The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-05-01


II there'd = been an explosion in the
mine stead Of on top. that would o
been enough sight worse. But bein' it's
the nature of powder to blow up stead
Of down, why, it jest natchelly stand,
70 reason that them men amt hurt .
mite. Oh, you amt no call to take on.
hcney-sure. I'd bet dollar against q
doughnut with anybody that they're all
down there as live g crickets this min
ute-jest natchelly swearin' m ram.
pagin' round, like enough, because it's
gettin' on toward dinner time n them
without bite. That's the man of it,
you know. Nawthin' riles 'em quite 30
much e gettin' left at meal times.'
Dorothy looked at her with sort Of
dazed bewilderment for an instant,
breaking out into wild, hysterical
laughter, which almost instantly
turned to uncomfortable sobbing.
Stirred to quick sympathy be.
yond any thought Of social differ.
ence or >arm-length ceremonial, tho
woman caught her in q warm,
motherly embrace, and, equally obliv.
xOu9 VI SAS 0IAf9uS5 VI ouSA ASoeAAS-
place, the girl hid her face against the
ample shoulder with the simple aban.
don OF q child.
= =. ''There, there, honey, that's right,
1t'l do you good" murmured the
woman, understandingly, soothingly
ratting Dorothy's back, while at
the same time bestowing nod Of
Intelligence upon Harvey Neil. who
had rushed up with anxious.
pafned face, although too discreet to
utter word of his eager sympathy, his
wild longing to be of some service to his
love. "Women's hearts is like that.
! When they're full to Dustin nawthin'
eases 'em up like good cry"
Continually. the crowd was increas.
Ing. A line Of willing hands quickly
formed to convey water from the Mas
cot pumps; while mothers, wives and
children of the imprisoned miners, sur.
rounded by sympathetic friends, looked
on, sobbing and moaning. Hardly any
impression seemed to be made on the
flames until, after what appeared q
long time in the possessing Impotence.
the extinguisher arrived from camp;
and even then, when the fire was con.
quered, progress was tediously slow.
The heavy blackened timbers were hot
and difficult to handle. while, for want
of space, only few could work at clear
ing away the debris which choked tho
mouth Of the shaft.
It was not until the middle of tho
afternoon that an attempt could be
made to enter the mine, and then it was
Harvey Neil who came forward, the
first to go down. A solemn hush fell
upon the crowd as they watched him
step into the bucket, while the crude
hosting apparatus, hastily constructed,
creakingly passed him out of sight.
Everybody knew that if the air below
had turned foul, as many held must be
the case, another victim might be added
to swell the horror Of that day; and
hardly whisper broke the stiffness
until the signal came to bid them draw
him back. Then, as he reappeared, a
wild cheer broke from lips turned pale,
and women sobbed for JOY when'he told
that the air seemed good, which prom.
ised we'll for the men below; but he had
found, some forty feet down. fallen tim
bers 50 ~wedged across the shaft that
there must be more hard work before
the full descent could be made.
The sun was setting when finally the
way was clear. Again Neil laid his hand
on the side Of the bucket, although now
there were others who would have
gone; but there was that in his manner
which gave him the place without dis
cussion; and again the crowd, in awed
expectancy, watched him out Of sight.
He was gone much longer this time;
and when at length he returned, tho
first look at his face told the staring
eyes what it was that. covered by
coat. lay huddled in the bucket at his