The Holly chieftain., 1898-12-30

81 will not make Light OF II, MISS
neither will spread it. to make panic
And I'll ask you, if you please, not 10
breathe word of it to Mrs. Casson;
she's easy excited. and no wonder, after
what she's been through. ! wouldn't
mention it to anyone. for fear it would
get about"
Il shall see no one to repeat it to.
said Faith. II shall stay here until the
boat gets in"
They were walking under the trees
that interspersed the wild. park-like
common, between Mission station and
the landing. where the river makes
sharp bend. To the right between the
railroad track and the dark-blue shad-
ows of Fourth of July canyon, stretch
the beautiful Mission meadows. bathed
in sunlight, where the deep summer
grass, ripe for moving. was iazily roll
ing in the breeze.
"And what would you be stayin' here
for, miss, If / might make so bold Q
Casson inquired.
Il am looking down for two friends
of mine who are coming down the river.
hoping TO get here in time for the boat"
said Faith. Il can see them from here
as soon as they pass the bend"
"And wouldn't they be stopping
above by the station?"
NO" said Faith; "they must not be
seen. l must tell this to them, Mr.. Cas-
son, for they are hunted men; they
have not even the safeguard of dis
armed prisoners"
do ye mean that they are fixed to
fight?''
Il do; and they would fight if they
saw these poor men attacked. How
could they help it. even if they threw
their lives away! They must not be
must know all that there is to tell.
must tell them"
That's right" said Casson, gravely;
'but there's others ca tell them. What
might be their business in the Cor de
Lane?"
Mining. That is, one is miner
The other is sort OF miner an
amateur"
Il wouldn't advise any man to be
minin' in the Cor de Lane this year.
unless minin' is his business; there's
neither love nor money in it for fancy
miners. and it's not healthy for them
that's sure!" said Mr.. Casson.
Yes" Faith assented. HE fell up.
der suspicion of the union from the
first. and they warned him to leave,
but he would not go. And then they
took means to get rid of him quietly
but they did not succeed the first time
Do they ever give such thing up?"
Twould be safer for them to finish
the job" said Casson.
What should you advise them, Mr..
Casson. supposing anything even
that this story cannot be true? What
should you say they had better do?"
II would advise them to stay with
their boat, and not set foot on shore
till the steamers at the landin'"
MIR. Casson?" Faith implored. study
ing his face. He was as inscrutable as
If he were talking to child. Still, she
was sure that she could trust him.
"Ye need not be questionin' me, miss.
l know the men," be answered to her
look. "But it's just as well not to be
namin' names. The very leaves of the
trees will whisper it."
II call them my friends" Faith need
lcssly explained, because they were
very good to me once-I would do any
thing in the world!"
Surely We would" Mr.. Casson inter-
rupted easily; land if they were not
your friends, life is life, though it's
only the life of 'scab' or spy"
Faith colored hotly at the word. "Ye
need not fear me, Miss Bingham. I've
had taste of their language myself.
I'm 'thraitor,' 'wage-slave.' I'm
bought an sold for the bread that
goes into me children's mouths. I'm
an excreshence on a healthy laborin
community. to be sloughed off like the
foulness of disease. I'm as fond of the
Miners union that's bossin' this coun-
try us Mike McGowan is, and they'll
make as much out of me, just, if they
come askin' me questions. Now ye
leave me to watch out for the boys,
and III tell them anything at all We
want"
inank you, MT. SasSon; trust you
perfectly, but l cannot let you do it.
They stood by me, and will stay by
them. 1t may be the one thing am
here to do; and you have your wife
and children"
They're not meddlin' with women
and children. Ye had better leave the
men to me-"
II couldn't, Mr.. Casson," said the
girl. with sud persistence. She was
distressed by his questioning regard,
and blushed for her own disingenuous-
ness. I'VE have had fearful time at
the mine," she went on, leading him
away from the tenderer subject. ibid
you hear about our poor ChinamanY"
II did, miss; and a wonder they left
the life in Kim SO long. Sole an lone
he was, the only Chinyman in the Cor
de Lane, SO hear; and only for Abby
Steers not wantin' to do her own work
he'd have been fired, they say, the same
as all the rest, before he'd barely set
foot in il; for what that woman says
is law with the union boys"