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

"ouio you believe me it told you
mat am honest in my love for you,
hateT he asked, and his tongue fall
tered. Somehow the speech he had
thought SO much about did not sound
altogether as he expected it would
sound. He raised his ponderous hand
and laid 1t almost gently upon her
shoulder. She, with the natural intui-
ton OF a woman. felt that this was
only preliminary movement, but she
did not make any protest.
she laughed lightly. and said in a
low. sweet voice: II might believe it.
might believe it! Is that alp" he
asked. and his sense OF disappointment
crept into his voice
"Weli, would believe it." she added.
His arm went further round her
shoulders. or course. this, too. was
only an accidental any rate, it was
as much an accident as their meeting
on the dark moor.
"Kate, may love you? Can hope
that yon will love me in return?"
If Kate Harding had stood there an.
other moment it is more than likely
she would have answered the ques.
tions in the affirmative. But whilst
her answer literally quivered on her
lips they were startled by sound close
to them.
Good evening"" was all the new
conner said. but the simple words made
her reply: ''No, i cannot give you that
hope"
John Oldcastle and Kate Harding
walked towards the managers house
in silence. They parted almost in ST.
lence, but when John was walking to-
wards his lodgings he muttered angrily:
IF that fellow hadn't come feel sure
she would have said yes when l asked
her. He has come between us-a five
feet three bit of a scribbling fellow
full of collars and cuffs and dandyism.
All, well, he's my old friend, and must
not be too hard on him, but 1 hate him
all the same"
John, should be glad if you will
show me over the mine this afternoon.
1 have had q letter from the editor OF a
London magazine asking me to write a
special article on Life ia Coal Mine.
You see. Harding does not care much
about this sort of thing. and as you are
a very old friend of mine, would much
rather trust myself to your care"
The face of the deputy manager sud-
denly turned pale. then, as if ashamed
of it, he went red.
whats the matter? You look as if
had asked you to show me the Devils
cavern" said William Harrison.
The deputy manager looked down
upon the miniature figure of the sub
editor.
Its all right, Will; only 1 fancy 1
have not been feeling very well
lately"
''See a doctor. my boy; thlt's the
best advice l can give you." he said,
flippantly and carelessly, but John
thought he could detect a jeering spirit
beneath the words.
''I'll expect you round at two o'clock.
So long, I'm busy now
Punctually the two men stood at the
mouth of the shaft waiting for the
cage to bring up some of the miners.
The dandyism of the pressman had
been hidden within the dirty masses of
the rough overalls which the deputy
manager had given him for the occa-
sion. He looked a most entertaining
specimen of nineteenth century cuI-
ture. 1t was evident he did not like
anyone to see him in those hopeless
looking garbs.
''Be chary, John; let us go down into
the darkness Here's Miss Harding,
and don't want her to see ne in this
rig"
The deputy manager turned in the
opposite direction, and said something
which would have gone long ways to-
wards confirming the suspicious of the
villagers if any had been lucky enough
to bear.
The two men had spent over an hour
in the gloomy abyss BY the aid of the
faint glimmering of safety lamp,
notes, and had sketched a few plans
the magazine.
Suddenly he closed his note book, and
turned towards his guide.
"You are most confoundedly gloomy
to-day" he said to Oldcastle. II can
get nothing out of you except a re-
luctant Yes, or No"
John did not trust himself to reply.
His heart was rending him. He had
prayed in a rough heathenish fashion
to have this man given into his hand.
His prayers-his curseful prayers-had,
apparently, been answered, and all he
could do was to reply to his many in
quisitive questions in monosyllables.
Il think we had better be going, "
continued Harrison, who was begin
ming to think something was really the
matter with his friend. Whats that
water?"
Its not much. Simply the water
flooding one of the lower seams. We
have tried to stake it up the best we
can, but I'm afraid it's no go. There
are thousands of tons of water down in
that bit of hole"
Harrison peeped over the boarding
into the awful depths of water. He
turned aside moment. II say, John.
You are in love. Why, you look awful
Come now; it's no good romancin (
about Miss Harding. She has told me
many a time that she will marry no
one but a gentleman"
A blast of hell-born passion con-
quered the deputy manager. In a
second he seized the little sub-editor
and swung him over his head, and
dangled him over the torrent of water.
''I-l-only mean a man who gets
his living with his collar and cuffs on.
1 didn't mean that you were not gen.
tleman. Let me CO."
He struggled like child, but the i'm
mense hands held him with terrible
grip.
Then a tragedy happened. With the
suddenness of flash of lightning a