Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-02-16
hold on fast and come down to me. ,
"And III 90 next" laid Ina.

want to Kill me 'auling zee all up an
down? Do zee stay with me and
we'll be goin' down afterwards"
This, we suppose, was about the
silliest notion that had come TO Sam
for long time, as it afterwards
turned out, for Ina STAYED TO keep
company with him while the others
went down.
After some further injunctions to
Molly in regard To the descent, Joe
-iezrd hold Of the stout rope that
hung in the shaft and let himself
dawn hand over hand to the sixty
feet bottom. The rope was then
wound up and Molly carefully let
down to her companion in darkness,
but the shaft seemed to her at least
twice the depth; hut after descend
inv until the opening above grew
only point of light, she saw the
gllmmer of candle beneath, and
soon she was standing by the side
of Joe who held a candle above his
head and welcomed her in a voice
that sounded strangely hollow in the
damp, confined space.
at must be dreadful to stay down
here all day like a person buried
alive" said she with a shiver.
ooh! it's nothing when you get
used to it. | don't mind it bit"
The shaft in which they were now
standing was about six feet in diam
ettr, and on one side of it was a
drift five feet in height and eight or
ten feet in depth opening almost
full on the main shaft. They had
sunk to this depth before coming
on the main "lead"; bat now they
had found il; the galena glittered
around them almost solid wall.
An exclamation Of delight burst
from Molly as Joe leading her into
The drift let the rays Of the candle
fall on the shining mass.
80, this is Iovelyw
Eyes; and it is more than that, it
il wealth." said Joe quietly. "And
part Of it is yours, Molly; what is
uiue is yours"
Molly, whose hand rested ON his
arm as If for protection, gave it a
gentle squeeze aud said:
"Oh Joe, how good you are to take
such care of poor little me. If poor
mother had lived to see Us together
this way, she could have died hap
pl; tut | suppose it was not to be,
and we will all meet over there, Joe g,
won't we?"
Yes, yes; suppose so" said joe
hastily, for he could scarcely trust
himself to speak. IL seemed to him
ut that moment a sacrllege to keep
up the farce any longer, aud the
blood rushed to and from his heart
in that peculiar way which betokens
sudden and strong emotion. There
in the solemn silence of the mine,
IN the semi-darkness, surrounded by
the evidence of the wealth he bad
striven to gain for her, what more
/ fitting time 20 reveal what he knew
must some day be disclosed. The
resolve was firm, but his mind, agi
tated with the opposite feelings of
love and despair, refused to fluid
words for the confession, and selz
ing a short crow bar that was leaning
against the side of the drift, he set
about knocking down some large
cubes Of gaeua that projected from
the sides. a short time spent in
action enabled him to somewhat re
COY err his self possession aud TO form
some idea OF the manner in which
he should speak, though it was but
dim after all. He turned and faced
her, dashing from him as he did So
/ the luckess crowbar with which he
had been giving vent to his emotion.
In the further eud of the drift,
bulgiug out from the side, was =
large rock which had been consider
ed necessary to be removed In the
later hours et the morning charge
of pow der had been inserted and
everything made ready To set 1t of
/ but Tor some cause the blast hal
been deferred till after dinner, Thu
VAS not often the case as, il blast
was ready, 1t was generally set 81
/ at once. But the blast was there
with all its deadly power of des-
/ rucuon, and the bar flung or struck
heedlrssly unto the rock, had cut the
fuse with it's sharp point close to the
/ blast and ieuited il WITH the spark
OF dre struck from the rock. r.
lght tire ~ this manner might ne
quitea thousand Well-dlrected trials.
|Nctlu this instance 1t occurred by
one of those chances which no ONE
can explain. Yet Joe dId not motto,
lt al the moment; he did not notice
anything then but the pretty English
gul before hIm to whom he had a
strange confession 20 make.
"MoJIy," Ire began burredIy, with
a constrained voices but he was