The Brookhaven leader., 1883-08-30

''Oh. yes. the boys will do their best, :"
Gaskell answers.
"How did you happen to be the only
one left down there" asks the other.
"Well. you know, Strawford, had
to see that my men were all out. IL
wouldn't have dos for me to scramble
out first
This is said naturally enough, and as
if it had not occurred to the speaker
that he could have done otherwise than
to see that his men were safe before try
ing to save himself.
You are n noble fellow, Frank,
Strawford saws; and then to the COM
paRion reporter he adds: There aren't
many fellows that would do as Gaskell
| has done this morning"
! The hours move on slowly, but il they
| seem long to those above in The free air
| and sunshine what must they be TO
| Gaskell down there in the half-darkness
waiting for deliverance! Strawford
| goes away after time, but returns
! shortly with bottle of wine, and after
| soaking a sponge with the wine lowers
it carefully to Gaskell.
That will do you good if YOU can
possibly get hold of it, Frank" he
/ saws.
! This the other essays to do, and after
one or two Intellectual attempts succeeds
/ in getting portion of the sponge be-
/ tween his teeth.
ITS good for you," calls out Straw.
ford from above, land you shall have
just as much as you want to keep up
| your strength"
BY and by the noon whistles blow
shrilly, and hundreds of workmen who
! have Just heard the news of the accl-
| dent flock toward Poplar street, and
4 from one to another it is told that
| Frank GasKell is down there in the cut
| ting buried in the sand up to his neck,
and that it will be hours before they can
get him out. Again the whistles blow,
| and the men from the mills and facto-
ries return to their work, but the
anxious, waiting crowd is still great,
and to their impatient eyes but small
progress is making toward GaskelT 5
rescue. The courthouse clock strikes
two, then three, and still Strawford is
kneeling by the edge speaking encour-
aging words to Gaskell and telling him
what progress the workmen are max
ing. The long afternoon drags by.
Gaskell from his prison watches the
white clouds chase each other across
the narrow rift OF blue sky that he can
see. He says but little, and Strawford
fears he is growing weaker.
More wine, Frank" he asks; but
the other says NO." and the silence is
unbroken save for the noise of the
workmen's shovels as deliverance slow
ly approaches.
The clock strikes four, and as the last
stroke ends Gaskell says YEARLY:
''Is it no later? 1t seems to me have
been here for days"
Courage, Frank Strawford says
cheerfully; 1--WE shall have you up here
with US before long. The men are work
ing bravely, and they are great deal
nearer you than they were an hour
ago."
I'm glad Jim got out safe," Gaskell
says, a little after this. Poor man. |
was afraid he wouldn't be able to move
quick enough"
Frank Strawford calls to him,
johnson tells me they hope in another
hour to have you out of this if all goes
right and here Strawford breaks off
suddenly.
Sand and pebbles are once more rat
Ting down from the treacherous western
wall
My Godn' exclaims Strawford, in
low tones, Il am afraid it's all up with
Frank
Faster and faster slides the sand, and
Gaskell gives one. agonized look into
Strawford's plying face. Then once
again the sand comes down in one
fierce rush. completely filling the cut
ting. and Strawford with the memory
of Frank Gaskell's last look. turns
away.-Oscar Fay adams, in Christian
Union.