Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-05-22


approach her.
She felt that she ought to explain,
but could not bring herself to do so.
Nay, as the days went by she began to
feel pleased that her old lover had been
got rid of so easily. She was free now
to accept Marston's attentions and had
half resolved to repulse the manager no
more. Day after day Peg and Harry
saw each other on the pit bank, and he
never missed chance of showing that
he was devotedly attached to her. That
his love was honest and his intentions
honorable she had every reason to be-
lieve, seeing that he had asked her one
afternoon to be his wife.
She had put him off with an evasive
answer, promising to let him know
when her mind was made up. And he
had waited patiently. Weeks had drift
ed past, and still she could not compel
herself to accept Marston or refuse him.
One part of her nature chung to her old
sweetheart; the other urged her to pos
sess herself of the man whose position
would make her life easy, whose love
would pander to the qualification of all
her small ambitions and social desires.
For months the girl hung thus sus-
pended between the duty to her old love
and the wish to resign herself to the
new one. She blamed herself daily for
her irresolution, made up her mind
nightly to say Eyes" to Harry Marston
ON the morrow, and when the morrow
came her heart failed her.
A word from Jack Kendall would have
decided her in his favor and brought
her back to him, but the word was not
spoken, and she constantly gravitated
toward the handsome wooer whose low
ing words and admiring glances were
given her each day without stint.
One afternoon Marston came TO Peg
as she stood against the fence rails at
the edge of the elevated pit bank. There
was a slight lull in the winding opera
tions, and the surface hands were enjoy
ing brief rest. 1t was midway in No
vember, and snow had fallen heavily
all the day. 1t had ceased now, and the
pit top and the surrounding country
were one apparently endless waste of
snow.
He leaned ON the wooden rail beside
her, and for some moments they spoke
on unimportant matters only. The girls
face was pale beneath the coal dust up
on it, and her heart was beating quick
ly beneath her print gown. She had
made up her mind at last and was seek
ing courage to speak.
DO you know, Peg" he said pres
emily, THAT 1 made a discovery this
morning?'
"What did you find out?"
"That you and Jack Kendall were
sweethearts before l came here Is that
true?"
She nodded, her eyes fixed on the
snow covered village in the distance.
my coming here parted your"
1T did, she said quietly. "But we
didn't quarrel. Jack heard of that Sat
urday night at the Blue Bell, he saw us
together that Sunday afternoon. and
well, you understand what he d think. "
81 can, but l never dreamed of such
a thing. 1 thought you were free.
wouldn't have stepped between you had
1 known. 1 will tell Jack everything if
you wish me, Peg"
"Please yourself.
"Do you wish me to tell him?'
There was a moments silence then
in quick, gasping way she cried,
"No"
"That means that you love me, not
him. and Will marry me?"
She nodded YES" and he caught
her hand nearest him and pressed it in
his own. He dared not kiss her under
the eyes of the other pit girls near at
hand. He had to be content with that
stolen hand pressure and a whispered
word or two of joy and love.
Then the "knocker" or signal bell
rang out three times in quick success
sion, and a couple of moments later the
pulleys were spinning round, the steel
ropes gliding down and up, and when
the great cage came to the surface an
inky faced, sweating pitman sprang out,
asking in an excited tone for the man
ager, Harry Marston.
There was "A whispered conference be-
tween official and workman, and then
Marston hurried back to Peg Holland s
side.
bad news, dear"
"What is it?"
"Jack Kendal's dead Smothered by
gas. am going down now to try to
recover his body. Don't tell any one
yet"
She trembled, and he thought she
was about to fall, but she chung brave
ly to the fence, and with a word Of
cheer he left her to descend the pit.
AS the manager and the miner made
their way toward the faraway part of
the seam in which the unfortunate fire.
man had met his death the latter made
his superior acquainted with the details
of the accident. 1t appeared that heavy
fall of roof had occurred between two
up brows, impeding the ventilation and
filling the immediate working places
with fire damp, which the coal gave off
in considerable quantities.
The fall had taken place in the open
ing nearest the face, and the venture
ZONE fireman had penetrated to the next
opening, which was stopped with a
brattice cloth. But ere he could pull
down the brattice and thus restore the
ventilation the powerful gas had over
powered him, and he had sunk to the
floor senseless. A companion who had
been behind had escaped and carried
the tidings to others.
On reaching the pit bottom Marston
babe several of the miners follow him,
and he sped away toward No. 3 jig,
with them at his heels. In quarter
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