The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-24
rcopyrlght. 1897. BY Alfred r. Caihoun.I
PART 1.

face is exhausted. but because OF the
disaster that has sooner or later come
upon every enterprise started in the
valley.
But Black Hollow, though never an i'm
viting place, was at ONE time regarded
as the most promising, If not the most
prosperous. of all the anthracite coal
fields in Pennsylvania. Just after the
war, when wages were high, the place
was in the first flush of success. The
Black Hollow had fourfhundred miners
cabins and boarding houses. all full;
and it felt proud of It's square, unpaint-
ed frame hotel, and of the great ram
bling store of the company-two places
that absorbed most of the earnings of
the miners.
The hotel was known as the LuZerpe
house, though there was no sign to in
dicatc the namc. The house was very
popular because of the genial manner
of the forid, rotund landlord. Peter
Grier, and---some thought--because of
the winning ways and rare beauty OF
his daughter, Kate.
When Peter Grier's wife died, every
one who knew him wondered why, in
stead of hiring housekeeper, he did
not take Kate from the seminary at
Bethlehem and give her charge of the
establishment. In reply to this the
landlord would say:
IT hope to leave the child little
money. 1 am not eslucated. more's the
pity, but Kate shall be. want her 10
learn how to be happy and TO make
others happy"
plan, X ate Grier was kept at the seminary
till she was past nineteen, when she
came home to BACK Hollow with a
diploma, the respect of her teachers
and the love of her. classmates.
"Pete is givin' that gal too much
schoolin'. She'll come back to Black
Hollow too stuck up TO know her neigh
bors, and with more ,airs than prize
filly at county fair" That is what the
rural solons, who supplied the miners
with vegetables and dairy products
prophesied; and to do them Justice,
they were amongst the firstto aclSnowl-
edge they had erred-as TO Kate Grfer.
When tho girl took up her permanent
residence at the Luzerue house, the es-
tablishment changed Its character.
She induced her father to paint the dull
gray extension, not white, but color
that gave a warm glow to the dreary
setting. without being IN discord with
IL. The house became a show place for
the bare-legged, tow-headed children,
who never wearied of listening to the
sanaries in the sitting-room and admir-
Ing the blossoming plants in the prin-
cipal window.
Rufus Hinton, the mine BOSS" had
boarded at the ''Luzerne" ever since he
came. from Scranton. He was we'll
built, gray y-eyed man under thirty, re-
firing in his manners and popular be-
cause of his consideration for the men
under him. He had the reputation OF
being no end of scholar, because his
spare time was devoted to books, and
the company paid him large salary be
cause Of his skill as a civil and mechan-
acal engineer.
Peter Grier knew that Rufus Hinton
was caring for his widowed mother and
educating promising sister, and so,
when tho young mans plain attire was
commented on, the landlord would say,
with knowing shake of his bald head:
There's richer and more dandified
mon than Rufe Hinton, but no better
one ever showed up in Black Holler."
Even IL his tastes led that way, or his
means warranted ii, the young mans
work would have barred fine clothes.
Nearly half his time was spent hundreds
of feet below the sunlight. with an oil
lamp blazing In the front of his stiff
hat, his face and hands as black as ~
negro's, and the originGl color of his
Jumper and overalls hidklen by layers
OF coal dust and grease.
It was noticed after the coming of
Kate, that Rufus Hinton always care
fully washed his face and hands wher
he came to the house for his MONDAY
meal, and that when of duty he always
appeared in his SUNDAY go-to-meetini
best" and this change set the men won
dering and their wives talking.
The only piano that eversounds with
In eightmiles of Black Hollow was tho
one Peter Grier ordered from Philadel-
phia for his daughter. The first night
the girl played the instrument was an
epoch in the history of Black Hollow.
The whole village turned out 20 listen,
and slatternly women daudled their
young babes, and with cries OF delight
the bare-legged children danced out
side TO the music.
It was known that Rufus Hinton
could do everything necessary about a
coal mine, but his most ardent ad-
mirers never imagined be could sing.
But he sang that night to Kate's accom-
paniment, in high. clear baritone that
thrilled the wondering women and
children and drew the crowd from the
bar.
''Mr. Hinton's good enough for Kate
Crier. and he's dead in love with her. but
he hasn't got the courage TO tell her 81.
II he wasn't such goose. he'd see that
Dick Bradford Is cuttin' him out" This