The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-07-19
FOB zzs. SAKE.

1HEOnly a miner and his sweetheart
He in his every day fustian clothes
she in her simple calico gown, will
but knot of ribbon at her throat-h'
living all the bright sunshiny day
where the brightest rays might never
4 pierce, so deep is he in the bowels o
the earth; she, the daughter of min
-er like himself, for whom with heI
own hands she prepared the MONDAY
meal, or set his home in order for his
coming; but, for all that, the story tC
which she had been listening was none
the less sweet, and Tom Wilcox felt
his heart beat as it had never throbbed
in the face of any danger, when he
looked down into Ray Bernard's shy
brown eyes, which, raised for one
| brief instant to his face, flashed forth
their cherished secret, then stopped
and sealed it on her lips with Cupids
seal. The moon laughed and the stars
| twinkled; it was such an old, old story
| to them, but it was full of honest
| truth, even though the simple little
brown cottage formed the back ground,
and the low breezes whispering
| trough the tree were their only wit
neSseS. What if they repeated the Sc
cret m every cline? No one could un-
defstand their language save the trees,
and they were ever silent. But sud-
denly a cloud hid the pale moon from
their sight, and, somehow, it seemed
reflected on the girls face, as with
sudden courage she clasped her hands
about her lovers arm.
"Don't go down into the mine to-
morrow, TOm," she said, 81 feel as if
something were going to happen"
hn frInn
''such fancies as these don't do for a
miners wife. You forget [growing
serious | have a safeguard now which
| have never had befOre-the safe
guard of your love or rather its most
precious knowledge. Don't worry,
Iassie. We've work at the new hall
tomorrow, and it would be rs much
as my place is worth for me to be
missing"
But the girl shivered even in the
warm summer evening, and the hands
cIung more tightly to his arm.
al can't help it, Tom," she answer
ed. 'I never felt so before; but try as
| will can't shake of the feeling.n
ave will laugh over it together to-
morrow evening, darling, when"
and he stopped and whispered some
thing very low in her cara some
thing which brought the blood tiding
once more to her very temples. al
can't wait long you know he said
alond. "YOur father must be looking
out for another hOuse-keeper. Ray,
my darling, life has just begun for me.
God grant l may make you as happy
as you deservev'
And with his fond goodnight kiss
he left her.
with f,1,lo1 tha
wicket gate, she watched the tall, stall
wart form until it disappeared from
sight. with as much pride i'll its manly
grace and strength as if he were a
king who had offered her his king
dom, and the princess worthy of
rOyal dover. Then the last echo of
his footsteps died away, and with a
happy, tremulOus sigh, she turned to
enter the house; but by her side dark
figure started up. The girl uttered a
faint scream. Then the moon emerg-
ed from her hiding place and disclosed
the mans face. Strangely white it
looked, thought Ray, as she said:
"Why, Jack! How you startled me!
Where did you come frOm"'
"Fve not been far away for the past
hour" was the surly reply.
"Eavesdropping, eh?' asserted Ray,
with sudden ScOIn. Il ITuSI you
were repaid"
"Not if the old adage be true as to
listeners hearing no good OF them
selves. You'd no time to make mems
ton of mn name, you and your lover.
What was it he whispered in your ear?
Was it to name the day? Answer
mel" grasping her arm i'll his passion.
"And by what right do you ques-
tom" exclaimed the girl, wrenching
her arm from his touch.
"The right of love! Have l not
loved you from your babyhOOd? Were
not the first nuts, the first wild flow
erS, the first berries laid at your feet as
bOyish trophies of success, your smile
the boys highest reward? 1t was for
this-for this l have loved you all
these yrarsu
"Jack,I am sOrry''-and Rays voice
grew soft-"but it is through no fault
Of mine. thought you loved me as
brother, and gave you sisters affec--
ton i'm return. You will soon get
over this disappointment"
"Ien don't get over their wounds
that strike the heart. 1t is only wo-
men who can do that, since no steel,
however sharp, can penetrate their
hearts. ! don't want your pity-give
it to the man to whom you have Civ
en- your love. He may need it if he
crosses my path"
"Jack, hllsh!" exclaimed the girl;
'you do not mean those words. Have
l not seen you step aside rather than
tread upon worm, to crush out life
God has given?'
"Aye-but let the serpent rear its
head across my way; and see how
quickly 1 will grind its venOmous
head beneath my heel"
"Yes, Jack; but Tom Wilcox has
never done you wrong"
The man laughed.
"He has entered my house and
robbed me of the one thing my soul
prized-has despoiled me of my all!
Do we not punish those who steal
from uS?!'
"Not if they steal that which is their
own. / know you, Jack, better than
YOU know yourself and know the no.
ble heart which you cover tonight
with SO false a mask. Remember,
Jack-you say yon love me. I love
Tom Wilcox. WAate'er you do to
him you do to me. His heart 10 the
shrine which holds my heart, even as
his is here" striking her breast. Then,
with low goodnight, q swift touch
of her hand, she left him to his own
gloomy thoughts.
Six men at wOrk-a little group
apart from the Others-On the new
hall in the mine. 1t was a strange
sound, which suddenly made each
man throw down his tool and start
with white faces to their feet-the
sound of a CHEEKY whistle echOing
through the silent, vault-like place.
HH4sh, man! are you mad!" said
one, ito whistle in the mine? Don't
you know it has never yet tailed 10
bring swift pqnishment3H
"Nonsense, boys" laughed Tom,
the offender, in answer. THAT'S an
old superstition, fit for grooming hags
by the tiFesids, An honest whistle
can do no map harm, Hist6pi And
once again the CHEEKY sound rang out
this time the whistler's feet keeping
time. "Ah, if you were happy as am
|, you'd whistle, too, since I've won
the prettiest lass III all the village for
nay bfid6.D
On the listeners fat6 these words
brought the blackeSt frQwH; bqC ne
sternly kept his white lips together,
and was mute and-pOne noticing the
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