The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-06-18
"Will you not stay to superb she

will you not stay to supper?" she
asked.
He assented eagerly. Half an hour
later Geoffry, passing by, saw them all
three sitting together, chatting gayly.
With a curse he turned away and for
hours tramped over the snow in the
darkness.
- -
On December %, the day following,
Geoffry and the Norwegian " ere work
ing on the footwan on the third tier
up from the level mining out the fourth
tier underhand. This, portion of the
mine had caved in the year previous.
and the rooms were filed and the posts
more or less crushed, so that great care
was necessary in taking out the pill
lars. They had worked out one lot of
sets on the east side Of the pillar, and
were engaged on the one next to it.
In mining these crushed pillars, sets Of
smaller dimension are used, in order
that very little ground should be open
dat one time without timber. Here
the ground was so soft that laths We're
driven to support the back until the
timber could be put in. This particular
set was nearly out, and prop and
head-board had been erected to support
the laths, this prop resting on plank
Laid across the tagging Of the set below.
Geo1fry and the Norwegian were work
ing silently, but now 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 drunk until
daylight, and now, with the liquor
working in his brain. mad desires chas-
ed 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 eau
ton. Never once did he turn his back
to the Englishman; never once was
his attention detracted from his dan
ger.
Like two dumb brutes, filed with
savage impulse, the primal wish of a
man to kill, they worked side by side
in the narrow place. The Norwegian
moved to the other end where work
was necessary, when suddenly he
slipped. With hoarse cry the English
man sprang forward with uplifted i'm
plement to brain his fallen antagonist,
when suddenly there was crashing
behind them 1.-THE framework gave way;
huge masses of ore and rock descended
with rumble like an avalanche. The
Einglishman 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 Norwegian and saw that he was
pinned to the earth by masses of ore
Fastening 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 entombed.
The Norwegian was grooming in the
greatest pain, and Geoffry lifted his
head and pressed his flask to the lips
Of the dying man, whose eyes never in
his agony left those Of the other. While
before the picture was that of primal
man, born to kill, to slay. to annihilate,
now 1t was a picture of that human
brotherhood which lies deep down be-
meath all evil desires and toward which
the young world is struggling and strug-
Cling.
Into the eyes Of the Norwegian the
Erglishman 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 became stiff. Geof-
fry's rival was dead. The Englishman
shut up in that horrible prison, threw
himself upon the body and wept. How
long he remained thus he never knew,
for what are periods when anguish an
initiates time-when the lines Of the
poet, "out of space, out Of time" give
certain divinity to human nature.
Geoffry did not suffer from suffocation.
Although shut out from the world by
what seemed a solid wall a draught of
air was apparent and it was evident
there We're crevices somewhere.
Meanwhile the news of the disaster
had spread far and wide. The captain
was busy over his books in his little
Office and near him sat bonny Kat.
Why did she come? Was 1t to catch
glimpse of the Norwegian as he
emerged from the shaft? Was love,
then, so impatient? A man covered
with dirt and CRIME rushed into the
Office.
An accident, Captain -''
"Where?"
ION the third tier. The Norwegian.
Bnorgson, and Geoffry were working
there"
Kate gave cry. Her face was the
color Of the paid landscape now, and
she sprang up Like a deer shot to the
heart, while with quivering lips she
gazed at the messenger of evil.
us he-are they killed?" she asked.
the words falling slowly.
There isn't much chance"
Now in the mine the men were work
ing with will clearing away the enor-
nous masses Of ore and rock. The onlv
chance for the men was that they were
imprisoned, not crushed, and that was a
faint hope at the best Among the
throng Of workers was Kate, who her
self worked until her strength was ex-
hausted. Gang relieved gang, and still
the great mass seemed to become i'm
pregnable. On the second day the men
paused, for they thought they heard
something. They listened intently. It
was faint rapping on a timber.
"They are alive-at least one of
them," shouted a miner. 'To work
with will. men, --..-.z F..
Then Kate, aroused from her stupor.
took her place among the workers.
Back, lass,'' said her father. "A