Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-03-15

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SAVE MEL SAVE ME!'
he heard one of them turn from him
and say: THAT worthless fellow is
saved, and my husband is amongst the
lost"
Oldcastle knew that he was an OBJ
ject of derision-simply because he had
been saved and those they loved were
amongst the lost II he could have
looked half an hour into the future he
would have preferred to be amongst
the dead.
AS he staggered from the cage he saw
a little group standing close to the Of
fee of the manager.
AYE. poor wench; it's young tn dee.
but it were a merciful DEATH" said one
woman. and the words fell ominously
upon the ears of the young man.
AYE. she were standing close to the
mouth of the shaft, waiting for her IA
ther, when the explosion came, and it
browt down Il lump of the shaft on to
her poor head. They say she's dead"
"Whos dead?' he asked, excitedly.
Mind your own AFFAIRS" the woman
replied, insolently, "and be thankful
you are not"
Still he staggered forward and saw
Mr.. Harding kneeling upon a heap of
the pit bank rubbish. Needless of cere-
mony, the deputy manager pushed his
way through the small crowd and saw
living dead the woman he had loved
with a passion which swept everything
before it.
''Oh, my God, it's Kate! Come back
| to me, dear!' he cried, needless of the
rough people around him.
Get up, Oldcastle, and do not repeat
those words in my hearing again. She
was not dear to thee, nor to any like
thee" SAID the manager, in an angry
| tone.
The young man lung his head in
shame. The iron had entered into his
SOIL and he could not make any pro-
test. The cup of his bitterness was
running over 1t was for this dead
woman that he had murdoch. no, not
murdered!-but allowed the accident to
happen to one of his oldest friends. He
| was haunted by the feeling that In life
perhaps she had loved the other one.
| and he in his blind fury had sanctified
their love by insuring their eternal
union in and through the grave, whittier
they went in the same hour, perhaps in
the same moment.
We'll might he hang down his head
in shame. But it did not hang down
long. There was heart still within
him, and desperate conviction that
he might still redeem something of the
past by giving his life N an effort to
reach some OF the men who were still
entombed in the mine. It was a gen
erous thought that arose out of his des-
peration.
Come, lads. who will go with me in
search of the missing men?" he cried,
in ringing tones.
The men and women opened their
eyes. They knew very we'll that if any
men were still alive in the pit they
were the men who had reviled this
deputy manager who was now offering
to risk the dangers of the terrible fire.
damp in an effort to carry them succor.
The men who had staggered up from
their cottages on hearing the explosion
did not shrink from him now. One or
two silently grasped his big hands, and
in very few minutes the cages were
filled by many who were ready to sac
rifice themselves for the sake of those
|
courage common miners became heroes.
They searched amid the blackness of
the suffocating abyss, and succeeded in
lrescuing a dozen men from a terrible
| death. +su
The people wondered why John Old
castle had done this deed of heroism
for the sake of the men who hated him,
and for the sake of the women that
| doll I'm
| the tumult that was within his heart.
| Early next morning the villagers
turned out in full force. They gath
cred around the house in which John
Oldcastle lodged. They were going to
give him a right ringing cheer in ac-
acknowledgement of his heroism. They
cheered and cheered. but there was no
answer One Of the leaders forced his
way into the small bedroom, and found
the great body of the deputy-manager
stretched cold and still across the bed.
There was beautiful smile across his
face. He was evidently satisfied at the
thought that he too would accompany
Kate Harding into the land of death
less spirits. There is to this day a SIM
pie stone standing in the churchyard
recording his deed of valor. This was
the only tribute the people could pay to
one they had wronged and misunder-
! stood
| The Charm of Rarity.
! Mr. Matterfack and his wife and
daughter were looking at an oil paint
] ing, when the old gentleman took oc-
casion to remark that he thought it
didn't amount to no great shakes
why. pepper" exclaimed his daugh-
| ter. this is one of the rarest paintings
known. 1t is the only one by this
artist that has even been brought to
America
That's just like woman" said Mr..
| Matterfack. "Here you air goin' into
fits over little 7x9 bit of paint cause
there amt no other one like it, and yit