Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-22
raVnTU OF 5ULY AT TOLLMAN's
Run.


r9tRTU OF sTIY AT TOLLMAN's
Run.
IIe'~ coward. Fan amean, contemptl-
b.c coward"
Flnni, GermaiHe made no reply though
the man thG- ~.imatizcl was her own pro
missed husband. and one hour before she be
Geged had won the entire love of her young
heart. There were no especial points tol
comment IN tie eng Igement Of Gardiner
For~yihe and Fannie Gernaine. but the his
tory Of their court>hip may be briefly sum
med mp.
Mr.. Oermainc. Fanuie's father, was onC
oi q prosperous mining company, owning
large property in the coal regions near Pitts
burg lis interest lay in district called
Toilman Run, though no living man could
SLY who Iollman was, or whether there had
ever been any Run near the place. Toll
man Run. however. was a name that COW
cred an immense tract Of coal country. and
included the village populated by the miners
and their families. and the few more preten-
ti.us houses where the members Of the COM
pauy resided.
Gardiner F0rsvthe owned one of these
latttL NV N44iil- l'i'tSe-- anu was ''lN' Ni4o "a
the company mining Tollman's Run, bat
being bachelor, the young man boarded at
the small and comfortable hotel at l..
the nearest railway station, an easy horse
back ride morning and evening from the Of
fee where the company transacted busl-
ness.
1t viii readily be understood that the ad-
yantageS of social intercourse were limited
at Tollman's Run, being, IN point Of fact.
confined strictly 10 the interchange Of eour-
teSieS amongst the families of the company
In this small circle Fannie Germaine was
quite a belle, not only on account Of hei
fathers prominence and wealth, but because
the Young lady herself was pretty and win
ming.
Her slender, graceful figure was carried
with an easy dignity, that suited well the
beauty Of her oval face, with its perfect
delicate features, raven hair, and large soft
cve~. She was well educated. and had that
peculiar power common to American girls
of adapting the best of what she had read
and studied. Her musical talent was very
great, and had been well cultivated. With
her beauty, her tasteful dress, and her ac-
clmWishment>. Fannie was i queen in her
own little circle, and when Gardiner For
sythe wooed and won her, the rest Of the
d3Ye agreed that the match was a suitable
one In all respects. For Gardiner F0rsythe,
in his way, was as prominent member OF
the lollman's Run aristoeraey as Fannie in
hers. His share in the mining stock euti-
lied him to place among wealthy men, and
he was considered rather a philanthropist
amongst the miners.
lie was a tall, powerfully built man.
whose face was pleasing. from his frank,
bright expression, without being regular in
feature. His eyes were The best of it
large anI rather prominent, and blue a. a
chlld's. His hair was light-ill-natured
folks -aid rcd-fannie declared golden and
DE wore side whiskcrs cut in English fashion.
Bat il his face was open to a certain amount
ol criticism, the same could not be said Of
his figure Fully six feet in height, he was
So perfectly proportioned that he never ap-
peared tall until he stood beside other men.
Ia every manly athletic exercise he had so
perfected and developed his natural adyan-
age- Of physical strength, that there were
few men around Tollman's Run who would
not have turned away from any scuiilc or
trial of muscle with Gardiner ForSythe.
Yet. as a man can scarcely live in this
wide world without enemies, whether he
marches forward in manly independence, or
wriggles in and out of difficulties, so Gardi-
ner torsythc had made one implacable enc
mv hy the very course that had also given
him many friends
Herman Clark was an Euglishman, from a
district where he had superintendel coal
mining for many years before coming to this
country to better himself, as he expressed II,
IN the mining regions of Pennsylvania. He
was giant In stature. and in heart tvrant
of the most brutal description. His Office of
superintendent gave him opportunities of
oppression and exercise Of power, Of which
he ayailed himself to an extent which had
excited Gardiner Forsythe'S active indigna-
ton.
Being the Youngest member of the COM
panv, though holding much of its money in
hi- power, Gardiner Forsythe had at first
taken a lower seat in its councils, and allow
ed what he deemed older and wiser heads to
take the lead in the arrangement Of the
mining interests. But in little time his
very youth and vitality asserted themselves
above the easy-going ways Of his seniors,
and little bv little the really active manage
ment of affairs fell under his direction.
Young, ardent and generous, with his fair
be;r,thed to cstimulate him with her smiling
sympathy in every noble venture, he had set
himself the difficult task Of improving the
condition of the miners, introducing all labor
saving possibilities, arranging for better pro-
visions, improving the houses where three or
four families clustered under one roof, and
" uISetting things generally" Herman
Clark declared at every meeting of the man
ayers.
1t was not matter for surprise that the
working portion of the community turned
to Gardiner ForSythe for redress, from every
tynnnicai or unjust decree of the burly su-
perlntendent, and that the latter cheriIR ed
every interference ofthe former as a personal
atiront Bad blood is 50 easy to start, so
hard to subdue, and the courtesy of the
Younger man had but little effect in soften
ing the anger of theolder one.
IL was one of Fannie Germaine's delights
TO Jon hands with her lover in every kindly
act amongst the grimy miners and their
families We're babies i'll, Gardiner drove
fannle 10 the cottage Of the sufferers. Were
Old people called away from earth, Gardiner
took FANNIE to console the mourners, TO car
ry lew flowers to dress the coffin. Was a
family left without the strong arm that had
earned bread to put in thechidren's mouths,
Gardiner and Fannie helDed to send the wild
ows home, or to find work for willing
hands
Rough men, whose blackcned faces looked
more demoniac than human. would mutter n
hearty - God bless them - when the low.
open carriage containing Gardiner Forsythe
and his pretty .foRcce passed them, and little
children were quite sure of Il cake or n few
candies whenever the little carriage stopped
at a cottage door.
But over all her happiness, all her pride
IN her betrothed, all her deep, pure love for
him, there hung cloud, that Fannie felt
grow darker and thicker as the days passed
on. 1t had been whispered, low at first,
but gaining loudness as such reports will, as
time passed on. that Gardiner Forsythe in
his management Of the mining matters was
pusillanimous with regard to Herman Clark.
More than once IN some warm discussion the
philanthropist had seemed 10 shrink from
any physical demonstration of the buriy
gatt's strength, and, while holding his
point firmly, was somewhat too mild in
speech while defending his course, yielding
minor points, and making personal conces-
slons, and it had come to that pass that the
superintendent had talked somewhat loudly
of this power Of intimidation he held, till
even Fannie had heard repeated some Of his
boasting speeches.
Noman-like, the girl adored bravery. She
had looked up to her stalwart lover as one
who would defend her in all life's struggles