The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-02-01

| Tor a Walk.
| 1t was the first time she had ever
| shown preference, and Polglaze now
| knew that he, too, was ''out of the race. ]"
His face changed to an ashen hue, and
he tottered off with detected looks, but
with clenched fists
Tregear squeezed the small hand that
had been so unexpectedly put on his
arm, and led Margaret away for the
promised walk, which, it need scarcely
! be said, was unconsciously heightened
| into an hour. When Margaret once
more arrived under her parents roof it
| was not alone that she came. Hence
forth, another had also right to join
her there.
Tregear knew the price that must be
| paid for Margaret's love. He knew that
Polglaze would not give her up without
contest. Nor was it long before the
| battle was commenced, for that very
evening. as Tregear was leaving the
| house of the Powheles, he was attacked
by his rival With him it was but q
word and blow.
''Joe Tregear, you've crossed my
steps, and now I'll be revenged on
| your
So saying, Polglaze struck blow
which would have felled an ordinary
man. But Tregear was quite a match
| for him, and the two fought long and
| desperately, until separated by the rural
| policeman, who threatened them with
legal proceedings.
OF course Margaret was one of the
| first to hear of the battle. Distressed
| beyond measure, she went to her lover s
parents, where she found him in a most
unpresentable condition A few words
| soon explained the position of affairs.
| when Margaret burst into tears and
| blamed herself for showing her prefer
ence so stupidity.
Margaret" replied her lover, ''dc
not take it to heart. I'd rather be fight
ing him again than see your tears
Leave me alone q minute. Let me
| overcome this"
'.Yes, dear heart?n said Mrs. Trcgear
''don't ye take on in this way. These
tinmen are regular vighters; but this
| Tom Polglaze is the mortaciousest
fighter that ever l zee"
Yes, Margaret, that's true. | knew
that the day | gained your love should
find an enemy. But cheer up. cheer up!
| | fancy he will not attack me again in a
hurry, for / know he does not at this
moment look a Bit handsomer than /
do.n
And SO saying, he laughed the matter
lightly away. until Margaret too began
to smile through her tears.
On the following day, when the two
rivals went to the mine, their appear
anee caused many ieering and con-
temptuous remarks, for the tinmen were
in hopes of goading them on to renew
the battle. Polglaze had, however,
found an adversary worthy of his strong
arm, and was not so ready to strike the
| first blow as he had been the night be-
| fore. He contented himself, therefore
with doubling his fists and saying that
the time of vengence would come.
Months passed away, however. Ire
goze recovered from its unwonted ex-
element, and matters took their usual
course. The mines were worked, old
seams were used up, and new veins
opened out; but, though the battle had
not been renewed, Joseph Tregear and
Tom Polglaze had notyet shaken hands.
At length new shaft was to be
opened, and the two young men, being
the steadiest hands in the mine, were
selected for the operation. There they
toiled together for a few weeks without
exchanging 4 word, and there theywer
alone, far from any other workman.
Margaret was wretchcd, but to all her
supplications Tregear still said that he
had no fear. In her distress she spoke
to Polglaze and asked him to shake
hands with Tregear. He refused, but
he pressed his rough hands to his tenn
pies and said, Il loved you then, l love
you now, as much or more than Joe
Tregear."
A day or two after that both men
were again at work together, and silent
as death in their solitary shaft They
were suddenly startled by a falling
stone A few Jumps of earth then came
tumbling down, and the whole shaft
seemed to tremble.
The works were giving way. The
two men looked at one another for a
moment with blanched faces. 1t was
the first time they had looked into one
another's eyes since that fatal day, ex-
cept to dart glances of scorn and hate
They ran to the kebble and gave the
signal to be drawn up. They were
touching one another now. their hands
almost clasped together on the rope.
Their very breath seemed to inter-
mingle. 1t was terrible after such a
course of hate to be brought together
under these circumstances. As they
were both shouting to be drawn up, the
rope tightened and strained. but the
kebble would not move. More earth
now fell. but still the kebble remained
at the bottom of the shaft. Whilst
shouting louder and louder for help. the
terrible truth flashed through their
minds that there was only one man at
the windlass, and that he alone was un-
able to raise them both, and all this
time the shaft was trembling and earth
and stones falling.
AS they stood there in the kebble.
their bodies and hands touching. and
glancing into one another's eyes, the
awful thought came to them both in an
instant that one of them must die-must
die to save the other-his enemy!
One of them must debut who
should il be?
They again looked at one another,
and there was an eternity in the glance
Then one of them let go the rope and
dropped out of the kebble. which imme
diately began to rise. Who was it?
The willing martyr was Tom Pol
glaze.
Tell Marg'et,' he shouted, as the
kebble rose above his head, ''tel Mar
get | did it TO save her pain-to save
you whom she lovesi | forgive YOU!
but be sure and be good to"
The shaft gave way, and nothing pre-
sented itself to Tregear's gaze but
mass of slate and rubbish. Tom Pol
glaze was in eternity, as noble soul as
ever died for any cause that is dear to
man; as devoted as any martyr, as gen.
erous-souled as any patriot-though
only a poor miner
Il was long before Joseph Tregear
and Margaret Fowhele recovered from
the shock. They mourned the brave
dead as q brother, and a neat little
stone, overlooking the village church
yard, long afterwards reminded the tin