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

/ in the cage. NOu will he kind enough
/ to show them through the tunnels"
"Nisitors ~ / repeated TO myself.
! II must Toe lackey. too. as well as Il
{ drudge. Well, 50 he it. 1t is only
! another straw to the load | am carry
/ Jug. If it breaks my back so much the
/ better. shall Ee done with it,"
/ The world has little respect for those
( whose code OF honor leads them aside
/ from the broad highway of common
( place
When. AT nay fathers death, finding
{ his estate heavily encountered, | had
deemed IL my duty to place 1t ut the
disposal of his creditors, found my
self, socially speaking, in ice water.
/ Those who had known me in my hap
/ pier days knew me no longer, and
| houses where ! had once been IA well
! come guest were now as iupenetrahle
as the owners ignorance of my exist
} enct.
could have borne this well enough
had only one home remained open to
me the home uf Eve GuiOn.
In the days when her wealthy father
/ looked with favor on the landowners s
! son, had some wild hopes about her.
! She was Il beautiful girl Young, and,
as had believed, sympathetic. | had
/ believed. too. that had seen glimpses
( of something in her face that proved
my hopes not TO he so wild as iey
/ seemed.
But that. too. WIS over. \ polite
note from her father informed me his
daughter could henceforth dispense
with my attentions, and, as | received
no intimation to the contrary from Eve
/ herself. concluded she. too, had de
clared my OStracism. After this lost
/ hope. and made no attempt to better
my worldly condition.
/ left the village, and after two years
I of wandering, often IN destltutl0n, |
stranded myself on the Maherly coal
mine as gang master in the pits.
: Our mine had Il doubtful reputation,
having been the scene of sew, raj dis
tressing accidents. Consequently, we
were seldom troubled by visitors from
the upper earth.
This was god-seni to me. could
manage to endure the life was lead
ing only on condition of not being too
frequently reminded of the life from
which had been exiled. The idea of
eucOumtering persons whom had
known in better times, was IL constant
terror to me.
1t may he imagined, therefore, with
/ what feelings awaited the descent OF
the visitors who had been signalled
from above.
( As the cage stopped on Il level where
stood with my lamp in my hand and
thp passengers aEghted, recognized
them with feelings of downright mis-
cry. saw before me the two persons
whom of all humanity | had least
wished to meet Eve GuiOn and hel
father.
Had they heard of my whereabouts
and come to witness my degradation
No. As cold and worldly as | believed
Eve to be. could not imagine hen
capahlc of such mean malice.
Who could identify the name gang
master John Wallace, with Wallace
Grover, CT i-deraRt gentleman Besides
remembered that Mr.. Guiun was ::
share holder i'll the Mabcrly mine. Il
was merely sightseeing tour, attel
all.
Two years OF hardship and the
growth of il heavy beard had changed
my appearance so that | was sure tina
neither father nor daughter could pos
sihly recognize me.
. With strict control over myself,
. could show them through the mine anC
dismiss them none the wiser. Nov
- that they had come. too, | WAS glad o
the opportunity of seeing the woman
that | had loved still loved once
more
, stepped confidently forward, there
fore, and introduced myself as til,
guide, John Wallace. Eve looked Il
me closely, but, | thought, only will
an expression of curiosity us to tn
, looks OF u man whose life was Spen
underground.
My head swan and my heart he;t
thick aud loud rs | stood before her
more beautiful. because more serinu
and womanly than when we had beel
!. intimate twO years before.
} | noticed that her face was Il littt
l. palcr, and there WAS Il look of sadnes
in it that was new to me.
The season had spent in wretched
ness then, had not been wholly fIe
from sorrow for her. Not, of course
on my account such notion neve
entered my head.
"Have yOu been here many years
II she asked. as we were preparing t
Il ascend the galleries.
Years enough, madame, to kno'
" the mine thoroughly" answere
eVasively.
Mr.. Guion looked at me inquiringl,
..You speak like man of education
my good fellow" he said. "Do the
put men of yonr stamp i'll such position
as yours :"
, "Meu of my stamp have few claim
which the world is bound to respect
answered grutiiy. "Iou are here
see the mine. Be kind enough to fo
low me"
my Father will have more tina
enough to guide his own steps" sa
Eve, coming to MY side and quiet
Y placing her hand Oh my arm. Il mu
, trust to your gallantry Mr.. Wallace
made no reply, but wondered
woman rs she was, she had no fla
away hint of the cause of that sledg
hammer beating of my heart under h
arm.
We remained in the galleries ty
hours-mure than twice as long as W
necessary to their thorough inspectio
The old man was growing impatieI
2 but the gloomy pits and cbambe
J." seemed to have an unaccountable IA
cination for Eve GuiOn.
She loitered on one pretext or a
other, until | began to fear that | mt
have betrayed my identity to her qui
eye.
y. Her face had grown strangely 5
and anxious. | saw. too, that VIII
gh she Thought herself unobserved :
IN watched my face intently. Had :
- detected me. and was she seeking