St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-02-29

peared he was received with sullen ani
suspicious silence, being more thar
half suspected Of wanting the breat
out of some other mouth. Morris wa,
shocked almost out of recognition o.
himself by this unexpected state o.
things. for he felt himself passively Il
blame. He could not lay the odiun
on the shoulders of his agent, for hs
had never asked him a single question
concerning the mine or the moral OF
physical welfare Of the men. He had
taken the revenue from it as part of hi.
patrimony. Indifferent as to methods
He had been helping to grind women
and children into the dust that he
lnight loll In luxury. His conscience
stung him with reproaches which were
inadequate to make him suffer as he de.
| served.
"Your hand. friend" he had said Il
the foreman, and noted the ugly scow
and determined air of refusal with
which the man drew back.
1T amt as white as yours. and how
do l know that you are my friend p
Was the reply.
Il am here to see what you need, and
will help you il you will let me-" an
swered Morris, gently.
"A spy or an overseer, like enough
The sooner you get out of these quar-.
tiers the better for your health. If one
of the bloomin' mine owners sent you
here, 60 back an tell him t amt safe
to come spyin' roun'. Tell him, too
that we'll give him o warmer welcome
hounds that they all are!"
The miners, dirty, black and complain.
ing, had gathered around the foreman,
and, although they hated him, they
were bound to him by common grudge
Tell them to come and get filed with
warm lead-weu heat it fur the
'casion," said = burly miner known as
"Old Geordie."
"They dassn't come nigh their own
property" said another; they're white
livered towards and not worth the pow
der to blow 'em to thunder"
go back to your master and tell him
what his lovin' workmen says" said the
foreman, contemptuously, AN get q
photygraff of some of the hungry chill
drer and dyin' mothers for the family
album. My missus will give you hers. .
"Men," said the stranger. unbutron-
ing his heavy ulster and throwing it
open, shave you ever heard Of Morris
Holmes?"
A groan and q series Of yells saluted
him.
AYE, and his father afore him. It's
that he might lie soft and eat fine food
that we gets lost in the choke an damp.
Ii he sent you. 60 back and tell him
10 come out here himself. We hev a
long account to settle, and the figgers
is waitin'."
It was 'Old Geordie" who spoke.
II am Norris Holmes"
Now, If there il any quality that the
rough and lawless Of creation recognize
and admire. 1t is courage, and after the
Hrst start of surprise, which in that sod
den crowd was genuine and dramatic,
the men felt an instant respect for this
weakling Of wealth, who was not afraid
of them, and something like q cheer
broke from their hoarse thrOats.
Il am here to right your wrongs," !"
continued Norris, In a voice that sound
ed like . commander ON the battle
field, "but demand protection at your
hands. demand your confidence and
that Of your wives and children.
have the right to ask this. For the
present that Is oil have to say"
A few cheered him, others remained
sullen and discontented, good news be-
ing received with caution and suspicion.
Eleanor Landsberg had no word from
Norris for six months. Then she re-
ceived a paper marked in red ink, which
had . paragraph that interested her.
1t gave . plain statement Of the great
improvement that had taken place in
the Little Summit mine. and went on to
describe the comfortable homes of the
miners, the new machinery which had
been put into the mines to take the place
of child labor, the comfortable stables
above the ground that had been built
for the mules, the improved social con-
ditions of the mems families. and ended
with glowing tribute to the noble
energy of the young and athletic mine
owner, Norris Holmes"
Athletic? Eleanor repeated the word
with much satisfaction. It was of
moral athletes she was thinking. and it
pleased her nightly that this word
could thus be applied to Morris.
In q few moments she received sec
ond newspaper, published like the first.
in town adjoining the mines, and Civ
ing the news of that section of the coun-
try. It also contained . marked para
graph, but the marking was irregular
black lines of jagged pencil, and ON the
border was drawn . rude hand, point
ing to the notice and the badly written
but legible 'Old Geordie."
Eleanor read in . few intense words
the news that had been sent to her.
There had been an accident in the mine.
The roof Of the entire chamber had fall
en- and buried 20 miners beneath It.
The men were rescued with great diff
ficulty, and some of them were badly in
jured. When al were supposed to have
been saved, there was wailing cry, and
the wife of ''Old Georilie" struggled
from the hands of friends and tried to
throw herself into the mine. Norris
Holmes. pale and out Of breath. called
for men to 60 down with him and res
cue 'Old Geordie." No one responded.
The men owed their lives to their fami-
lies, and they knew the danger Of q fall
ing roof. So Norris, with one look at
the blue sky above, swung into the cage
and was lowered alone amid IN awe
stricken silence into the bosom Of death.
There was not much to tell. When the
signal was given there were willing
hands to help deliver the two men from
the wreckage, but only one came up
alive. The other had succumbed to
the fatal damp. A long panegyric fol-
lowed, but il meant little to Eleanor.
Her eyes rested On four oft-quoted
haeknNves3 lineR That elone6 the story