Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-06-17
THE DWARFvS LOVE.

my life, and reckon I'm likely to
stick to the pick till some explosion
comes along and makes an end of
me.
I worked with a gang in the Nine
Pits colliery about fifteen years back.
and there was one man there who
hailed from South Wales as / got
pretty friendly with.
I've called him man." but
don't know If the title comes right
lie was more like stunted boy than
a man. and more like some sort of
queer animal than either. He was a
dwarf. he had a monstrous large
head and shoulders and pair of little
bowed, twisty legs no bigger than a
child's of nine years old.
I've said we were pretty friendly.
but / don't know as l was anything
more than civil to him. l have always
been cautious with them dwarfs, for
though he seemed gentle enough. |
had heard they could be spiteful and
vicious If you crossed them in any
way. He was clever as they often
are and could speak English as we'll
as any of us He had been two years
and more at the Nine Pits and he
brought some money with him when
he came, for he had a cottage of his
own. and a tidy piece of garden.
which was above what the rest OF US
had
You might think that being so mis-
shapen and little he wasn't much good
in a coal mine; but | can tell you
there wasn't man of six feet among
us stronger than he was. 10 have
seen him swing his pick would have
made you hold your breath: he went
at the work like steam and he could
walk. you see. down some of the mar
row. low galleries where chaps like
me would have to crawl.
l lived along with my father and
sister then. We were precious poor.
and father used to say he hoped Hetty
would marry some one able to keep
her. and so give US lift that way
One day new hand came to the pit
Jim Marwood by name. Not pleas
ant name when you think Of the hang
man. but pleasauter sort to look
upon than Jim you never saw. See
him on Sunday going to chapel clean
and smart and straight as a pole,
with blue eyes looking so frank and
smiling. and you'd say he looked
picture.
He had struck up mighty affection
for me before he had been a month in
the gang. You would have thought
twas wonder he had managed to
live so long without me. He told me
all about his friends and such like
most confidential. and l found out he
had to keep his mother. and hadn't
sixpence he could call his own.
All he told me l told Hetty. and
she would listen. with n lovely color
in her cheeks and go on talking
about him after l had stopped. till all
of sudden 1t came upon me that him
and her knew as much of each other
as did, and more too, and liked
what they knew TO degree that was
considerable.
was trife put out about it for |
knew he was poor. and it would be
bad lookout If they was to come to-
gether; STILL as I've said. I'm heavy
and slow in most things and thought
I'd better hold my tongue awhile
longer
Well one day. remember it as
clear as yesterday-it was between
the lights on a September evening
very quiet and still the stars just
showing out like sparkles of diamond
light we get in the seams at times. l
was smoking my pipe in our back
room-father was out of the house.
/ in oil
across the passage. 1t was Matty
and my sister talking together.
Matty was the dwarf He had
long Welsh name. but we called him
''Matty' in the general way. because
of his rough hair and he didn't seem
to mind the joke.
| knew his voice well enough. 1t
wasn't exactly unpleasant though
deep, with sometimes a sort of crack
in it but anything like it sounded just
then | never heard before
1t made me sit up and put my pipe
down pretty sudden.
Il love you'll" he says to Hetty.
live loved you ever since I've seen
you. won't you marry me? I'd be a
good husband to you"
She went into light kind of scorn-
full laugh.
Marry your" she says Why
Matty, you must be dreaming. Of
course / won't"
And then | guess she gave her head
a toss with a way she had.
got up and went step nearer the
door, for didn't know how he might
take it. them dwarfs being uncertain
creatures.
He was silent a minute, then he
says:
I'm stunted and crooked l know.
but love you better than any other
man will ever love you and I've a
comfortable home to offer you"
If you had twenty homes |
wouldn't have YOU" she answered
quick. so say no more about it
have often thought that she was
trifle sharp and unkind in her speech,
but | fancy the girl was more than
half-frightened. for he must have
looked rare object in the dim light
and, after all. pretty girls don't stop
to pick and choose their words as
they might perhaps
| think that he moved around
the room after that for his voice
sounded near to me. He spoke short
and savage like: Jim Marwood's
the man that stands between you and