Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-04-04
WHOLE NO. 7O4.

mountain snow. steadily crept up
higher; the. owners had pronounced
it safe, and we had to believe them.
Such was the unchanged situation
Of things, when one night, early in
April, | pushed up the rocky path
to my work, and, turning the edge of
the pines, saw Mary McGinn standing
in the door of her poor shanty, shad-
ing her eyes with her hands and
watching Phll's stubby little figure
trudging away in the afterglow.
AS | came up umoticed, | spoke
to her and marked the light of well
come in her eyes as she held out her
hand to me.
"Oh, sir" she said, looking up into
my face, as if reading every thought.
81 have wanted to see you all day.
| heard some of the men saying at
the store last night that the mines
were unsafe while the river was SO
high. | asked Phil, and he laughed
at ME. But, oh, sir, is it true %
1t was hard for me even to attempt
a lie to her, yet could | tell the truth
just then ?
"Bolton and the engineer both pro-
nounce them SAFE" | said gravely,
"and they should know better than
the rest of u.s."
She read my face while listening to
the words.
"But you? you do not ?" she
cried.
| struck my tin pail against the
post and drew II long breath.
"Mary," | said, with II tenderness
new to me, 81 am not satisfied, but I
hope for the best
She stood there as if the news
touched her very life.
''Poor Phil ~ almost in whisper,
''and all can do is to pray for him."
| bent lower and closer to hear tie
words.
"And will you forget all the
others :" | asked, longingly. at
makes men stronger to think some
remembers them at home"
She looked up into my rough face
a moment with tear-dimmed eyes,
then placed both her little hands in
mlne.
81 have always remembered you,"
she SAID, and, as q shrlll whistle came
down the frosty air, recalling me to
duty, | followed the impulse of my
heart and kissed her cheek, now flush
ed with red. What | saw in the blue
eyes is hard to tell, but 1 turned
away happier-without knowing why
than | had been in many years.
Twenty of us went down IN the
cage that night together, and | re-
member yet the last grand scene as
we sank into the shaft. The sun
was just gong down behind the ridge
and the distant snow-crowned peaks
stood ont like cathedral spires against
the rosy sky, while across the valley
a bridge of golden wire seemed to be
suspended in the air; and then we
dropped away into the black, damp
depths below.
After seeing that the men were
well at work, | led small party up
into one of the side tunnels to fix
some props which had fallen down.
1t was hard work, pressed together
as we were in that narrow space and
breathing the hot, damp air, the
room lit by the small oil lamps flick
ering on each miners cap. They
took turns with the tlmbers, and for
over an hour nothing was to be heard
save the heavy breathing Of the men
and occasionally low-spoken order
thought over my little talk with
Mary as | stood there leaning against
the rocky side, and was building air.
castles and making her their queen,
when suddenly We were startled ut
hearing swift footsteps echoing along
the tunnel, and the next moment,
with face CHASTITY white, under the
glare of his hat-lamp, McGinn burst
IN among us.
"Run"' he cried. "Run, lads, for
the stables. Snake river has broken
out"
With pale faces and cries Of fright
the men dropped everything to plunge
into the darkness, and we stood there
alone. | needed TO ask no questions.
was miner enough to understand it
all.
"Come, Phil" said, for the boy
stood there painting for breath: "we