Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-12-17

young man who had fallen into 1T, not
understanding its construction, was
most securely imprisoned. 1t was vastly
to his credit ESQ Minerva thought) that
he did not raise "a terrible outcry, de-
manding to be released. Surely he must
be young man of the best breeding 10
oonfne himself so considerably to un-
demonstrative excursions around the
3oal heap!
The young lady flew to the bin and
removed the top section of the door. AS
she did SO she found herself face to
face with most woebegone, smooched,
demoralized and bewildered young man.
For moment the two young people
stared at each other speechlessly. Then,
as if moved by simultaneous impulse,
both spoke:
ooh, | am so sorry!"
II beg your pardon most humbly for
my carelessness. -
Then they both laughed weakly.
Minerva snatched the remaining Sec
tion of the door away, and the young
man slid totteringly out upon the cellar
floor, with small avalanche of released
coal.
'It was all our fault" cried Minerva.
1--WE ought to have watched that
wretched coal man and seen that he put
the cover over the scuttle"
"No, it was my fault" objected the
young man II ought to have had my
eyes about me. had no business to be
walking backward on the street l.
Tut, really, Miss
Matthews, interposed Minerva,
noting his questioning hesitation.
REALLY, Miss Matthews, " looking at
nis grimy hands and besmirched linen,
II feel so disreputably dirty that 1 am
going to ask you for the love of human
ity to get me an old pan or basin to
wash this stuff off in
"Come right up stairs, said Minerva
pityingly.
"No, no; l might encounter somebody
beg your pardon for the seeming in
sinuation. But, you know. l had to ell
counter you, and feel toward you a
sense of gratitude for my deliverance
that overrides all other feeling. Isn't
there a laundry tub or something where
l could make a preliminary toilet?"
Minerva LED the way into the base
ment laundry, where there We're set
tubs running water and plenty of soap.
III run up stairs for towels" she
said, and so made a timely escape with
the geyser of laughter that was gushing
up in her throat. She fled into the
kitchen closet, shut the door tight and
collapsed, with the cooks old wrapper
pressed against her face. "Oh, Pm so
glad auntie isn't home today, or Kath-
erine!' she gasped "What would they
do, the hysterical dearsn' She writhed
in fit of suppressed laughter for
minute or two, and then broke forth
and darted up stairs for the towels.
Mrs. Matthews met her at tho head of
the stairs
Don't speak word to NE, mother, "
painted Minerva. Don't: l shall ex-
plode"
She dashed into the bathroom, caught
up a couple of towels and sped down
cellar again.
The laundry was empty. The outside
basement door, standing ajar into the
little back yard, told the story The
young man had fled.
Minerva mechanically gathered up
pair of mournful cuffs that had rolled
under the shadow of the tubs Their
jewelry was of the most modern kind
smoked pearl-but the linen was fine in
texture and quality. 81 guess he must
have been gentleman as far as he
went" unused the girl. She turned the
cuffs this way and that and peered in
side, but there was no name, no clew
Then, with that wonderfully swift,
prophetic intuition of a woman, Mi
nerva Matthews sighed and exclaimed
under her breath:
''Poor Miss Atherton
1t was Miss Atherton who lived next
door. Portland Transcript.