The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-11-29

time she stopped with long signs and
renewed tears.
The long days passed; the imprisoned
men were lost uniindable. dead. they
declared. crushed by the falling rocks
or thrown out bv the enormous force
OF the uir from the crumbled cayerns.
To hear this was a relief 20 Claud-
ines strained nerves aud senses; they
were not tortured. and In the long un-
occupied hours when they talked aud
speculated thus she listened sadly and
IN silence. but iiudlng certain
pleasure In this development of neigh
borly pity.
She seemed to herself TO be awaken
ing from a long sleep. TO be- returning
from u distant journey; at the same
time. though unconscious of IL at first.
the exigencics of the present and of the
coming life began TO present them
selves TO her mind. She had her life
to take ND again and. perhaps -with n
progressive growing of slow fear--to
take it up with want and solitude
added.
She began to feel more interest in
the things about her; in the success,
above all. of the subscriptions 10 be
raised 10 alleviate the disaster. and
she felt great peace. almost "A joy, the
day when Pierre returned from the adj
jacent city 20 tell her that the widows
were truly 10 be cared for--that she
was down for six hundred francs.
Then without occupation aud in tho
patient waiting for the relief 10 come
che every day returned TO the quarry.
Frequently Pierre accompanied her.
always with his gentle courtesy, and
there they talked together in lowered
tones as ii respecting tomb. In
these visits TO the GENE tory, through
the melancholy of the thick woods 10
the eternal stirring OF the same
thoughts. The tears OF Claudine by de-
grees ceased 10 How.
They arrived soon M talking freely,
then NJ rcycries. walking slowly.
picturing. perhaps the awakening of
new possibilities. The weight seemed
TO lift from the breast Of the young
woman. the horizon SO long closed
about her To widen and open. aud IN
the trembling dawn Of the rising future
there was nrW. an indeiinable charm.
growing and deepening in these mutual
silenccS. SurrOw had ran Itself out and
an the spring sap mounts ia the hbres
Ct the tree Trunks a new love-of
which rs yet they did not speal, oat of
Difference TO this tomb before which
they wandered and which hal brought
them together grew with the passing
moments
"Claudinc." said Pierre nj last. "why
should we not marry each otherp"
1T j. not two months vet She an
swercd suddenly saidencd.
IL know that. bnt | would not
hurry You. | spoke 10 be in time.
What say Won. Caudiue9 Yes or mop"
Yes" sighed She. later on"
1t was ose 10 evening; Ciaudine and
Pierre rs usual r,nblcd among the
stones of the quarry.
All az once u singular sound arrested
their footsteps. 1t was the soil beneath
them the scratching or moving of
some beast. doubtless. nj tho end OF his
hole. They bent above the crevassc
by which they stood; there the sound
was palmer, more distinct. like the de-
spairing struggle OF something ia "A
narrow place the rafting voliey of
rolling debris.
a strange. sudden terror nailed them
motionlcss. then nc the same moment
the same thought came Ia both; tie
quarrymen incloscd In their living
tomb were not all dead: some one was
mining through the mountain.
Aud from the depths now came
feeble call. faint smothered. scarcely
more than - gasping sigh.
1T isit is hc! brcathed Claudinc.
her knees knocking together.
Pierre lcapcd 10 his feet. ivid also.
Hcl The dead. already SO far away.
already lost IN the gulf OF irrcmcdiablc
thingsl This return WAS for him.
Pierre shattered love broken
future. that smiling broken future over
which the six hundred francs of his
Clnudine spread u radiance like the
sparkle of a iortuncl
What right had nc TO return. this
dead man. whose face no longer APP
peared TO him irradiatcd with fricndli-
ness and grateful memories but rs
menacing spectre erecting itself from
a crumbled dream?
Meanwhile new call came from the
depths. In which one plainly read tho
torture Of that imprisoned wretch.
trapped under the earth for two long
months. supporting life on roots and
water. groyelling in blacklist night.
but stimulated. urged TO the battle for
existence by the perfume of the sunny
woods that. doubtless reached him
through the crcvices of the crevasse.
Pierre uttered a responsive cry and
threw himself backward. the prey of
poignant struggle. But the call came
again--lamentable. sinister. pleading;
he could bear It no longer; a wave OF