The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-07

death. caught her lin my arms and
pressed her TO my heart.
You love me then. Sibyl-dear. dear.
est Slbyi-you love me.'' exclaimed. as
passionately kissed her tremulous Inns
Yes: here, in the presence of death.
frankly confess that love YOU. dea,
Henry" she family murmured.
Heaven bless YOU, darline" | re.
turned: lit makes me happy to hear
these sweet words, even though death be
near us both. What is death, darling. If
we are loved by our beloved and know
we shall die with our love? for death
here is only life hereafter. But we will
not die now, if any effort of our own can
save us, and so let us work together fo,
ife."
With this, keeping a firm hold of the
dear girl, began to feel my way in
another direction; and so we wandered
about in the darkness, hour after hour.
seeing nothing and knowing nothing of
our course, whether it were right or
wrong.
l said all l could to cheer nv sweet
companion, but at length she began to
despair; and |, to tell the truth, lost all
hope OF ever leaving our prison pit alive
If we could have known that we were
going in the right direction there would
have been so little encouragement to per-
severe; but when we considered that the
chances were equal to our getting still
farther away from the point we wished
to reach, there seemed no reason for
this exertion, and we sat down COM
pletely disheartened.
swell, darling, it will be as God wills!"
sighed. 81 have no other consolation
to offer"
"And l am to be punished for nv
boastful presumption, in the suffering of
one whose life is dearer to me than nv
own!'
80, Sibyl darling, you must not accuse
yourself, for that tortures mel" cried I.
Our being here is one of those misfor-
tunes which were to be. We have reached
point where the air seems less poison
Gus, and we may possibly exist here for
days; and who knows what time NAV
do, when there are so many anxious
souls above who will not rest day or
night till they shall have explored the
mine in search of the living and the
dead?"
In that rayless darkness we could not
make note of time, nor tell whether it
were day or night in the world above.
We only knew that, after a long period,
we began to feel the pangs Of hunger
and thirst; that we gradually grew
weaker; that we slept at times; and that
at last we began to have strange sensa-
lions in our brains, and see dancing
lights and phantoms, and wonder, in
vague sort of way, whether we were
tenants of this world or the other.
That is the last remember till found
myself in room on bed weak as an
infant, and numbers of anxious friends
standing around me. Even then my first
thought was of my dear companion,
and my first words were an inquiry for
her. When assured that she was safe, l
remember feeling as if were in heaven,
and at once fell off into a dreamless
sleep.
l subsequently learned that we both
had been found, after three days
search, in an unconscious state, and that
of all the parties as far down in the
mine as ourselves, we were the only
ones brought to the surface alive. One
hundred and nine persons had persisted
in that awful explosion, and the whole
village was in mourning.
I have only to add that my dear Sybil
and I both recovered, and in time re-
gained our health, and that she is now
my loving wife.-True Flag.