The Dickinson press., 1883-09-22

Joe .lregear, you've crossed my
steps and now I'll be revenged on you!'
50 saying, Po:glaze struck a blow
which would have fe'led an ordinary
man. But Tregear was quite a match
Tor him, and the two fought ,ong and
, desperately, until separated by The rural
policeman, who threatened them with
lega! proceedings.
VI course Margaret was n of the
hrst to hear of the battle. Distressed
beyond measure she went to her lovers
parents where she found him in q most
unpresentable condition. A few words
soon explained the position of affairs,
When Margaret burst into tears and
blamed herself for showing preference
so stupidity
Margaret, "replied her lover, clio not
take it TO heart. I'D rather be fighting
him again than to see your tears"
"Let me alone a minute. Letme over
come this"
"Yes, dear heart!" said Mrs. Tregear,
don't We take on in this way. These tin
men are regular v%isilhers; but this Tom
roglaze is the greatest fighter that ever
see."
Eyes Margaret, that's true. I knew
that the day l gained your love I should
find an enemy. But cheer up, cheer
up! ! fancy he will not attack me again
in a hurry, for / know lie does not at
this moment look a bit handsomer than
I do"
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.
ance caused many jeering and contemp.
tuOus remarks, for the tinmen, were in
hopes of goading them to renew the
battle. Polglaze had, however, found
I, an adversary worthy of his strong arm,
and was not so ready to strike the first
blow as he had been the night before.
lie .contented himself, therefore, with
doubling his fists and saying that the
time of vengeance would come.
Months passed away, however, Ire
mont recovered from its UNIV onted ex-
element, and matters look their usual
course. The mines were worked, old
seams were used up, and new veins
opened out; but, though the battal had
lou Polglaze had not yet shaken hand.
This caused Margaret no small anxity,
Tor down there in the bowels of the
earth an unseen blow with a pick might
destroy the happiness of her life. She
often begged Tregearto leave the mines,
but he said he had good prospects of be-
ing appointed engineers assistant, and
as for Tom Po!glaze's t~hreat-why, he
had not the slightest anxiety on account
of that.
At length a new shaft was to he
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 a word, and there they were
alone, far from any other workman.
Margaret was wretrhed, 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, II loved you then, I love
you now, as much or mere 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 we're
suddenly startled by a falling stone. A
few lump s 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 u mo-
ment with, blanched faces. Tt was the
first time they had looked into one an
others eyes since that fatal day, except
to dart fatal glances of scorn and hate.
They ran to the kebble and gave the sig
Nal to be drawn UP. They were touching
II another now. their hands almo.t
clasped together onthe rope. Their very
breath seemed to intermingle. 1t was
terrible after such a course OF hate to be
brought together under such circum-
stances. AS they were both shouting to
be drawn up the rope frightened and
strained. but the kebble would not
move. More earth now fell, but Still!
the shaft. Whilst shouting louder and
louder for help the terrible truth flashed
through their minds that there was only
n man at the windlass, and that he
alone was unable 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
glanciDg into one another's eyes, the
awful thought came to them both in an
instant that one of them must die-uust
die to save the other-his enemy.
One of them must debut who
should it be?
They again looked at one another, and
mere was all eternity In the glance
Then of them let go the rope and
dropped out of the kebble, which inn
medjately began to rise. VINO was it?
The willing martyr was Tom Polglaze.
"Tell Marg'et," he shouted, as the
kebble rose above his head, "tell
Mars'et I did it to save her pain-to
q v you whom she loves; I forgive you!
but he sure and be good to-"
The shaft gave way, and nothing pre-
sented itself to Tregear's gaze but a mass
of slate and rubbish. Tom Polglaze was
in eternity, as noble a soul as ave died
tor auy cause that il dear to man; as
devoted as any martyr, as generous
souled as any patriot-though only
poor miner.
1t was long before Joseph Tregear
and Margaret Powell recovered from
that shock. They mourned the brave
dead as a brother, and a neat little
stone, overlooking the village church,
yard, long afterwards reminded the tim
men of fremont of the noble deed of
self-sacritice Of hero who was one of
themselves.
An International Episode.
From the Washington Star.