The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-02-19

dared not trust herself u do so-and
then came the appalling answer:
"Choke damp ha' taken him, and bit
wall fallen in over himl"
Suddenly womau's voice rang out
Jessie MacDavitt's:
"Then he be i dsnger-dying-
dead, msyhapl He gave his lie for
one O. we. Aren't we men? Are none
o. we goin' to save unp Then l wulll"
She presses forward toward the pit,
but a dozen strong arms restrained
her, and one old fellow said:
Keep back, lassl It'll be death to
go down there for nigh an hour yet.
This be no place for women fowk."
She needed not, and, breaking away
from them, entered the cage. Two or
three men followed her, ashamed to
think that gill should be drawer than
they; and down they went, from the
light into the darkness-down among
The noxious, deadly gases and down to
the unknownl
A long, long time now elapsed, or 30
it seemed to the anxious watchers.
Two or three cages full of miners came
up, but they we're not among them.
Great heavensl was it possible that all
had persisted in the heroic attempt?
The news that Jessie had gone below
reached her mother; and Mrs. Mac
Davitt-with her sleeves tucked up,
fresh from the wash-tub, her cheeks
pele as death, her eyes streaming
rushed madly to the spot.
Even at that moment, the cage was
coming up again. A deafening cheer
rang out, loud and long, upon the
murky air. 1t was they-they at last,
thank Godl But, were they alive?
Two inanimate forms were lying down
upon the black, dusty bank-the forms
strong.
Jessie MacDavitt sat alone, at work,
in the little front parlor of her mothers
cottage. She was quite we'll again
now, but her recovery from the effects
of her adventure in the mine has been
slow and painful.
There was knock at the door. She
called out: Come inl in sweet,
CHEEKY tones. 1t was Steven Arm
strong who entered the apartment.
She looked up, surprised; and colored
up to her very brow as she rose to
greet him. She had not seen him since
that fearful day; perhaps this was the
reason of her confusion. He did not
wear his working" nor yet his
shiftin'" clothes, but was habited in
tweed suit and wide awake. How
brave and noble he looked, albeit a
trifie pale just now
"Mr. Armstrong;! " she said, I" am
glad to see you fettle again. haven't
seen you since"
mot since then-no; it wur churl-
ish o. me not to come an thank thee
only-only there be nae thanks posi-
BILE for sic things as that. On, Jessie,
why didst do itp why didst risk tina life?'
Because you gave your chance o.
life to him." she answered simply, but
with an unste ady tremor in her voice.
"Now l ha' come to bid thee
good-by," Armstrong said, like man
who has an unpleasant duty to perform
and wants to get it over quickly. GA
be goin' away"
"Goin' awayl" she said. "Wheer to?'
Greet away-foriver. To America
or Australy-A hardly know where
yet. A be tired o. T. life here. But
remember, if there be liver onything !
con do for thee, a. wuIl. Tina shalt
know where go to, and if tina should
liver want friend or helpin' hond
all come to thee if 'twere half across t
worldl If a. han't said moCch, remem.
Der a. know that a. can nivver hope tC
pay ma debt to theel"
"Oh, dunnot talk like that; please
dunnot talk about it'll hadn't an
idea you were thinkin' % goin' away
it's--ye've took me 80 sudden like
dunnot know what to say"
) "Ssy, Jess, ma lassl Just say
Good-by, and God bless thee, Steve
Armstrong or SOON sic words as al
be able 20 taxi VII me, an cherish i
memory o. thee when a. be far away
"I'll say God bless thee, Steve
Armstrong; wi all mae heart, but no
good-byP" Jessie said, in voice tina
was even more unsteady with emotion
than before.
"Ah, dunnot it nun be, ] say-tht
would not torture me?"
Wouldn't tina stay, Steve, if a. were
to ask yep
" There's natheing l wouldna do tina
you bid me-excep' that-excep' that
; why, a. be goin' away fro theep'
: Fro me?"
"Surely, a. medina tell thee all owe
again. A wish thee an tina husband
, well VII all ma heart-but l cams
s'ayW
Ye said just now ye'd do anythin
: for NC Jessie answered, clasping he
hands, and the bright color maniled il
her cheek hotter and redder than eve
, such coy pretty blush! They wer
hard words for girl to speak; but sh
Iol 10 hn, Of
/. felt impelled to go on. aye said y
y niser could hope to repay yer debt u
/, me. Suppose show We T. way? Sta
here for ma sake, an-dunnot we under
stand? Dunnot maxi me have to sa
y oDy moor
q What madness is this? And t. mo-
ha'at plighted to-"
=, eve are ma plighted now. He be
gone rect away. Haven't we heerd?
g mo; l hav' ma been mooch anon
a T. chaDs ~ late