The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-03-20

PA"OS Va "ONNS' ~'O'O
: mind about that" she esaid, impatient
ly, to the doctor who had spoken
'1t is time enough to talk of wher.
you will take him when he is read,
to be taken anywhere"
. This was true enough. The pro
cess of restoring him, therefore, went
on for some timeat the mouth of the
fatal shaft, with men and women o.
all kinds looking on-grief and death
present in their awful forms
their petty, commonplace world
thrusting itself forward now and then
in the person of some newspaper re-
porter, who, having been spared from
work on the food to chronicle this
new horror, came up to question the
miners, the officials, the doctors, and
half-restored victims-anybody and
everybody, without regard to time or
place.
After while the physicians seem
ed to agree that Tyrrel would very
likely recover. 'tHe will not come to
himself for some time yet, they said;
"but, with the liberal aid of restora-
tives and stimulants, he'll do now"
1t was after this decision that Mar
garet, who had, meanwhile, exchang-
ed few words with Hugh, came for
ward and spoke.
"Our cottage is near by" she said;
'Mr. Tyrren must be taken there.
He risked his Fife to save my brother,
and I should never forgive myself if
1 let him pass out of my sight until
he is again restored to health"
She announced this determination
with so much quiet frmness and dig
nifty that no one gainsayed her. In
deed, nobody had any right to do SO.
Roland Tyrren had no relations, and
but few friends, in Ridgeford. There
was no one to oppose rival claim
for the possession of this weak, un-
conscious man, whose only sense of
returning life was a terrible, giddy
sickness.
He did not know where they were
taking HMM fact, he didn't care.
As in a dream, he was aware that
people came and went about him;
that masculine voices talked over
him; thata gentle hand now and then
touched him with the magic art of
soothing which some women possess;
and that, finally, he lapsed into
sleep too deep even for such dreams
as these.
When he Gwoke, he felt as bewill-
cred as Margaret had been on her
awaking under somewhat similar cir
cmnstances. He could not remem-
Der for some time what had happened
nor why he felt so weak and faint.
Even when he mastered his recollec-
tion-up to the point of the falling
earth in the mine-he could not i'm
agine how he had been transported
from that prison, dreary and.hopeless
as Dante's hell, to this boddoir-like
chamber, with its dainty furniture and
picture-hung walls.
At last, however, he gave up the
effort of fatiguing his brain with con-
lectures, and decided to wait patient
ly for an explanation of the mystery.
As if to reward his philosophy, it was
not long before it came The handle
of the door turned softly, the door it
self opened cautiously, and he heard
q voice, which he would have recog-
nized among ten thousand, saying, in
a subdued key:
'Now take care and don't make a
noise, Hugh. Go in very gently and
tell me if he is still asleep"
HugM Roland TyrrelTs dark eyes
opened yet wider than they had done
before-at sound of that name, and it
was those eyes which Churchill first
encountered when he entered the
room with elaborate caution.
"By Jove!" he said, and evinced I
symptoms of beating an immediate
retreat
But Tyrre1 frustrated this inten-
ton by lifting himself little, and
holding out the hand which he had
once declared his intention of never
offering again to Hugh Churchill.
81 am very glad to see you again
alive and well" he said.
The words were not very much,
but the tone was good DEAL and
touched Hugh by its evident sinceri-
ty. He came forward and wrung the
extended hand with an almost pain
full force.
':Do you think I don't know that I
owe it to you?" he said. 81 never
thought to owe any thing-at least
any thing maore-to one ofyour name,
Mr.. Tyrrell, but, despite my will, you
have made me your debtor for my
life"
This did not sound like a very
gracious acknowledgment, but per
haps Roland Tyrren understood it.
At least he smiled slightly.
'Don't let the obligation weigh up
on You" he said. 'Look uponit not as
debt incurred, but as debt paid.
I hope should have done the same
for anybody, but I was especially
glad to do it for you. We got you
out just in time" he went on, "and |
now pray tell me how they got me
out, and what is the matter with my
head? 1t surges like q rolling sea
whenever I move"
Hugh having satisfied his curiosity
on thasa ran;nts and told him .,a..al. |