Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-07-31
A ROMANCE WITH A BIC R.
Did the Mercennry Motives that Prompted
the Rescue Move Him TO Marry Herr

Did the Mercennry Motives that Prompted
the Rescue Move Him TO Marry Herr
II remember the first 81 900 l ever
earned" says Henry Westfall, q
wealthy resident of Colorado.
well, rather. was a young lad at
the time and the only child of the poor
I est family in la coal mining town OF
Pennsylvania.
"One day, while engaged picking
slate, heard big commotion ut the
mouth of the mine. The men we're
very much excited, and the owner, who
was the richest and most devout church
man in the town, was wringing his
hands, and imploring the men to do
something. Running up learned the
men had fred fuse attached to an ex-
ira large cartridge and had just come
from the mine when they discovered
that they had left the pretty little
daughter of the owner behind. She had
gone down with her father and while
the latter came up for an errand had
wandered away. The cartridge had
not yet exploded as the fuse had pur-
posely been made long to enable the
men to get up.
1.-THE father, as you may imagine, was
agoniZed. He offered 81, 900 to anyone
who would go down after the little one.
But no one would stir. All of them
had families Of their own-except, of
course myself-and would not run the
risk of death. The sum was q fortune
to me. especially as my father was. from
sickness, unable to work. Jumping on
the car Icalled to be let down, and amid
the cheers of the men / descended.
Each moment had death in it for me,
unless the fuse were longer than was
thought But tried not TO think of it
and when / reached the bottom the
child was playing at the mouth of the
shaft. / grabbed her, put her in the
car and gave the signal to be hoisted
up. But the car did not move. re-
peated the signal, but still without avail.
In agony of fear jerked it again and
the car still remaining in the bottom |
babe the little girl stay where she was
and then / ran into the new drift where
the explosion was to take place. A lit
tie spark revealed the whereabouts OF
the fuse. The fuse was still an inch
long and took hold of it and pulled it
out. / tried to cheer, but had tainted
instead. When came to / was on top
Of the ground, taken there by the men
who, when in answer to my last signal
they had not received the other two
had raised the little girl and then come
down for me.
well, the next day the father
thanked me. but said nothing about the
81, 900. The men advised me to ask for
it. / refused. Then some of them
asked for me, and the owner told them
that they were mistaken; he had offered
nothing. SO mad were they that they
threatened to throw him down the mine,
but they desisted at my request A
few weeks later / was discharged, prob
ably because l was an eyesore to the
owner. My father having in the mean
time recovered, l went away and OBJ
tanned work in New York, and after
awhile secured fair position.
"One day about fifteen years after
this event, charming young lady drove
up in her carriage, and, coming in, called
for me. She did not at first give her
name, but asked me if / would do her
favor OF course / said yes. She then
told me that it was she whom l had
saved; that her father had died short
time before, and that in looking over
his papers she had found a letter from
some of the men to him upbraiding him
for not paying the 81, 900. This was
the first she had heard Of the obliga-
ton. and she had Immediately set ont
to find me. As she said this she handed
me check for 81, 500, the extra $500
being, she explained, the interest. l
was about to refuse to accept the check,
but she reminded me that had prom
ised to do her favor and that / must
keep my word. SO took it, with her
card, and she left. What became of
her? Well, six months later she be-
came my wife.