Mohave County miner., 1890-11-08

were truly 10 be cared .s.--tnar shs
was down for six hundred francs.
Then without occupation and In the
patient waiting for the relief to come
she every day returned to The quarry.
Frequently Pierre accompanied her,
always with his gentle courtesy. and
there they talked together Ia lowered
tones as II respecting a tomb. Ia
these visits TO the cemetery. throuoh
the melancholy OF the thick wga. W =,
the eternal stirrin~ =, ,hs So,
thoughts, ne 'r.rs efclsedine by de-
grees ce.-sed 10 Row.
.aev arrived soon at taking freely,
thea At reveries. walking slowly,
psetafing. perhaps. tas Awakening oil
new possibilities The weight seemed
10 FIT rom the breast Of the youn,!
woman, the horizon so long cIoses!
about her to widen and opes, and III
the trembling dawn ~ the rising future
there was a new, an indeinable charm,
growinS and deepening 10 these mutual
silences. Sorrow had run itself out and
al the spring sap mounts In the Abre,
Of the tree trunks, new iove--of
which as yet they did not speak out Of
Difference to this tomb before which
they wandered and which had brought
them together--grew with the passing,
moments.
'Elaidiue." said Pierre at last. "wbJ'
should we not marry each othere"
at Is not two months yet" she am
swered. suddenly Eaddensd.
II Andw that. but would no,
harry you. l spoke 10 be in time.
What say you, .Claudine? Yes or ne9''
Yes" sighed she. later en-"
II was close 70 evening; Claudine and
Pierre ss usual rambled gmong th.
stones OF the quarry.
All at once singular sound arrested
their footsteps. II was the soil beneath
them, the scratching or moving oil
some beast. doubtless At the end oi bis
hole. They bent above the creSasse
by which they stoodi there the sound
was palmer. more distinct. like the de-
spairing struggle OF something In a
narrow place, the rattling volley Of
rollisg debris.
A strange, sudden terror nailed them
motionless. then at the same moment
the same thought came TO both, the
quarrymen inclosed in their living
tomb were not all deads some one waI
mining through the mountain
And from the depths now came q
feeble call. faint. smothered, scarcely
more than q gasping sigh.
1T is4~it Is her brearhed Claudine,
her Knees knocking together.
Pierre leaped to his feet. livid also.
He! The dead. already so far away,
already lost in the gulf Of irremediable
things! This return was for him,
Pierre. a shattered love, a broken
future, that smiling broken future over
which the six hundred francs of hi;
Claudine spread a radiance like the
sparkle Of fortunel
What right had be to return, thi'
dead man. whose face no longer alp
peared to him irradiated with friendii.
ness and grateful memories. but as 8
menacing spectre erecting itself from
a crumbled dreamP
Meanwhile, new call came from the
depths, In which one plainly read the
torture Of that imprisoned wretch
trapped under the earth for two long
months. supporting life on roots and
water, groFelling In blacklist night,
but stimulated. urged to the battle fol
existence BY the perfume of the sunny
woods that. doubtless reached hin
through the crevices OF the crevasse.
Pierre uttered responsive cry and
threw himself backward. the prey Of Z
poignant struggle. But the call came
sga;n-lameDtable. sinister. pleading
he could bear 1t no longer; q wave o,
pity flooded his soul.
"Waitr' be cried; ''wait but little;
vii, run; | will return at once with .
cords the hole is just big enough; wait
waitf'
And Pierre. without single word OF
glance at Claudine--did be fear that
his purpose would fail hims-took the
bill at mad run.
Left aloue-with him--Claudine
eyes clnug as II glued to a heavy
boulder that oyerhung the edge of tbs
ereyasse; yes. the very edge. poised lik'
bird ready TO spring. She trembleC
eonyulsively; breath almost would
detach that stone. would send it crash
ing 10 the bottom OF that hume whence
came that wailing moan; the cry Of I
man for succor.
God In heaven her mani
Swiftly as Pierre had leaped she.
Claudine, now leaped; but how she
staggered, bow her legs bent undei
her as II she were drunk But nc
matter; she must reach that boulder
she had reached it-it stirred. turned
engulfed Itself in the hole, There was
thud. a strangled cry. then--silence
blank. dead silence. soundless as tho
quarried stone.
Silence and solitude both. for Pierre
had not had time 10 return from bi,
errsnd Of mercy. aud Claudine-with
clasped hand and eagerly listening
ears-Claudine was now in truth