Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-11-03
THE
Master Of the Mine.
BY ROBERT BUCHANAN.

diu ~ dNopt filDdII d--uttlt, Nutn TIC lldS-
ter's voice arrested me.
"Trelawney," he said; zone moment" ]
paused.
Yes, sir"
miss Graham wishes TO go down tie
mine. i tell her u Is impossible. What do
you say? Is ii tit for a lady?'
/ was about TO reply when Madeline inter-
posed.
Don't worry about II, George" she said,
ave abandoned the idea.' Then, stepping
mp to me, she held forth her little gloved
hand. i bowed over il, but did not take II,
giving as an excuse that | was not lit to APP
pr0ach her.
II daresay you were In quite as forlorn a
condition the other morning when you
snatched me from the wreck" she said:
"Yet you did not hesitate then, when your
own life was in peril. Mr.. Trelawney, take
my hand"
did as she requested; / clasped the little
hand In both Of nine and raised il respect
fully to my lips. In doing so l caught a
glimpse OF George Redruth's face; it was
black as the pit mouth.
Now, my dear Madeline" he said, impa-
tiently, 'shall we go backy'
But Madeline was not ready, or perhaps
she was too inlperious TO be so ordered by
her cousin. She had abandoned all inten-
ton of descending the mine; but she was,
nevertheless, anxious TO inspect the outside
OF it.
lawney will escort me-"
Nonsense? p returned her cousin. ''Tre-
lawney has got his work to attend TO. l will
stay"
And he did stay, for fully two hours; at
the end of which time she allowed him to
take her away.
Three other days passed without a sign
from her; then encountered her again. IL
was in the evening, when 1 wdsA walking
home. This time she was alone: except for
the servant, who walked AT a respectful dis
lance behind her. She came up to me UNI
reseryedly, and again held forth her hand.
Having shaken hands with her, | paused, not
very well knowing what to do; when she
helped me.
Il came to walk back with you" she said.
do you mindy'
II mindF" | repeated, in amazement.
"You forget, Miss Graham, 1t Is an honor
for me 10 walk beside YOU"
She gave a little impatient toss of her head,
and we walked on together. For some time
not a word was spoken, but / felt that she
was watching me keenly. Presently she
said:
do you know what have been doing,
Mr.. Trelawney?'
NO"
II have been trying TO find in ycu one trace
OF the boy knew, years ago, at MINISTER'S
and | have failed"
81 don't understand"
mo? Well, | will explain. The boy /
knew was kind to me; frank, open-hearted,
OepprnHg Nnu ura gnutauyhot Vnfrian1iN.
reserved, harsh, and, il | may say so, churl-
ish. Why are you so changed?"
II am not changed, Miss Graham; or, II I
am, Ii Is but with the tide of fortune. which
has ebbed and not flowed with Inc since we
met before. When we were at MINISTER'S 1
believed we were equals, but now"
~ es; low"
"You are Miss Graham; | am the overseer
Of your cousins mine"
'Then you wish us 10 remain strangers?'
II think il would be better"
"Ah! you are cruelcr than l thought; IL
you will not accept my friendship for the
sake of the old days VIXEN we were boy and
girl together, you will, at least, have some
pity upon me. l am lonely and among
strangers here. You seem like an old friend.
Ii You will suffer me to talk to you some
times it will make my stay here more pleas
ant"
Her pleading won the day. and we became
friends. | never went to Redruth House,
and she never came to the cottage. never
sought her. but quite innocently and frankly
she sought me. We often went on the moor
when, after my long days work, / was max
ing my way home, and ! could not rsgsrd
part. She was always accompanied by the
black girl, until one evening, when she APP
peared alone.
You are looking for Anita! p said Made
line, noting my glance. "She has gone TO
London with my aunt's maid. and will not
return till close on midnight My cousin
counseled my staying at home tonight, or
allowing him to accompany me. | knew /
should not want for company, so refused to
submit. l may not enjoy these walks much
longer"
What. are you going awayg'I asked, In
some alarm.
She shrugged her shoulders. perhaps! l
don't know; certainly l shall have to 20
sooner or later, but l trust it may be sooner.
When l was shipwrecked here | was on my
way To London, TO take up my abode with
some other relations. They are troubling me
with questions, so | have sent up Anita TO
satisfy them as 10 my safety. Yet | suppose
l shall some day have to 60"
She tried to speak carelessly, yet | fancied
i detected a ring of regret in her voice, and l
quailed before the feeling of desolation
which her words brought to IN heart.
In that one sentence she had un~wittingly
shown to me myself-revealed TO me the ter
rible secret which l had been vainly trying
TO crush from my heart. Even as she had
influenced my boyhood, she influenced my
manhood.
loved her with the same %unthinking love
which had filled my soul as a boy-loved her
even while l felt that such a love might be
the means of ~blighting my life. knew that
no good could come OF it, for was she not as
far removed from me as the moon was re-
moved from the SEA; and yet l felt at that
moment that to love her so, be Ii only for
one hour, was worth whole centuries of pain.
She walked with me as far as the cottage,
and, pausing at the little wicket-gate, gave
me her hand.
Goodnight, Mr.. Trelawney," she said,
softly; 'ft is not goodbye YETI
Again / raised her hand, and pressed 1t to
my lips; then / dimly remember entering the
cottage; but all seemed unreal-save the one
overmastering fact that, fool that was, !
was the slave Of Madeline Grahaml