Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-07-22

fashionable institutions, supported by
the money Of the gentry and even hon.
ored more than once by the presence Of
royalty. In these larger conditions the
bard of Sainton had maintained his su.
premacy over al rivals. 1t seemed wher
by a succession Of victories he had won
the proud position of chief of the bards
that the power Of the man whose spirit
he had once invoked had indeed descend
ed upon him.
One night Egliniog sat alone in the
cottage at Sainton. Twenty years had
gone by since Elspeth Vaughan had
made hor sudden appearance in that
room.
While he idly turned over the leaves
of his book, the interview in that room
20 years ago came back wildly to him.
lie thought how differently he and Els
peth had Jared, and what mercy through
her sufferings had been vouchsafed tc
himself. His remorse, which to do him
justice had for time caused him real
suffering, now sat lightly upon him and
gave Just a tincture of sadness to his re-
Gections. After all, it seemed TO him
that the woman's life, in spite of her af
Fiction, had not been unhappy-happiel
indeed than if the child had died-ant
she in the first wild prompting of pas
sion had for her vengeance encompasset
bis ruin.
A step, sounding distinctly in the ex
terrier silence. was upon tho gravel patti
which led from the garden gate TO the
porch of his cottage, and Egliniog knew
whose that hurried football was. II,
had no time to recover from his surpris,
when the door flung brusquely open
and he saw Elspeth Vaughan standing
before him. Bent, haggard and weather
beaten, with certain vacancy in hel
wild eyes, yet handsome still, Elspetl
formed a strange contrast to the ma,
who stood staring at her altogether as
tonished and half terrified. With hin
life had dealt less roughly, but, adyanc
ing him along the road toward slee'
and prosperous old age, had whitene(
his hair and heightened his beard.
"Furdd Duw," she said,
IAlE boNittl GAdi bANtA l4lli' ~ was tA'
first time he had heard her speak for q
years, and her words carried him at one,
back to that other scene when he was g
near the abyss.
Bard of God, they must not go dow
tomorrow Do you tell them, You they
will believe; me they would laugh t.
scorn. There is danger can see it
Not man must go down tomorrow
Tell them, Furdd Duw. l lay it upol
you"
The thrilling voice ceased, the doc,
closed, and he was alone. So quick has
she come and gone that he could scarce
~ believe that he had seen more than ;
phantom raised before his eyes by hi
too vivid memory. But at his feet Their
lay Il leaf which had blown through thu
open door. He stopped and picked III
this silent evidence of Elspeth's presenc'
and stood thinking while he rolled ant
crumpled it between his fingers. Tn,
leaf had crumbled into infinitesima
dust which was sprinkled over the foo
before he moved.
"Nay, after all, what can she know
he said at length. "a mad woman
word and passing mist, which is tn
most worth? Why should | delay IN,
journey? We are safe here, and it is i'm
portant that should so to the meetin!
tomorrow. will be the dupe of no sucl
folly"
The morning was bright and fresh a.
the bard set forth upon his joarney.
wind had risen in the night and carried
off the damp mist which had hung $,
long about Sainton. The pure air ans
renewed sunshine drove away whatevc
thoughts yet fingered in his heart .
obeying Elspeth's warning. In thu
cloudless blue sky which made the hill
seem low and familiar to him Their
seemed no room for danger. Eglinio;
Travelled in patriarchal fashion, riding
upon donkey, while his servant, wht
was his groom at home and his bench
man abroad. trod close at his heels will
the harp upon his shoulders.
Suddenly the ground all around trem
bled with sudden shock of earthquake
and a dead, sullen boom rolled slowll
along the valley and reverberated anon.
the hills Ike prolonged and distan
thunder. Both man and master knew
what had happened. The one lettin:
fall the harp upon the stunted heather
the other sliding down from the back 0
the donkey, they together turned an,
looked back toward Sainton.
Over the valley among the hills Their
stood a column of vapor which wa
neither the smoke Of the furnaces nor
fresh gathering Of mist, but splaying on
at the top into rough circle hung il
the clear air like the perpetual clou'
over volcano. They were two or thre
miles from Sainton, but they could Sc
men and women pouring from the cot
tages in the valley Immediately below
them and rushing along the road towar'
that overhanging cloud Egliniog looke'
down for moment and then followe'
their example, running as best he coul,
along the winding path across the hills
while his servant went by the side Of hi
mas : and saved him more than ono
when he was nearly falling.
But the bard was an old man, and i
was long before he tottered YEARLY int
the valley below the village and ap
preached the great crowd of people whicl
surrounded the pit where the disaste
had occurred. They made a way througl
their ranks when they saw his whit
beard and beaver cap, and he was sool
at the mouth of the shaft. The clang 0
the engine working the ventilating fan
at double pressure emphasized the 81
lence of the men and women, who stoo,
with white faces. not knowing yet wha
to expect or how much to fear. Perhap
the explosion had not been SO very sc
we're. A party of rescuers had alread,
made their way down the shaft, and tn
cage was just preparing to descend witt
another batch Of the brave fellows.
Egliniog. not knowing why, but per
haps because he was so used to taking
foremost place among his people in Sain
ton, stretched out his hand to put asid
man who was just entering the Gag
and took the dangerous seat himself
His brain was in whirl as he descend
ed, keeping ike his companions. hi
hand over has mouth. through the smok
and flying grit.
This was pit which had always beel
easy to work. The shaft, which was no
deep. terminated in q cleared circle
whence radiated in all directions pass
ages and galleries. which pierced tn
heart Of the hill by easy gradients. Til
open space was encroached upon now b,
binding and pungent smoke which is
sued from one Of the narrower ant