Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-08-15

Farewell TO Ine place love 30 well,
Though my heart to thee doth cling
That heart even now is broken.
IN THE MABERLY MINE.
"John Wallace!" called the mine su-
perintendent.t through the speaking pipe,
'ssome visitors are coming down in the
cage. You will be kind enough to show
them through the tunnels"
.''Visitors !" repeated to myself. II
must be lackey, too, as we'll as a
drudge. Well, SO be it. It is only an
other straw to the load I ann carrying.
If it breaks my back 80 much the better.
I shall be done with it,"
The world has little respect for those
whose code of honor leads them aside
from the broad highway of common
place.
When, at my fathers death, finding
his estate heavily encountered, had
deemed 1t my duty to place it at the
disposal of his creditors, I found my
self, socially speaking, in ice-water.-
Those who had known me In my hap.
pier days knew me no longer, and
houses where I had once been q well
come guest were now as impenetrable
aS tuo OWuoIs AeAOAoACo VI NY 0AAo'
ence.
I could have borne this well enough
had only one home remained open tome
the home of Eve Guion.
In the days when her wealthy father
looked with favor on the landowners
son, I had some wild hopes about her.
She was beautiful girl-young, and,
as had believed, sympathetic. I had
believed, too, that had seen glimpses
of something in her face that proved my
hopes not to be SO wild as they seemed.
But that, too, was over. A polite note
from her father informed me that his
daughter could henceforth dispense with
my attentions, and, as received no In
timation to the contrary from Eve her
self, concluded she, too. had declared
nv Ostracism. After this lost hope,
and made no attempt to better my
worldly condition.
I left the village and after two years
Of wandering, often in restitution. l
stranded myself on the Maberly coal
mine as gang-master in the pits.
Our mine had a doubtful reputation,
having been the scene of several dis
tressing accidents. Consequently, we
were seldom troubled by visitors from
the upper earth.
This was godsend to me. I could
manage to endure the life was leading
only on condition of not being too fire..
quently reminded of the life from which
[ had been exiled. The idea of encOun-
tering persons whom had known in
better times was constant terror to me.
It may be imagined, therefore, with
what feelings I awaited the descent OF
the visitors who had been signaled from
above.
As the cage stopped upon a level
where stood with my lamp In my hand
and the passengers alighted, l recognize.
misery. [ saw before me the two per-
sons whom of all humanity had last
wished to meet-Eve Guion and heI
father.
Had they heard of my whereabouts
and come to witness my degradation
No. AS cold and worldly as 1 believed
Eve to be, could not imagine her ca
pabIe of such a mean malice.
Who could identify the name gang
master John Wallace, with Wallace
Grover, ci-devdnt gentleman Besides,
I remembered that Mr.. Guion was a
shareholder in the Maberly NINE, It
was merely sightseeing tour, after all
Two years of hardship and the growth
Of heavy beard had changed my ap-
pearance so that was sure that neither
father nor daughter could possibly rec
ognize me.
With strict control over myself, I
could show them through the mine and
dismiss them none the wiser. Now that
they had come, too. was glad of the
opportunity of seeing the woman that I
had loved-still loved-once more.
I stepped confidently forward, there
fore, and introduced myself as the guide,
John Wallace. Eve looked at me close
ly, but, thought, only with an expires.
sion of curiosity as to the looks of a
man whose life was spent Underground.
My head swan and my heart beat
thick and loud as + stood before her
more beautiful, because more serious and
womanly then when we had been init
mate two years before.
I noticed that her face was little
paler, and there was look of sadness in
it that was new to me.
The season had spent In wretched-
ness then, had not been wholly free
from sorrow for her. Not, Of course on
my own account such q notion never
entered my head.
"Have you been here many years."
she asked, as we were preparing to as
cend the galleries.
"Years enough, madame, to know the
minethoroughly," " answeredevasively.
Mr.. Guion looked at me inquiringly.
"You speak like man of education,
my good fellow" he said. "Do they
put men Of your stamp in such positions
siMen of my stamp have few claims
which the world is bound to respect,"1
answered gruffly. "You are here to
see the mine. BY kind enough to follow
me-"
'sMy father will have more than
enough to do to guide his own steps,"
said Eve, coming to my side and quietly
placing her hand on my arm. II must
trust to your gallantry, Mr.. Wallace"
I made no reply, but wondered If,
woman IS she was, she had no faraway
hint of the cause Of that sledge-hammer
beating of my heart under her round
arm.
We remained in the galleries two
hours-more than twice as long as was
necessary to their thorough inspection.
The old man was growing impatient,
but the gloomy pits and chambers SEEM
ed to have an unaccountable fascination
for Eve GuiOn.
OuO lOltCICu OA OuO pAOuOAS "a SAo0ASAS
until began to fear that I must have
betrayed my identity to her quick eye.
Her face had grown strangely sad and
anxious. I saw, too, that when she
thought herself unobserved she watched
my face intently. Had she detected me
and was she seeking an opportunity to
make her discovery known without be-
traying me to her father?
I determined that she should not ac-
compiish her design. knew very well
that, should lose my selfScontrol, all
my love, bitterness and dispair would
burst out in torrent.
therefore was careful to avoid being
alone with her for moment. And 1
soon saw that had guessed Alright. She
was endeavoring to separate me from
her father, that she might speak to me.
But foiled her quietly and sklllfully,
and us there was no longer the shadow
of pretext for remaining, she finally |
prepared to depart.
AS we entered the upper level we
passed the dark opening of a disused
chamber which I had deemed unsafe to
be visited.
Eve's eye caught sight of 1t.
"Kere's chamber we have not SEEM"
uho enid