Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-03-10

Leave me alone minute. Let
me overcome this
Yes, dear heart !" said Mrs. t.,
don't ye take on in this way. These
tinmen are regular vighters; but this
Tom Polgaze is the mortaciou EST
/ fighter that ever | zee."
/ Eyes, Margaret, that's true. |
knew the day l gained your love |
should have an enemy. But cheer
up, / fancy he will not attack me
again III hurry, for know he does
not look at this moment the least
bit handsomer than | do"
And so saying, he laughed the
matter away, until even Margaret
began to smile through her tears.
On the following day, when the
two rivals went TO work, their APP
pearance caused many jeering and
contemptuous remarks, for the tin
men were in the hopes of goading
them on to renewal of the battle.
Polgaze, however, had found an
adversary worthy of his strong arm,
and was not so ready to strike the
first blow, as he had been the night
before, he contented himself with
doubling his fists and muttering that
the time of vengeance would come.
Months passed away, however,
Tregoze recovered from its unwont-
ed excitement, and matters took
their usual course. The mines were
worked, old seems were used up,and
new veins opened out; but though
the battle was not renewed, Joseph
Tregear and Tom Polgaze had not
shaken hands.
This caused Margaret no small
anxiety, for down in the bowels of
the earth, and unseen blow with
pick might destroy the happiness of
her life. She often begged Tom to
leave the mines, but he said he had
good prospects of being appointed
engineers assistant, and as for Tom
Polgaze's threat-why, he had not
the slightest anxiety on that account.
At length a new shaft was to be
opened, and the two young men be-
ing the steadiest hands in the mine,
were selected for the operation. For
a few week they toiled together there
without exchanging a word, and
they were alone, far from any other
wOrkmen.
Margaret was wretched, but to all
her applications Joseph still said
he had no fear. In her distress she
spoke to Tom and asked him to
shake hands with Joseph. He re-
fused, but he pressed his rough
hands to his temples and said, 81
loved you then, love you now, as
much or more than Joe Tregear.
A day or two after that both men
were again at work together. and as
silent as death in the solitary shaft.
Suddenly they were startled by
falling stone. A few Jumps of earth
came tumbling down, and the whole
shaft seemed to tremble.
The works were giving away. The
two men looked at one another, for
a moment, with blanched faces. 1t
was the first time they had looked
into each others eyes since that fatal
day, except to dart glances of scorn
and hate. They ran to the kebble
and gave the signal to be drawn up.
They were touching each other now
with their hands almost clasped to-
gether on the rope. Their breath
seemed to intermingle. 1t was ter
rible after such course of hate to
be brought together under such cir
cumstances. AS they were both
shouting to be drawn up, the rope
frightened and strained, but the keb-
BILE would not move. More earth
now fell but still the kebble remain
ed at the bottom of the shaft. AS
they shouted louder and louder for
help, the terrible truth flashed upon
their minds that there was but one
man at the windlass, and that alone
he was unable to raise them both,
and all this time the shaft was trem-
bling 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