The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-02-16
VOL. XVI. RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY, MD. FRIDAY, FE

ly. She, with figure erect and blazing
eyes, confronted him.
''If that is your last word, good-by,"
he said. Tell your Norwegian to look
out or will kill him.
Perhaps he's better man than
you"
Don't drive me too hard with your
tongue"
Next time you think to win sweet
heart, learn how to treat her.
"Kate, something oppresses me.
Something is going to happen on the
morrow. Should you care if met
my death in the mine?'
She laughed lightly.
mot at ALL"
Without word he turned and walked
hastily away. She watched his figure
vsnishing in the light of the silver
sun.
"Fool!" she said. HAS he not yet
learned that no man on earth may drive
me?"
Then she went into the house and
stood thoughtfully near the window
where were many flowers. She
heard step behind her and began to
hum softly.
"Art light-hearted, lass?' said her
fathers voice, and the next moment
she was in his arms. He looked at her
proudly, with her noble figure. her
strong arms and her broad, handsome
face-a true woman of the people,
Io,,~ 0f ho GgyVaa1
art no featherweight, lass" he re-
marked, and then escaping from him,
she went into the kitchen, where he
heard her moving about, still humming
to herself. There was knocking on
the window. Turning she saw the
Norwegian and smiled pleasantly.
Then he came in and asked permission
to sit down and watch her preparations
for supper. This she granted and his
eyes frightened as he followed her
with his gaze. The light fell upon her
hair and there was strange look upon
her face.
''Will you not stay to supper?" she
asked
He assented eagerly. Half an hour
later Geoffry, passing by, saw them all
three sitting together, chatting gaily.
With curse he turned away and for
hours tramped over the snow in the
darkness
On December 2s, the day following,
Geoffry and the Norwegian were work
ing on the footwall on the third tier up
from the level mining out the fourth
tier underhand. This portion of the
mine had caved in the year previous
and the rooms were filed and the posts
more or less crushed, SO that great care
was necessary in taking out the pillars.
They had worked out one lot of sets on
the east side of the pillar and were
engaged on the one next to it.
In mining these crushed pillars,
sets of smaller dimensions are used
in order that very little ground
should be opened at one time with
out timber. Here the ground was so
soft that laths were driven to support
the back until the timber could be put
in. This particular set was nearly out
and a prop and head board had been
erected to support the laths, this prop
resting on plank laid across the lag
| ging of the set below Geoffry and the
Norwegian were working silently,
but now and then they gazed furtively
at each other. The heart of the Eng
lishman was full of insane jealousy
and he was not himself that morning.
After his long walk the evening before
he had drank until daylight and now
with the liquor working in his brain,
mad desires chased one another
through his mind and he regard
ed the Norwegian with the glance of
a wild beast-a look that impelled
| Never once did he turn his back to the
Englishman; never once was his at
tention detracted from his danger.
Like two dumb brutes, filed with
| savage impulse, the primal wish of
man to kill, they worked side by side
| in the narrow place. The Norwegian
moved to the other end where work
was necessary, when suddenly he
slipped. With a hoarse cry the English
man sprang forward with uplifted i'm
plement to brain his fallen antagonist,
when suddenly there was crashing
behind them; the framework gave
way; huge masses of ore and rock de-
scended with a rumble like an ava
lanche. The Englishman stood stock
still, thinking his last day had come;
in a moment he was frozen like a
statue. When he recovered his senses
he heard the groan of the Norwegian
and saw that he was pinned to the
earth by masses of ore. fastening to
him, as best he might, he removed the
ore from the crushed body, which
he took in his arms and bore
to the other end of the cham Der
in which they were literally entombed.
The Norwegian was groaning in the
greatest pain and Geoffry lifted his
head and pressed his flask to the lips of
the dying man, whose eyes never even
in his agony left those of the other.
While before, the picture was that of
primal man, born to kill, to slay, to an
nihilate, now it was picture of that
human brotherhood which lies deep
down beneath all evil desires and
toward which the young world is strug-
CLING and struggling. Into the eyes of
the Norwegian the Englishman was
gazing. Both We're members of the
same fraternal working order. The
breath of the dying man came in gasps,
shorter and shorter; the light faded
from those deep-set eyes and the form
became stiff. Geoffry's rival was
dead. The Englishman, shut up in
that horrible prison. threw himself up
on the body and wept How long he