Frostburg mining journal., 1894-05-12
COW ARD FOR LOVE

IIcrmionc spoke with smile of con
tempt.
His face was us calm as her own.
however. when he replied: Il do not
think So
After all IIcrmoine had asked her
self. why had she consented to marry
him: She did not know She had
been hurried away by the stress Of cir
cumStancCS.
This young man. whom she had
KIN gwm but few months. and whose
infatualion for herself was evident
was not diSlaStcful to her, anh she
trusted her StrpfathcrS verdict
The latter had seen Caspar White
house off and on. whenever his affairs
took him to the Northwest. whittier
CaSpar had gone very young. as Il
civil engineer, and where he had later
become superintendent of Il mining
company.
Well. they had been married very
quietly IA few weeks after her step
fathers death. and upon the afternoon
of the same day they had, arriving at
the small waySidc railway station.
found horses awaiting them to carry
them to the works. twelve miles dis
tanr.
Ilcrmionc. calmly enough. had resign
ed herself to mounting her saddle in
her travelling dress. The roads had. in
truth. been w"ll-n;gh washed away in
PAGES by recent rains.
Then. suddenly at Il turning in the
road there had happened that which
in Hermionr'S mind had left Il pie
turc never to be ct1lcrd. out of the
darkness Il group of Savngr-lnokirg
men had fallen upon the newly we'd
ded pair. They were soot-brgrimcl
and carried heavy sticks and spades.
and the leader was the IIrrculean,
blond-bearded fellow whom IIrrmionr
on her first visit to the works some
months before. remembered seeing
Then. before she could realize his
action. her husband had wrcnrhsl
himself loose, and. turning. had gai-
loped away. leaving her to face that
wild gang of twenty deSperadoeS alone.
Even now. ten months later. she
seemed to see the leaders facr-thr
grim contempt upon it; contempt
mixed with something else which she
could not understand.
I'VE don't fight women" he said.
sullenly. Come. boys"
head Of half Il dozen men whom he
had recruited from about their futur"
home. had Joined her upon the Soddrn
road she had turned upon him Il stony
face of worse than hatred
What is 2" he stammrrcl Then.
abruptly; You cannot think: 1t is
not possible Let me exp ain"
When they had reached the house he
Il 1,...
ing room. where the flowers sto Il in
vases in honor of their coming Then
she had spoken. frgidly. distinctly:
Il am a woman who abhorS com
edicS. never diSScmblc. consented
to marry You without love. because
respected you. Now dcSpisc YOU
And he had stood before her with
ont il word Save that he grew white
his face had not changed. He had
m3wr no effort to speak. He had left
her to sweep from him without a mo
ton to retain her.
Things look bad. madam" said Her
moinc'S maid. stepping to her bedside
Il week after the first intimation OF
the trouble at the works.
What do you mcan!" asked Mrs
W lit'notiSt, dNdh'' oll lllt lllSldnl.
"Thcy'S all talkin about it in the
Kitchen and in the outhouses Loves
come back.
Lowe, Hcrmione Immediately TO
mrmbered. was the bond bearded
leader of 'he uprising on the occasion
of her return aS Il bride and CaSpar's
new proprietorShip.
The day passed quietly. Hrrmionc
saw nothing of her husband. Wou,,
he leave the house before night if he
apprchcndcd danger: She smiled tr
herself, and in spite of herself thcr,
was bitterness in the smile
For there were times of late whcr
she had found herself thinking of hpl
husband oftcner than she would have
liked. Could it be that dcSpiSing hin
as she did, she WAS falling in love witt
him: Away with the olous thought
Iermione awakened from Il lgh
sleep that night with the sudden senst
that the worst had come.
A light burned in the room. Sh,
threw on Il wrapper and hurried to til,
door.
The halls and stairs were in dark
ness, but hideOus sounds of tramplinl
feet. of drunken oaths, filled the lower
part of the house.
Don't fear. 1t is L." said Caspal
quietly. They have broken into the
basement"
Where are all the servants?' she
cried.