Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-05-01

added. with cutting irony.
"Yes," replied the vase languidly, fol
| il had learned that all fashionable people
were languid the more fashionable thu
more languid they were-and it was al
apt scholar "Yes, they seem to think
that am very rare and very beautiful
At this remark the Egyptian Ieol a
the farther end of the shelf smiled with
exceeding contemporaries and added
not little to the hideousness its maker
had given it.
beautiful, indeedr' it chuckled, NAL
iciously. "Why, only last year they
called me beautiful"
'.That was a joke, my dear Idol" broke
IN the Knife sharply. ''They occasional
ly do get off a joke now and then by
way of diversion"
"They never called you beautiful" re
torted the Idol, rudely.
NO." responded the Knife; 81 am use
full"
sWell, so was I, for that matter" an
swered the Idol.
Several thousands of years ago when
was young, presided over the destinies
of a kingdom and I was consulted about
everything that was DONE"
Il dare say" snapped back the Knife:
"and where, may l ask, is this that ma,
ton now?'
'.What makes you SO valuable?" ask
ed the Paper Weight of the Vase.
81 am so rare,' answered the orna-
ment with a faint trace of enthusiasm,
''and 1 cost the labor of many men for
very many years I represent years of
toll, of trials, of sacrifice for the men
who made me gave up their pleasures
during that time and were shut up in d
dingy workshop like SO many slaves. l
am the result of secret process. Even
the emperor didn't know how | was
made"
"And you," interrupted the Knife in
quisitively to the Weight, "what did you
cost. How much are you WORTH" it
asked, sarcastically.
81 really don't know" replied the
Weight modestly. 81 never asked"
"Never asked" repeated the Idol, dis
painfully. "Have you history? Have
you any thing to recommend you to this
remarkable and choice collection?"
Il don't know" answered the Weight
refectively after short pause. II was
dug out Of an iron mine in Michigan"
michigan? Where's that?' queried
the Vase. Anywhere near Paris"
"No," responded the Weight, artlessly,
Michigan is in this country. This
mine is near the white shore of Lake Su-
perior, by the side of mountain brook
which tumbles over the sharp rocks and
seethes and bolls as it rrshes through a
narrow cut in the hillside. On one side
of the great shaft with its steeple of pine
boards is the lake; on the other side are
the pine forests, thick and dense as when
they were owned by the Indians. In
this forest little space has been cleared
and within this are score or more of
houses where the miners live One day
not many years ago, stout, strapping
miner named Bill left his wife and ba-
bies at his cottage door-for this miners
wife was neat and thrifty soul, and had
beauti6ed their home until it was the
pride of the camp-and started for the
shaft. In his great coat pockets he had
few slices of bread and a flask of liquor,
together with piece of meat, in case he
met with any accident while under
ground. With his comrades he descend
ed the long shaft, the end of which
reached way down into the very bowels
of the earth. Hand over hand he climb
ed down the first ladder, then down
the next, and still down another, and
then another, getting deeper and deeper
into the darkness, farther and farther in
to the warm blackness of these regions
where the light of day is never seen.
Down another ladder and still another he
went, until at last he reached the solid
rock and was soon at the farther end of
one of the great tunnels which stretch
out from the base of the shaft like the
legs of a spider, SO crooked and black
are they. All morning they worked IN
til it was almost noontime and he was
just preparing to leave his work for his
luncheon. The lamp on his glazed hat
had burned almost out. His strong arms
were tired with their hard work and he
was not sorry that the day was half over.
He gave one more stroke with his. pick,
sinking its sharp point into the ore and
bringing to his feet small piece which
sparkled and glowed like great black
diamond in the dim rays of his lamp.
AS he stopped over to pick it up he
heard sound that blanched his cheeks,
turned his blood into water and made
his heart stand still-a sound that once
heard is never forgotten-the sound of
firedamp explosion. 1t was dull roar,
which made the earth tremble as if with
fear. Then there was darkness an I'M
healthy, suffocating closeness and all
was over. With wisdom born of ex-
perience Bill instinctively felt in his poe
ket for his matches, then hastily extin-
gushing his lamp threw himself prone
upon his face and waited Soon he |
heard call which was answered by an
other call, then another, and he soon
found there were six live miners cooped
up in this narrow tunnel-for the ex-
plosion had blocked up one end with an
unyielding mass of rock in Egyptian
darkness -cooped up there to starve, or
perhaps to suffocate. Shut out forever
from the blessed light of day, from the
free, open air; shut up there as though
they were buried alive in their collins
with not single chance to live, With
an instinct more than reason Bill kept
this little piece of iron in his hand until |
it was warm and damp with the sweat of