Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-24

keith returned in cheerful way. eff
/ you start working your thoughts will be
forced away from your trouble. You
will forgive me, Mark, for saying that
you brood too much over this matter.
| You must meet it like man.
A deep sigh was all the reply Eliot
vouchsafed his friend. His grief was
| still so great that it would not bear
| speaking of.
"There's buggy at the door waiting
for US, Mark. 1 ordered it thinking you
would like a long drive in the country.
The air will do you good. What do you
say?"
"Thank you, Charlie. You have been
| more than brother TO mel'' Mark
cried, warmly. ''Of course will go.
shall never be able to repay all your
| kindness"
''Shut up-I can't stand thanks-and
come along.
They passed out of the house together,
took their seats in the trim dog cart that
was waiting at the door, and were soon
bowling along through the streets of
Johnstown at good pace.
It was beautiful morning in January,
there was crispness as of frost and the
whole of the Conemeugh was bathed in
sunshine. The river, which ran through
the town, was sparkling like broad rib
bon of silver in the sunlight, and the
ruggid outlines of the Alleghanies, to-
wards which they were tending, stood
ont clear and dark against the blue back
ground OF sky.
On the other side of the Conemaugh,
the great blast furnaces of the Cambria
iron works were vomiting forth flames
and fumes, for night and day the year
through the work went on, and the great
brick towers were capped with wreaths
of white leaping fire, or black drifting
banners of smoke. And the work was
going on as usual now, when in all the
towns and villages alongside the river,
the Sabbath bells were calling the devout
to worship.
"Shall we go as far as the South Fork
reservoir" Hesketh asked, as the
streets of Johnstown fell behind them as
they careered on.
elf you wish - Mark replied. Char
lie IS question had disturbed him from
thought of his great-his still alb
sorbing misfortune, and when he had
spoken he relapsed into another reverie.
"I am glad, Mark - the other broke
in again, "that you have made up your
mind to commence work tomorrow. -
81 am not sure yet that 1 will
Charlie.' ~
tBut you told me not long ago thaf
you thought of doing so. You really
ought to, old man. 1 pity you from the
bottom of my heart, Mark, for l know
what you have suffered, but you really
ought to begin work at once if you feel
strong enough. II you brood over your
trouble much longer it will drive you
mad. 1 can see il will. And work
would force you to think of other
things.
"You are right, CHARLIE Mark
answered lowly, "but I'm thinking of
returning to England.
Returning TO England-to Warning
ham, do you mean?'' burst from Hes
keth's lips.
eyes. 1 should like to see, at least,
the place where she lies. -
al understand the feeling, Mark, and
like you all the more for it; but you will
be unwise to give away to it, believe
me.
"whyP''
"Need you ask? To go back there
means to face again all you fed to avoid.
1t means also much more than that, old
mate!' Charlie Dried, laying his olsen
gagged hand afectionately on the others
shoulder. ''To go back now means to
keep this wound open-to probe it afresh
every day. You will not go, Mark?
Stay here like a man, and live this
trouble down. In time peace must
come. Say that you will stay here!''
81 will think of it,, Mark replied.
81 know that what you say is for the
best, but to stand beside her grave
would be something"
''But think of the price you would
have to pay for that small sad pleasure, -
Hesketh urged. Think of the voyage
there and back, for 1 suppose you do not
mean staying in England? Your duty,
Mark, is plain. You must stay herel''
''I will think of it, Charlie, - was all
that Mark could be forced to say.
On they rode, at slower pace now
for the road continually assembled as
their destination was neared. And as
they went along the valley of the Cone
maugh narrowed until it became a rug
ged gorge, across the higher end of
which great embankment of stone had
been built to dam back the waters above.
AT length Mark and Charles drew rein
on the shore of the South Fork reservoir,
and leaving the horse in charge of one of
the men who lived in the lakeside cot
tages, they strolled along the summit of
the great dam.
''There has been some talk lately 4"
Hesksth remarked, ''about the dam
being too weak for its work 1t would
be a fearful thing if it were to give way.
But it seems all right, doesn't it?''
eyes, MARX responded oarelessly as
standing upon the great stone wall hesl
glanced down the gorge, and thought of
the towns below in the valley. eff it
were to burst those places down there
would be swept away-they would be
blotted out.
''They would, but let US hope such
terrible thing will never occur.
Then they strolled on, never dreaming
that the appalling contingency they had
mentioned would be realized within
short time.
AS they drove homeward Hesketh
again urged upon Mark the wisdom of
giving up all intentions of returning to
England, and commencing work forth
with; and at length Eliot promised to
do SO.
And so it came about that on the fol-
lowing morning Mark returned to the
mills after an absence of just fort
night. He had not given up all thoughts
of revisiting warringham; he had only