The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-29
BY THE AUTHcRD

maid OF high degree incorporating in the
gulse OF a pit brow girl.
SalOme's hybrid gsrb added to rather than
took from Ter attractiveness. Around her
dark bird-like head a bright kerchief OK red
and yellow was tied which permitted black
tress Of her luxurIant hair TO show itself
here and there. About her slim white
throat "a neat patterned scarf was wound
and tied in bow under her chin.
Her garments consisted of a print jacket
which fitted her figure closely; q skirt Of
striped linsev, which Yves lOoped up high in
front and fell almost 20 her heels behind; a
pair Of trousers Of cord, which, worn short,
disclosed q pair OF pretty ankles CLAD in
dark blue hose; and last OF all pair Of
clogs, polished like ebony, and fastened at
the insteD by brass CLASPS.
She appeared pretty and sweet and dainty
enough for anything as she irIpped along
the white dusty roads, chatting with Nell
on topics Of interest to them both. When
she returned from work in the afternoon
she would be less pressntable. for then the
omnipresent coal dust would have soiled her
lovely face and overed her clothes.
Salome Birmingham had always been
noticed for the spru eness with which she
dressed even at work, and this attentive
ness to her personal appearance had excited
considerable comment Of az adverse charac-
ter on the part OF the other pit brow iasses
oollieries.
But the girl had paid no Iced to she sharp
words and splteful illusions of her work
mates. Despite their laughs and jeerinR re-
marks she never permitted herself to be-
come slovenly in her attire. She was
young, strong, unafraid Of hard work, al
ways ready to fulfil the task allotted 10 her.
and being OF q sweet temper she coon won
her way to the hearts of all about the place.
The slovenIy ones ceased to dislike her
because OF her own smart appearance; the
unhandsome lasses ceased % hate her be-
cause she was so much more lovely in APP
pearance and refined in act, word, and
thought than themselves In time her in
huence made itself felt among the rough
untutored girls. The sluts grew less care
less Of their attire, the rude less offensive In
their language.
On first coming to the village, Salome had
dropped a hint to the effect that some OF her
people had been gipsies long ago before she
was born, and the friend TO whom she told
this had repeated the remark. This had
caused Nan Blackledge-the biggest hirt,
the sharpest-tongued and the bonniest pit
brow lass in the village, prior TO Salome's
coming-to nickname the newcomer The
White Gipsyn
That s3briQuet had stuck, as many of the
names Nan Blackledge threw at people did,
and now SaIome Birmingham was better
known to her fellows on the pit bank. to the
miners who worked underground and to the
village folk among whom she lived as tho
White Gypsy than by her own lawful
designation.
Leaving Sponsors lane, Salome and Nell
went through c stile, passed along a narrow
path bordered by field OF wheat and one
of turnips, and soon came to the wagon road
leading to the W God Pit. A couple of
minutes later they had mounted the flight
OF steep wooden steps leading to the pit
bank, ana were not a little surprised by the
sight that awaited them.
The Wood Pit owed its name to the fact
that Gale Wood lay only couple of hun
dreds of yards distant 1t was one OF the
first pits Sir Nicholas Carsland had sunk
and now, being nearly 40 years old, its
seams we're almost exhausted. 1t was an
old fashioned place and found employment
for scarce three score OF miners, whereas
the new pit on the other side of the patch
OF woodland, furnished work for over 40
miners all told.
When Salome and her friend gained the top
OF the mite and made their way toward the
rude cabin set apart for them and the other
females, they saw that the cage was stand
ing empty on a level with the landing
plates, and that score of men and lads
we're scattered over the brow. Some OF the
Golfers and their draw were sprawIing
ONS& hhS CbNA nun plates NuiCsl CCNbitu al
most the whole of the level space about the
mouth OF the pit; Others were seated on the
small wagons used below, and upon the
heaps of "propsn and "barsn while few
wore loungiug about the wooden rails which
guarded the edge of the brow.
Against the window OK the cabin Nan
Blackledge was leaning In graceful ntti-
tude. She was strapping lump OF lass Of
two or three aud twenty, had a comelY,
hortd face very much freokled. and q great
quantity OF dark red hair. she had a fear
full temper, and could fight like "a man
whenever occasion demanded.
AS Salome and Nell walked into the hut
and placed their small baskets and cans
filed with meat and tea on the shelves, the
latter remarked:
Has amy o tho men gone down the pit
yet. .NanP
mot yet, Nell" the red-saced mud red
haired lass replied, "an' alb dunpot iii, X IS
amy one on 'em are Roin' to GO deawn this
mornit,"
flows thatn' Salome asked.
why, there's only abenwt twenty o the
mea turned up, a. they never work the pit
wi less than thirty, yo' know
"Ah dersav lot o. them hasn't getten
DER Earlsford fair yet" Nel Cromptun re-
marked, casually. "Ah heerd tell o Hugh
Eastwood, Ned Tarbuck an a that gang
being drunk at t. Commercial hotel at
Earsford. and maSin' rare fools o. their
sells"
"rhen tina didn't hear TIL truth, Nell
CromptonW Nan cried, holly, FOR ah was
Wi Hugh rth fair after 'leven o'clock, an
he were sol er enough then"
That's o'clock blowing, girls Salome
broke in at this point, half fearing that the
flame tempered Nan wanted to pick quar-
rel with Nell. And there's the under
locker and manager. We shall soon know
now whether We have to work or play to-,
day"
AS Salome spoke a dozen steam whistles
at Marsh Green, Thorrell Moor and Earls-
ford star tied the quiet autumn morning air
with their blatant and discordant voices,
filling all the welkin with q stream of sound
that would have driven musician into
Mysteries.
The officials named held buried confer
ence together, aud presently-before the
stridulous screams of the "buzzeIs" had
ceased-the underlooker had told the men
TO go home, as they could not afford to work
the pit with such a small number of Coal
ers, the manager had told all the surface
hands the same thing, and golfers and draw
ers, datallers and pony drivers were wend-
ing their respective ways homeward.
Five minutes after the departure Of the
miners the whole OF the pit brow girls who
worked at the Wood Pit filed slowly down
the narrow stairs leading from the brow.
The girls numbered half dozen they were
all youngsters, and when some one sug-
ge5ted that they should all go black berry