St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-03-29

/ l1u OCOH OtlCu duu Hoo pOi HC
his trial with patience for years.
THE meadow was a stretch of dark,
deep weeds, one or two old cedars
grew in the centre, and then a gloomy
shadow.
Mr.. Harbour suddenly remembered
it's name. The Cedar pasture. What
was it that he had heard of an old shaft
sunk for iron, and not properly COW
cred? What if poor Jack should fall
into it /? He started to run after him
and then stopped suddenly.
"Bah He's not born to that sort of
i'll luck. I'll send him to New York to-
morrow, and remit to him regularly.
He'll live to goodly old age, to
blaeken my life"
He turned and walked towards town,
skirting the field. His pace was angry
and hurried. Captain Harbour paused
and looked back at him. In the red
evening glow the figure crossing the
dreary field stood ont clear and dark.
'!And that is my mothers son ~ NUT
tered John bitterly, "and my last
chance.n
He heard a stifed cry, and stared
with amazement over the vacant mead
ow. The dark figure was gone.
Ill news flies fast in a village like
Kerr's Ford. In ten minutes there were
excited groups crowding from all points
to the cedar meadows, and everybody
knew that the minister had fallen into
the old shaft.
They stood about the black gap from
which the brambles had been torn away
by his fall, with pale faces, saying lit
tie. No vulgar pretention, or malicious
sneers now. Here was genuine grief,
genuine human feeling. The women,
black and white, stood apart, sobbing
silently. Only such men spoke as had
some practical suggestion to Offer-the
Judge and the young HOlts and Bur-
wells. The men of fashion of the viii
lage, with their coats off, worked under
Plumer the blacksmith's, orders. They
had rugged up pulley to let rope
down.
Colonel Caldwell on his knees, shout
ed into the hole, "Mr. HarbOurw
No answer.
"DO you hear me, sir p
The silence was like death. The
women shuddered.
"COuld the first fall have killed him ?"
said Caldwell, looking up to DR.. Peters.
"Hardly. The shaft is barrow. His
fall would be broken"
"Does anybody know how deep it
isl"
Old Mr.. Holt pressed forward at
was reckoned sixty feet in my time"
There was a young girl standing
apart from the others. She noticed that
the men uncOnsciously spoke in whis-
pers, as in the presence of the dead.
She came nearer.
"He is not dead" she said. 'EGod
could not do that. Lower the rope"
They did so. The iron bar at the
end knocked against the sides, the
stones and clay ratified down. But no
other sound came up from the yawning
pit.
The Judge leaned over. .'Mr. Har-
bour. If you cannot speak, take the
IOpe and give it jerk"
There was Il moment of absolute 81
lence but the rope hung loose.
''The Judge stood upright. 1--WE are
too late, Doctor"
''No; no. We forgot. The shaft is
no doubt, full of foul gases. The man
is stupetied. A bunch of hay, quick ~
The hay was lighted and sent down.
1t was at once extinguished.
81 told you so. More, more! We
must burn it out"
They began to let down burning bun
dies of it. The process was slow the
hay had to be brought from a distance.
''In the mean time,n said the Doctor,
"HarbOur will die. Somebody must 90
down"
Not a man spoke. In the digging of
a well, year before, three laborers had
been killed by the fire-damps. They
had all seen their limp bodies as they
were dragged out. The horror of it
was upon them still.
"Somebody must CO." said Caldwell,
looking around feebly. A woman laid
her hand upon his arm. "You? Poor
child What could you do? Mother,
take Miss ClevedOn away. This is no
sight for her. Come! come! Who is
going ?"
81 am ready" A man stepped for
ward. He wore q ragged evening suit
carried himself like a soldier. There
was dreadful palOr on his face, which
ugly blOtcheS made more conspicuous.
The Judge hesitated, the ropes in his
hand. "Yes-ah-you mean that YOU
will go down the shaft 2"
"Of course. Go on I" holding out his
arms. "There's no time to be lost.n
The Judge looped the rope about his
waist. "You-you understand the risk,
l suppose 1t is good deal to take
for stranger. You know Mr.. Harbour
probably 2"
The man nodded. 81 knew him.
Now lower me. When jerk the rope
once, lower me farther; twice, pull me
up, and quickly"
\ They lowered him. In moment the
rope was ierked violently twice, and he
was dragged up breathess and livid.
''You seew said Caldwell. awe
must burn more hay. No man viii
throw away his life in this way.n
John had revived by this time
''There is no time to burn hay. Lower
me again. ! am ready. l will moi
come up so soon again."
The rope went down again. Minute
J after minute passed before the sigma
was given. 1t was feeble then, two
faint pulls but the weight was doubled
on the rope.
"He has tied on the body ~ they nut
tered, tugging away.
Two bodies two dead bodies, as i
seemed-were brought out and laid OF
the grass.
Strangely enough, it was Nichola,
Harbour who revived the first. Hi,
temperate life and youth told in hi,
favor. When he opened his eyes, Saral
Clevedon was chatting his hand. Whe1
he stood up, she held it still, as though
she had been his wife, and did no
blush before all the people. 1t seemed
right and natural in Gods sight that i