The Opelousas courier., 1894-06-02

| where were many flowers. She heard
a step behind her and begsh 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, hand
| some face-a true woman OF the
people, a daughter of the mines,
"Weel, thou art no featherwcight,
lass" he remarked, and then escap-
ing from him, she went into the
kitchen, where he heard her moving
about, still humming to herself.
| There was a 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 bright
ened as he followed her with his gaze.
The light fell upon her hair and there
was a strange look upon her face.
CIVIL you not stay to supper"
she asked.
He assented eagerly. Half an hour
later Geoffey, passing by, saw them
all three sitting together, chatting
gaily. With a curse he turned away
and for hours tramped owe the snow
in the darkness.
4
On the day following, Geoffry and
the Norwegian were working on the
footwall on the third tier from the
level mining out the fourth tier I'M
derhand. This portion of the mine
had caved in the year previous and
the rooms were filled 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 n 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 without tim
Der. 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 a plank laid
across the tagging of the set below.
Geoffry and the Norwegian were work
ing-silently, but nov and then they
gazed furtively at each other. The
heart of the Englishman was full OF
insane jealousy and he was not him
self that morning. After his long
walk the evening before he had drank
until daylight, and now with the
liquor working in his brain, mad de-
sires chased one another through his
mind and he regarded the Norwegian
with the glance of wild beast-a look
that impelled the latter to the greatest
caution. Never once did he turn his
back to the Englishman; never once
was his attention d~etracted from his
danger. Like two dumb brutes, filled
with savage impulse, the primal wish
of man to kill, they worked side by
side in the narrow place. The Nor
wegian moved to the other end where
work was necessary, when suddenly
he slipped. With a hoarse cry the
Englishman sprang forward with up
lifted implement to brain his fallen
antagonist, when suddenly there was
a crashing behind them; the frame
work gave way; huge masses of ore
and rock descended with a rumble
| like an avalanche. 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 Nor
| wegian and saw that he was pinned
to the earth by masses of ore. Has
tening 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 chamber
in which they were literally en-
tombed. The Norwegian was groan-
ing 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 annihilate, o il
was a picture of that human brother.
hood which lies deep down beneath
all evil desires and toward which the
young world is struggling and strug.
Cling. Into the eyes of the Norwe.
gian the Englishman was gazing. Both
were 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 be.
came stiff. Geoffry's rival was dead,
The Englishman, shut up in that
horrible prison, threw himself upon
the body and wept. How long he re.
manned thus he never knew, for what
are periods when anguish annihilates
time-when the lines Of the poet.
tout OF space, out Of time" give :
certain divinity to numan nature,
Geoffry did not suffer from suffoca'
ton. Although shut out from the
world by what seemed a solid wall, {
draft of air was apparent, and it was
evident there were crevices some
where.
Meanwhile the news of the disaster
had spread far and wide. The cap
tain was busy ove his books in his
little office and near him sat bonny
Kate. Why did she come? Was il
to catch a glimpse of the Norwegian
as he emerged from the shaft? Was
love, then, SO impatient? A MAI
covered with dirt and CRIME rushed
into the Office.