The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-08

uhAiOQo iuinutcS lOllOWCu GUuU SO910eu liE6
hours. Once more it appeared with its
load OF men. jessie pressed eagerly for
ward. Great heavonsl Ho whom she
sought was not there! Several voices asked
after him--Jessio dared not trust herself
to do so-and thcn came tho appallinp nm
swer:
"Choko damp hn' taken him, and bit
wall fallen in over himr'
Suddenly q woman's voice rang out
Jessie MacDavitts:
"Then no DO 4 danger-dying-deed
mayhapl He gave his life for ono O. ye
Amt yo menp Are none o. ye goin to
save un? Then wull!''
Sho pressed forward toward the nit. but
dozen strong arms restrained her and
one old fellow said:
Keep back, lnssi It'll DO death TO 20
down there for nigh on hour yet. This bs
no place for women fowk"
She needed not, and breaking a,yay from
them, entered the cage. Two or three mon
followed her, ashamed to think that q
girl should BIO Drawer than they, and down
they went, from tho light into the dark
ness, down among the noxious, deadly
gases-down to tho unknownI
A long, long time now elapsed, or so 1t
seemed to tho anxious watchers. Two or
three Cages full of miners came up. but
they were not amoag Thorn. Great hoav-
ensl Was it possible that oil had perished
in the heroic attemptp
Tho news that jessie had gone below
rcnchcd her mother, and Mrs. MaoDavitt
with hor sleeves tucked up, fresh from
the wash tub, her cheeks pale as DEATH
her eyes streaming-rushed madly to tho
spot.
Even at that moment tho cage was COM
ing up again. A deafening cheer rang out.
loud and long, upon the murky air. 1t
was thoy-they Mt last, thank God! But
were they alive? Two inanimate forms
were lying down upon tho black, dusty
bank-the forms of Jessie MaoDayitt and
Steven Arms tCong.
Jessie MacDayitt sat alone at work in
the little front parlor ut her mothers cot
tago. She was quite we'll again now, but
her recovery from the effects of her ad-
venture in the mine had been slow and
painful.
Thore was n knock at the door. She
called out, Coon in!" in sweet. CHEEKY
tones. 1t was Steven Armstrong who en-
tered the apartment. She looked I'D sur
prised and colored up to her very brow rs
sho rose to greet him. Shc had not seen
him since TINT fearful day. Perhaps this
was the reason of her confusion. He did
not wear his working nor yet his "shift
In" clothes, but was habitod in tweed
suit and wide awake. How brave and
noble he looked, albeit trinc pale lust
nowi
"Mr. Armstrong;" sho snid. "I am so
glad to see you fcttlc again. 1 haven't
seen you sinco''-
Not since thcn-no. 1t wur churlish
O. me not to COON and thank thco, only
only there DO nae thanks possible for sic
things rs that. Oh, Jessie, why didst do
it-why didst risk thu lifep''
because you gavo your chance o. life
to him, she answered simply, but with
an unsteady tremor in her voice.
NOW l ha' como to bid thee goodby. +"
Armstrong said, like man who has an
unpleasant duty to perform and wants to
get it over quickly. GA be goin away. {"
Coin away" she echoed. "Whero TOP"
Reed away-forivcr To America or
Australy-a' hardly know where yet. A.
DO tired O. t. life hero. But remember If
there be liver onything I con do for thee
a will. Tim shalt know where I go to,
and If tina should liver want friend or q
holpin bond all como to thee if 'twere half
across t. world If a han't said mooch,
remember, n know that a can niver hope
to pay ma debt to theon'
ION, dunnot talk like that-please dun
not talk about it. IL hadn't an idea
yo were thinkin o goin away-its ye'ye
took me so Observation-Disclosures know
what to say
Say, jess, ma lass, just say, 'Goodby,
and God bless thee, Steve Armstrong; OR
SOON sic words rs all DO able to TAX wi
me and cherish l. memory o. thee when a
be far away
"1'll say, God bless thee, Steve Arm
strong! WI all mo heart, but not, good
by!'' Jessie said in q voice that was oven
more unsteady with emotion than before
All, dunnot it mum be, I say-tha
would not torture me?''
Wouldn't tina stay, Steve If a. were to
ask ycP''
"Ther's naething I wouldna do that
you bid me-oxccp' that-excep' that
why, n DO goin away fro thec!'
Fro me?''
surely, a medina tell thee all over
again. A wish thee and tina husband we'll
WI all ma heart-but Gamma stay"
70 said just now yo'd do anything for
mo, jessie answered, clasping her hands,
and the bright color mantled in her check
hotter and redder than ever such a GOV.
pretty blush! They were hard words for a
girl to speak, but sho had made up her
mind all at once, and felt impelled to go
on "Ye said ye niyyer could hope to re-
pay yer debt to mo. Suppose I show We
t. way? Stay hero for ma sake, and-dun-
not 20 understand? Dunnot mnk' me have
to say ony moor
"What madness is this2 And e. mon
thar plishted to-
1--WE are ma plighted now. He begone
rect away. Hoyen't ye hcordf"
mo. I hay' M been monch among T.,
chaps O. Late
1t was small thing that parted us.
something l asked un to give up for ma
sako-only t. drink. But he said no. No
wench should liver max o milksop o.