The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-04-15

which spraT -. blue eyes was my
grand rewsl iyteT
But this { Pre- inns story and not
mine, and >~4ornJ hurry on to its sad and
tragic END i0' FOUND the boy odd jobs
to do abe Fly Eaft at first, and as he
proved :. in hble and willing, ad.
vanced le Flew days and placed him
upon tn iVepshilt as a 'helpern at the
foot of :. riait.
The ~ a boy-for she was the ell
der Of 7 Two, and quite woman
took 7 fion Of an old, tumble down
shant>>l to the trail. helped them
fit it ~ best we might to keep out the
cold wind, and there she kept
hou he brnther, and as the weeks
pass Snl used often to drop in there
afta ~ just to cheer her up bit
de the lonely old place very
pla In so many simple ways, and,
ind fthey seemed quite happy to.
cd ls the flush of health came back
OF dElear cheeks and the light of hope
al 4, fnfort brightcned her eyes again.
ofssN las l passed up the road to my
Eliejust in the edge of evening,I used
ks@4p before the cabin and listen, while
pISD EuNOhsNlOuS vi dngOhO OulbiuO SuC
some old melody, the clear, sweet
1e floating up the mountains across
Nsnow like the notes of a lost bird,
making the work of the long night
5oasanter, as remembered.
lThe cold months of the winter rolled
into the dangerous spring-dangerous
all mines, but doubly so in ours, be-
ause the rising waters of Snake river
Were only kept from flooding our CALLER.
les by an artificial barrier of earth and
rocks. We watched with anxious eyes
as, inch by inch, the waters, fed by the
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, shading her eyes with her
hands and watching Phil's stubby little
figure trudging away in the after-glow.
AS came up, unnoticed, l spoke to
her and marked the light of welcome 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, ~
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. l asked Phil, and
he laughed at me. But oh, sir, is it
true2n
1t was hard for me even to attempt
a lie to her, yet could tell the truth
just thenG
"Bolton and the engineer both pro
nounce them SAFE" said gravely; ''and
they should know better than the rest of
us"
She read my face while listening to the
words.
"But you9 you do notln she cried.
I struck my tin pail against the post
and drew long breath.
"Mary," l said, with a tenderness new
to me, IL am not satisfied, but hope
for the best"
She stood there as if the news had
touched her very life.
Poor Phil" almost in whisper,
"and all | can do is to pray for him."
/ bent lower and closer to hear the
words.
"And will you forget all the others? I"
I asked, longingly. 1t makes men
stronger to think some one remembers
them at home"
She looked up into my rough face a
moment with tear-dimmed eyes, then
placed both her little hands in mine.
i" / have always remembered YOU" she
said, and, as a shrill whistle came down
the frosty air, recalling me to duty, l
followed the impulse of my heart and
kissed her cheek, now flushed with red.
What l saw in the blue eyes is hard to
tell, but turned away happier-without
knowing why-than l had been in many
years.
twenty of us went down in the cage
that night together, and remember yet
the last grand scene as we sank slowly
into the shaft. The sun was Just going
down behind the ridge, and the distant
snow-crowned peaks stood out like
cathedral spires against the rosy sky,
while across the valley bridge of golden
wire seemed suspended in the air; and
then we dropped away into the black,
damp depths below.
Alter seeing tnat the men were Well at
work, led a 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 tnarrow space and breath
ing the hot, damp air, the room lit
by the small oil lamps flick
ering on each miners cap. They took
turns with the timbers, and for over an
hour nothing was to be heard save the
heavy breathing of the men, and oc-
casionally a low-spoken order.
/ thought over my little talk with
Mary as l stood there leaning against the
rocky side, and was building air-castles
and making her their queen, when sud
,denly we were startled at hearing swift
footsteps echoing along the tunnel, and
EiN, next moment, with face ghastly
.w las, under the glare of his hat-lamp,
N burst in among us.
his ~" he cried. run, lads, for the
cencludeSnake river has broken outw
morning q faces and cries OF fright. the