Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-16

| stepped confidently forward, there
fore, and introduced myself AZ the
guide, John Wallace Eve looked at
me closely, but, ] thought, only with
an expression OF curiosity as to the
looks of man whose life was spent un-
foreground.
My head swan and my heart beat
thick and loud as l stood before her
more beautiful, because more serious
and womanly than when we had been
intimate two years before.
noticed that her face was little
paler and that there was look of sad
ness in il that was new 10 me.
The season that / had spent in
wretchedness,t then, had not been wholly
free from sorrow for her. Not, OF
course, on my account such notion
never entered my head.
"Have you been here many years."
she asked, as we were preparing to
descend into the galleries.
"Years enough, madame, to know the
mine thoroughly" answered, evasive-
ly.
Mr.. Guion looked at me inquiringly.
"You speak like n man OF education,
my good fellow" he said. "Do they
put men of your stamp into such posi-
sitions as yours?'
"Men Of my stamp have few claims
which the world is bound to respect"
l answered, gruhly. "You are here to
see the mine. Be kind enough to fol.
low me-"
my 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. 81 must
trust to your gallantry, Mr. Wallace"
made no reply, but wondered il,
woman as 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 inpatient,
but the gloomy pits and chambers
seemed to have an unaccountable fas-
cination for Eve Guion. She loitered
on one pretext or another, until | began
to fear that l must have betrayed my
indentity to her quick eye.
Her face had grown strangely sad
and anxious. saw, too, that when she
thought herself unobseIved she
watched my face intently. Had she
detected me and was she seeking an
opportunity OF making her discovery
known withou. betraying me to her
fa.her2
/ determined that she should not &c
complish her design. | knew very well
that | should lose my self control and
all of my love, bitterness and despair
would burst out in torrent.
/ therefore was careful to avoid being
alone with her for moment. And |
soon saw that | had guessed Alright.
She was endcavoring 70 separate mo
from her father that she might speak
to me.
But | ioilod her quietly but skill.
fully, and after the galleries had been
explored twice over, and there was no
longer the shadow of a preteEt for re-
naming, she finally prepared to depart.
As We entered the upper level we
passed the dark opening Of disused
chamber, which / had deemed unsafe
10 be visited.
Ewes eye caught sight Of it.
"Here IL chamber we have not
seen." she said
"No, madame, interposed. II is
no longer worked. The water has
broken into it twice, and it is consid.
cred dangerous
"I mean to see IL, at all events she
replied. Father, wait for us here.
Mr.. Wallace will not refuse to guide
me, am sure"
She cast a strange, significant look at
me, ghich said almost as plainly as
words:
81 know you, Wallace Grover, and !
mean to speak to you in spite of your
caution."
Then she entered the chamber.
Bat she had miscalculated my tact.
l turned to her father and requested
him to enter with me in order to dis
suade her from her rash adventure, and
we followed her together. She gave me
a reproachful look as We entered, and
heard her sigh.
The moment / put my foot in the
chamber, my senses, trained by long
experience to note the varying phe-