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

was awful. and didn't know what he
might do next
Hetty never was the girl to be
cowed. and she flashed around on him
the next moment like gunpowder.
lit is Jim Marwood that has got
my heart and I'm not ashamed to
say it before you or any man. 1
know you've got your cottage and
your garden that you're so mortal
proud OF, and know Jim is poor and
we. shall have to wait for years but
you needn't think you'll frighten ne
out of marrying him. for you won't;
and II l didn't marry him I'd never
marry such a miserable wicked. ugly
wretch as you. So don't flatter your
self that would"
And she gave kind of sob and
burst out at the door, and rushed upon
our little fight of stairs, and heard
the door bang and the key turn In her
lock sharp and passionate.
waited still us death, wondering
how he would take on. and hearing
no stir. | kind OF squinted round the
doorpost into the passage.
There he stood in the dusk, facing
toward the open entry door and the
starry sky. A desperate hideous
evil-looking thing. with his monstrous
head and shaggy hair and his little
twisted legs. There was that dull,
tranced look in his eyes, and he was
staring before him like | had often
seen him do in the mine.
She shall never marry Marwood
while I'm alive. God made me same
as him. " l heard him mutter to him
self and then he went out
l saw him no more that night and
| didn't let on to Hetty that l had
overheard them. The next day we
were all underground rs usual. Some
how or other Matty and Marwood and
me found ourselves pretty close to-
gether. He seemed to me to be hang
ing on to Jim In a way didn't like,
hearing what l had heard. and /
kept as close to both as l we'll could
keeping my tools ready to hand, and
watching tho dwarf out OF the corner
of my eye.
noticed that the dwarf scarce took
his eyes off Jim. except at twelve
o'clock, when we stopped for our bits
OF food and then he sat In a corner by
himself under truck and scrubbed
on scrap of paper. with queer sort
of smile on his face. / had shivers
more than once for he looked so evil
and SO black among the coal heaps,
and every now and then he would talk
to himself in Welsh, which l had
never heard him do before. and it
turned my blood cold. for it sounded
for all the world like the jabberings of
maniac.
There's firedamp about you here :"
said one of the men.
And spark would settle the lot
of us wouldn't itp" said the dwarf
They were almost the first words he
had spoken. and the expression of his
face as he said it made my heart give
a turn.
'Ah. that it would, Jim answered
A kind of sick fear came over me
that our lives were in the dwarf s
power and hanging as it might be-
on thread Such longing came
over me for a mouthful of fresh air
and the sight of the open shy as had
never had In the mines before.
Nothing more was said about fire.
damp and that day. the longest day
had ever known came round to six
o'clock without an explosion.
The cages were ready for US to get
up to the top of the shaft and most
OF the men had gone.
You go now" says | to the dwarf.
mo-" he answers I'm going to
stay little overtime tonight You
all go on. and send the cage down
again for me. And look here, give
this to your sister Hetty will your
and tell her to open it."
He put bundle into my hand, tied
up in handkerchief l took it gin
gerly enough. for with such suspic-
ions in my mind l half expected it
might go off In my face somehow.
Then we touched tho signal rope
and up went Jim and me. and the
dwarf stood underneath and turned
his face up. watching us out of sight
Well! felt more comfortable
when We put our feet on the firm
ground on top of the shaft and then
sent the cage down again for him.
wonder what Is in that bundle?"
says Jim.
Maybe Hetty will tell you some
time" | replies little thinking how it
concerned him.
| took it home and called Hetty to
open it. Our cottage wasn't far from
the pits, and it couldn't have been
more than ten minutes since the dwarf
put 1t into my hands
She undid the knot and there-if
you would believe it-were the title
deeds OF his cottage and dozen SOW
ereigns tied up in a piece of canvas
and the scrap of paper Ihad seen him
scribble on under the truck. There
were these words on it,
What is here is for you Ugly
and miserable l am. but wicked
am not l said you shouldn't marry
him while l was alive and shalt
keep my word. Think kindly OF q
dwarf if you can. God made me. as
well as him."
We hadn't got to the end of the
poor. dirty little letter when we heard
a sound that made our hearts stand
still-a long, dull roaring shaking
the floor we stood on as if it was thun-
der under our feet
IAN explosion in the miner says
Hetty. with face as white as chalk.
We rushed out All Nine Pits was
out; men. women and children. scream
ing and running to the shaft head.
Hundreds of tons of solid Garth and
rock and rubble had fallen in. and I'M