Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-07-19


rural policeman, who threatened.
them with legal proceedings. ri 7~n
Of course Margaret was one of the
first to hear OF the battle. Distress
ed beyond measure, she went to her
lovers parents, where she found him
in most unpresentable condition.
A few words soon explained the
position of affairs, when Margaret
burst into tears, and blamed herself
for showing her preference so stupid
ly. ..~- .5..
'Margaret," replied her lover, "do
not take it to heart. I'd rather be
fighting him again than see your
tears" e..
"Leave me alone q minute. Let
me overcome this"
eyes, dear heart! ~ said Mrs. Ire
gear. "Don't you take on in this
way. These tinmen are regular
vighters; but this Tom Polglaze is
the mortaciousest vighter that ever l
see."
eyes, Margaret, that's true. /
knew that the day 1 gained your love
should find an enemy. But cheer
up, cheer up! fancy he will not
attack me again in a hurry, for 1
know that he does not at this mo-
ment look a bit handsomer than 1
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
rivals went to the mine, their appear
ance caused many jeering, contempt
uous remarks, for the tinmen were
in hopes Of goadlng them on to renew
the battle.
Polglaze had, however, 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,
therefore, with doubling his fists and
saying that the time Of vengeance
would come.
Months passed away, however;
Tregoze recovered from it's unwonted
excitement, and matters took their
usual course. The mines were work
ed, old seams were used up, and new
veins opened out; but, though the
battle had not been renewed, Joseph
Tregear and Tom Polglaze had not
yet shaken hands. y..
This caused Margaret no small
anxiety, for down there in the bowels
of the earth an unseen blow with q
pick might destroy the happiness of
her life.
She often begged Tregear to leave
the mines, but he said he had good
prospects of being appointed en-
gineer's assistant, and as for Tom
Polglaze's threat, why, he had not the
slightest anxiety on account of that.
At length a new shaft was to be
opened, and the two young men, being
the steadiest hands in the mine, were
selected for the operation. There
they toiled together for few weeks
without exchanging word, and they
were alone, far from any other work.
men.
Margaret was wretched, 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 temples and said:
81 loved you then. 1 love you now,
as much or more than Joe Tregrer."
A day or two after that both men
were again at work together, and
silent as death in their solitary shaft.
They were suddenly startled by
falling stone. A few Jumps 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
moment, with blanched faces. 1t
was the first time they had looked
into one another's eyes since that
fatal day, except to dart glances of
scOrn and hate. .........,. e.-
They ran to the kebble and gave
the signal to be drawn up. They
We're touching one another now, their
hands almost clasped together on the
rope. Their very breath seemed to
intermingle. 1t was terrible after
such course of hate to be brought
together under these circumstances