The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-07

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You're pretty hard on u.s." one voice
said.
IL can go myself, answered Martin
| Derrick. He thought of those boys OF
his-motherless. He wondered if she
remembered them.
"Pl co." eaid Washington Rock" "Mr
Derrick, sir, you amt young enough. II
amt sootable. I'll go"
"Pll try," said Madison Rock.
NO." said Jefferson; "you and Mon.
roe hain't no cali; you are married men
Washington and me can manage"
81 come" said the Finlander, after a
moments hesitation.
1t was not as long as it takes in the
telling before this Inevitable delay gave
place to urgent action. Under Derrick's
direction the volunteers moved as quick
| ly as might be to the forgotten, dlsus ed
stairway cut in the solid cliff up and
down which men had passed, on happier
business than this, two-and-twenty years
ago.
Lights flashed, cables swung, orders
rang out, answers came; but Annie Lau-
RE looked on, trembling and tortured.
Her heart was breaking for her men
whom her voice had sent upon this doom.
She cried out and followed them, weep
ing like very woman.
"Boys oh, boys 1 had no right to
treat you go. 1 shouldn't have shamed
you to you duty. I'd go myself, and
thank you Tor the chance to take your
places. Brave boys my brave boys r.
"We'd ought to do it," Washington
Rock made answer, slowly, as they ad-
justed the rope about his waist. 1T
amt proper to see feller-critter drown
ed before your eyes-of night before
Christmas, too-and never try to do
nothin' for him. 1t amt your fault it's
80 slippery"
The quarrymsn spoke soothmgly, as
he would to troubled child; he held
out his rough hand and touched hers,
for she wept so, and begged her not to
mind, and shook hands with his BROTH
er, and said he guessed he wouldn't send
any message to his mother, for like as
not he'd come out all right. And so
they gave the rope out, and he went
down.
The ruined condition of the stairway,
and the ice that covered everything,
made the descent dangerous and sol
emD. The volunteer was so far pro-
tected as a stout rope and score of
men to hold it at the pits edge could
protect; but they could see that he chung
like goat for his footing, and that it
went hard with him. The danger, which
all recognized, but Of which no one spoke,
lay in the chatting of the rope against the
icy edges of the pit.-If it should cut?
Annie Laurie, leaning over and look
ing steadily down, was the first to see
the quarryman stop; and crawling from
the stairway to the ledge below, come
perilously out from the deeper shadow
to the paler one, whereon, an atom be-
tween dark and dark. heart-throb be.
tween the frozen rock and freezing gulf,
the huddled figure lay.
The cry came up: "He is hurt; he
amt conscious. 1 must have help"
Madison Rock, tied in like manner
with the other, went down without a
word. The little Scotch boy came for
ward and pleaded to be allowed to fol-
low "I'd just as liefs as not. I ain t SO
big as some, but can stick pretty tight.
I've played hide m seek on that ledge.
1t amt very broad-for large man."
"Run for doctor, Charley" said Miss
Laurie; you'll go faster than any other
man."
Soothed to the soul by these last two
inspired words Charley smiled and ran.
One who was peering down from the
quarry's edge could perceive that the
men were having hard time of it with
their brave deed. They seemed to ex-
perience great difficulty in getting the
rope about the body of the unconscious
man, in traversing the space back to the
stairway, in deciding what to do and
how to do it, in all the terrible perplex-
ity Of the terrible moments, which seemed
without an end to those who watched
above. Above and below it had grown
Significantly still. No one spoke. Mr..
Derrick gave his orders by signs. He
kept clear head and thought of every
thing. The men, from habit, obeyed
quickly. The savage cry of the ocean
pealed on. The wind had abated or lull-
ed little, but snow fell steadily. Once
piece of ice broke, and dropped into
the gulf. Annie Laurie could hear it
splash into the black water. The lantern
which she had taken and held at arms
length shuddered in the snowy air, and
sent little sickly light over and down
the chssm. Dawse, the Scotchman, stood
close to her, and kept his hand upon her.
She stood too near the edge. 81 Wilma let
her doom" he said to the men. He felt
that the heaviest responsibility of the res
cue rested upon him; only here was their
preciousness in peril. What was the life
of yonder pauper in the pitt Was there
creature in the whole world who cared?
Not SO much as fule lsssie to greet
for him. But Annie Laurie l-oh, Annie