St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-03-06


TO be visited.
Ewes eye caught sight of it.
"Here's i4hamber we have not seem
"No, madame | inttrposed. "It is
no longer worked. The water has
cred dangerous
Il mean to see it, ut 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 Mt
me, which said almost as plainly as
words
Il know you, Wallace Grover, and
mean to speak To you in spite of your
caution"
Then she entered the chamber.
But she had miscalculated my tact.
| turned to her father aud requested
him to enter with me in order to dis
suade her from her rash adventure, and
we followed her together She gave
me reproachful look us 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
nOmena of the under world, detected
nlnI Ol Iilt coming danger.
There was Il faint rumbling in the
bowels of the earth. The air was
close. and had a taint of electricity in
it, similar to that which precedes ii
thunder storm. There was surely
peril in the mine, but how and whence
it would come | could not guess.
| turned to urge my visitors to Il
hasty retreat. | caught sight of some
fragment of wet earth dropping from
the wall near at hand, followed by Il
jet of water. Then | knew what was
coming.
"Out! Out for your lives" cried,
springing towards the wall. "'The wa
ter is bursting into the mine. Ring
for the cage and give the alarm -
The old man needed no second warn
ing. With cry of terror he sprang
out of the chamber, and the next mo-
meut | heard him give the alarm.
Then followed the shouts and tramp
ling of the escaping men. | knew if !
could hold the water in check for ten
minutes | could save the life of every
one of them. AS for my Own-well,
one life, and that Il useless one, seemed
good exchange for Il hundred fathers
of families.
When first saw it the jet was no
longer thah man nnSer o'c III
moment it had enlarged to the size of
my arm, and heavy stream of water
began to pour into the chamber.
There was no apparatus at hand,
neither clay nor sand-bags to check It.
as knew.
| A happy inspiration came to me.
With Titanic effort | managed to
thrust my arm INTO the hssure, ana tol
! the time being succeeded III checking
the leak.
Then, with my arm III the wall,
! turned half around to the opening OF
| the chamber, and there, to my horror,
still stood Eve Guion. | saw that her
face was very pale, but grim ana sell
| possessed.
''What are you doing here 7" cried.
! This place will he full of water1n
five minutes
What are you doing here = sh"
asked, quietly.
My duty, replied Il am Tying
to hold this stream IN check nntll the
men escape
hen yon VIII he drowned, she
exclaimed.
"Nhat of thatf Better one than
hundred. But 60" ! entreated. 81
tell you y"u have only a bare chance
to get out as 1t Is. The water Is press
ing harder every moment. 1t VIII s""n
he too much Tor my strength:
"dhen l Will stay and help y"n'
wallace, she SAID Ill strange, gentle
voice:
An, y"n know me J. erred.
- nave known you from the moment
entered the mine. l came here to
see YOU
''To taunt me with my poverty |
cried. ''When your father turned me
away from Your door, when ! became
an outcaSt and wretched, thoug Int |
had the right to hide my misfortune
from your eyes
"lt Is because my father useu you
Il was not to blame. knew nothlng
: OF 1t until YOU were gone. Since then
have tired to learn OF your where
apoutS III order 10 let yoti understand
~! IeG'lnSS' 1T was ohiH Ees!ei'.a!
; tiiat hearu oi 19'ii' Waiilce III til'
Maperi! nil"e' ana on tIi6 oare c'l"nce
0' Idsh'''Sih9 MN hS " "iiace Dr">ef'
iliii"eiiee" 1t my 'a'ler 10 orihs me
"'iI i',,, - >. IN .1
ell, sdiu sotfo"IuIlN, 1t II 10"
Iate 10 thlhk o' tht past now. 90
Eve: ""' ana keep poor Johl' wal
lace secret. III VIII soon be oven
: with NM
, You persist III remaining here :
she asked.
- must, said. should be 4
c"War" ana wretch to desert my poS'
:: now:
hen, she replied very quietly, 81
o Will STAY with YOU.