Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-16

I
was about as fond OF that lass as {
lad could we'll be, know that, fol-
mother was living then, md thi,
lass would often be between hel
house and ours. 1t seems that one
Sunday, it might &c this, Joe had
met her and told Der how fond he
bad been OF her, and asked her to
become his wife. She told mother
this that Same hight. Well, 1t seems
she said Joe mnatn't look for that,
for she was already promised, and
was gong TO 3e wed that Whitsun.
the. When che told Joe that. he
said ne'er a word, but he turned
white in the face and turned quietly
away The ne4st day be bad to work
beside the worry nam who was prom.
lsed TO the lass as be loved. Well,
they had been working a short tim 9
when Joe's mate turned around to
get hold of u shorter pick that WAS
lying near ana sees him standing
behind him with bis arm raised and
the pick in his hand, as if ia donb.
whether TO strike or not, and With
a look 10 his eye as be had never
been known TO wear bsfore. The
two men looked at one another
without speaking for while, till
Joe said, God forgive mel! and
turned away, aud from that time
they never worke! sids by side
again. / don't know why it was,
but we used to think Joe kept away
on purpose-I mean, 80 as not to
be in the way to strike the other
one. That would be a matter of
three or four months before the fire.
what fire p | asked
what fire? p the other repeated in
a tone of establishment. why Fen.
tons Pit, Did you never hear tell
of the fire in Fenton's Pit?'
No. replied: you know | am
stranger here
'Ah, you must be, | should think
the man said rather roughly, IF you
never heard tell of that
He took O small blackened pipe
from the pocket Of his vest, looking
thoughtfully before him. and filling
the bowl in the mechanical manner
of person who preoccupied by an
all engrossng thought is going
through some familiar action, tor his
thoughts were evidently far away,
and the pitman's face, rough and
strongly marked as it was, beoams
saddened and almost tender iu its
expression under their influence
He remained silent so long that l
at length said
4 should like to hear about the
fire, if you don't mind telling me-
WAS you ever down pit, mate p
he asked
told him no, but had often thought
should like to see one.
Better stay whore you are, mate,
the man answered sAh = he added,
after another pause, SITS strange how
we livsr
'I've worked in tho pit for more
nor twenty years. he replied, 'but |
never go down in the cage now
that is since that time | speak on
but | think | may be going to nv
grave. What with the rising of the
water or the fall of the coal, or the
coke damp that means death, the
lives of such as us amt worth much,
but all these put together amt moth.
ing to pit on fire /! When the coal
is bursting with the heat and the
heavy masses of earth fall down
crushing or tanning them that can't
get out of the way--when the cry is,
Every man for himself and God
above for us sll!'-when fainting and
struggling they think for a moment
on wife and children, and then they
fall and Gle
well, that was tho sort of fire |
speak of, and ell of those at work in
the pit that day rushed for the lift
that might carry them up away
from tho place whore the flames
were roaring and rushing with the
noise of great wind Wolf Fight
ing Joe vas .h3 lAs. MA 10 the lift
as they jh5nGhs but just "a it was
beginning to move they heard
loud cry for help, and they saw that
the other ona-bim who had mar
ricd Joe's Notwithstanding for
the lift, and begging them for Gcd's
sake not to lasve him behind. Well,
I tell you, the liig was over full then,
but Joo sprGng for it, and siczed
hold of the other ono, with the help
of those inside hauled him in, an!
all we heard him say was. Tell her
| did it, an God bless ,hse, mate =
and than we heard the roar again of
the flames, and we never saw Joe
again
The man cat quietly for q second
or two. and, though his voice did not
falter, be added 10 o softer tone:
But next day, when tho fir. bad
burned itself out, | was one of them
that went down into the pit. There
was a crowd of the miners wives
and children etsndiug at the pit
mouth, and when we came up again
we laid it gently on the ground, and
the men took off their caps and said
ne'er q word, while the women
cried, and many CT them sobbed
aloud; i! was blsckened end burned
and but for where the pitman's aok.
ct had saved him, il might have
been no moro than the earth it was
laying on. But as we stopped ten :
derby to raise and carry the body
away, the jacket fell off and there,
on that part where once beat true
heart, was lock of wom.n's hair.
He had begged it OF her, abe said, SO
often, she bid rot the heart ct last
to refuse him. aad God Only knows
mate, What comfort poor Joe might
have fell 10 the wesrin' it for her
sake.
we buried him with that little
curl lying on his breast, and with
many q sob, aud many a God bless
thee, poor lad 7 we lowered him q
his rest. We planted them little
| flowers, and ii seems to me as il