wailiDgs Of
the widow and the fatherless.
l didn't lose any time, as you may sup
pose, in running TO the pits mouth, bu
those who lived nearer we're there a long
time before me and by the time go
there, found that the cage had brought
up part of the men, three of whom wer,
insensible, and that it was Just going
down again.
1t went down directly, and just as j
disappeared who should come running