Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-01-30

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wrapped loosely about her head and
shoulders, and her hair, in whosemeshes
the sunbeams seemed to have caught.
peeped from beneath, helping to frame
a face stamped with innocence and pur-
ity. Young people always get senti-
mental in the evening, when surrounded
by quiet, and was no exception to the
rule, and almost before knew it | was
toying with the little hand, so white
and soft, lying carelessly on the fiinty
quartz.
"Nellie," 1 said, after few moments.
"don't you ever long to leave this rough
place and go back to the Eastp"s
'tNot now" she said slowly, " though
| might under some circumstances.
why not now?n syt
"Oh, ,because-because-- don't want
4 to leave papa.r y II
Is that the real reason?" / asked,
her shyness and evident avoidance of
my eyes giving me hopes that set my
heart beating with quicker pulsations.
=" Let us go down." she said, quickly,
as she arose.
" No, not until you answer me, y and
l caught again the little hand.
She drew it from my grasp, and, with
a saucy Come" started down the
trail and | hastened to follow. l made
several attempts to renew the converse
tlon on the way, but Nellie always
turned it off from the subject nearest
my heart; and yet when left her at her
fathers door she shyly extended her
hand, and / thought / detected soft
pressure as l took it in mine. A mo-
ment, and she had vanished, and no.
tlced a rosy flush on her pretty cheeks
and an unusual light in her tender eyes,
went back to my little cabin with a
strange admixture of certainty and
doubt in my feelings, and quickening
OF pulse that made me oblivious to nv
rough surroundings.
After supper l lit my pipe and sat
upon my roughly-hewn door step. The
sun had gone down, but vet there
was light enough for me to see her cabin
and notice her father standing in the
doorway chatting with Mineral Bob, the
best prospector in camp and the third
owner with Stacy and myself in the
Ajax. [ turned my head and saw the
lights in the shaft-house of the Big
Giant mine on Red mountain cleaning
away in the distance; heard the clang-
ing blows of the blacksmith at his forge
us he sharpened the tools for the morn
ing's work, and the deep boom of the
blast in the Little Emily mine came
floating through the still night air. Then
my eyes wandered back to the cabin
Which held Nellie. Bob was still there,
his tall figure and broad shoulders con-
trasting greatly with the little old man
in the doorway. What was he doing
there so long, thought, and l pulled
| my pipe viciously as | saw Nellie a mo-
ment later join the two. The night set.
tied down and the cabins faded from
view, their presence only revealed by
the lights. shining through the little
square windows or the sparks streaming
out OF the stone and mud chimneys. 1t
was getting cool, too, and | knocked
the ashes out of my pipe and re-entered
my little home and stirred up the
smouldering embers on the hearth. An
hour went by and the moon sent its
beams across my little table, with its
| tin plates and cups; across my earthen
and rocky floor, touching lightly my
books on q shelf at the head of my bed
and resting softly on the rolled-up coat
that served me for pillow. l turned
on my stool and glanced out of the
window. The tops of the surrounding
timber were silvered by the moonlight,
and the cabins stood out against the
dark background of the tall spruces.
The sound of singing came up from the
saloon, and the wind sighed fitfully now
and then. And so l fell into a sombre
reverie, and Nellie was the center about
which all my thoughts revolved. Pres
emily there was q knocking at my door,
and at my invitation Mineral Bob en-
tered.
Hello! Philadelphia, he said, 81
kinder thought you wasn'tin."
"WhyP" | asked, rather sorry of the
interruption. though Bob was good
company, and no one could look into
his merry, blue eyes and pleasant face
covered all over with luxuriant, rich
brown beard, without feeling better and
less out of spirits. rt#
"Oh, / sort of calculated you'd be
somewhere around the girl. How's
your chances, partner? Good, eh?"
Come in, Bob, and stop your non.
sense. Here, fill your pipe and sill
down." N-f .-.tt
Bob laughed good-hum oredly and
pulling up a stool, sat down near the
fire and, as he filled his pipe, said:
"Tve dropped in on a little business
about the Sunshine, you know" allud-
ing toa mine of his and one of the best
in the camp. !" You know I'm Obliged
to sink-ain't got no chance to tunnel
and the surface water is getting she best
of me. Must have pump, if want to
do anything-this bailing water out by
the bucketful when she's coming in neal
as fast is of no account. You know
thatP"
naddoI oooo,o1
"Well, then, Philadelphia" as he
lighted his pipe and gave two or three
vigorous puffs, want to see what
kind OF a dicker can make with YOU
about running the mine. | amt got the
money to get an engine and pump
though | guess could borrow it, and
besides I've got to go East on. business
inside of week, and don't want tc
leave the Sunshine idle-I can't afford
it."
"Why don't you sell her to ole
StacyP" / said. Hes got some ready
CASH. -
But he's going out shortly and want,
! to sell his own mines"
Going out-Stacyp" / demanded
wondering why Nellie had never alluded
to it.
es, gOlnS W bdke bnaJ gal oil MI
back to the States. This Amt no fl
place for a pretty little thing like she is
you know"
, Nellie going to leave campl B,
Jove, that wouldn't do. No, if she lef
| would, too. ! shouldn't lose her, nov
, that / had all but won her, so I said:
: :" | tell you, Bob, don't know that
, shall stay much longer myself. Per
: haps you would like to make me al
offer for my interest in the Ajax and lie
| me attend to your business in the East
: if / can; would be very glad to.
5 mo; much obliged, partner, but n,
3 one can do what am going ont fo,. q Y