Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-01-27
The old SILVER TRAII.
~ MARY {. SnCkNeY.
CHATTER NI.-CoNTINrFn.

tcopyright ,ss& BY J. B uPplncou Col
CHATTER NI.-CoNTrNUEp.
Neil's face was pale and a strange
light shone in his eyes as he stepped IN
front Of her, barring the way. "You
could love me IL you would let yourself
Il know it,-and you are false to your
: self when you turn from me like this"
he declared, in a tense tone. You are
Spaking a mountain out of this trouble
II the mines, when between you and me
: : is as nothing. To me, indeed, there is
ling on earth shat constructing
:saiue IN the least in comparison
with your love. III could have that. the
rest would settle Itself / would con-
cede anything-sacrifice anything"
lie stopped. looking about with a
startled glance, his eyes coming back to
her face. which wore a strangely fright
sned expression. There was a strong
smell of burning wood about them.
while a dark cloud was streaming up
against the blueness Of the sky behind
the rocks which cut off all below from
their view.
''What Is it," she exclaimed. But
even as she spoke. there was a deafenihg
explosion, while the sky seemed black
: cned by q rushing mass riddled with
myrisds of darker blotches, of which
hundreds seemed TO be falling all about
them. fragments of still burning wood.
vivid with fright, Dorothy had thrown
into the arms that were in
sotely reached out TO seize her.
V it7 oh. what has hanr,--.
she ned, hid q - eyes shuooerihs
atsins-1n Shoulder.
cit is nothing, sweetheart; you are
ssfs,- he murmured. his cheek laid
caressingly against her soft hair. For
the moment IL appeared to him indeed
that nothing counted against the fact
that he was holding her there in his
arms unharmed-against the sweet
truth that she had come TO that shelter
of her own impulse; but the man of
affairs was quick TO awake In him even
in all the tremulous JOY of feeling that
In this unconsidered action she had vir-
tGally conceded his hearts desire. But
must leave you, dearest. You will not
mind II go for q moment To see what ii
Is" he urged, tepderly holding her the
ev LS-aafs, the thought of pres
xntly letting her go. you will wait
until I come back?''
NO; will go with you," she rejoined.
her cheeks stili pale with fright. ''Oh,
l mus" rs his look seemed TO dissuade
her.
His thoughts had flown at once to the
Mascot shafthouse, from his memory of
time wbena similar explosion had
rcut the air TO leave him almost penni-
less Could it be that such devilish
work had been repeated? She must not
come NO, dear one. Do you not see
that, whatever has happened, we should
not be seen coming back together" he
breathlessly argued, knowing that here
was something she would surely heed.
"Please. sweetheart" he pleadingly
D.dded, as she still hesitated.
'But must stay here until you come
. Ack ?" she hdplessly questioned, trern-
- ing sim ms she drew away from him.
.will you surely come back?"
Surely, II can. IL do not come
whit ten minutes and then come Your
self" So he breath,essly planned,
moved 10 take her again in his arms,
jnPetas6bsly showering kisses upon he.
In spite of all the awful possibilities Of
the moment, mad with joy that she did
not repulse him. Whatever happens,
sweetheart he passionately whispered
as he left her, remember that now you
are mine-mine."
Dorothy waited. nervously pacing
back and forth, for few minutes, try
isg 70 think what she had done, what
Il meant, and to what end il all portend-
ed. Did she love him? Had she loved
him all the while? And what would
her father say? But, unnerved as she
was, with the dense cloud of smoke
still rising and the confused sound of
s-ashing timbers and hoarse Giles con-
tinus1ly growing louder, coherent
thought was out of the question Half
Of the time for which Neil had stipu-
lated had not passed by before she could
endure the suspense no longer and was
hnfrying down the hill herself, now
6lled with alarmed yc.--ion that she
had been induced to delay her coming at
all. since IL needed but a glance in the
direction of the fire to tell her that
Il was the Grubstake buildings which
were going. She knew enough of the
costly machinery there housed TO be
appalled, at her fathers loss; but II
did not occur to her to think of the
graver menace until she met Harvey
Nea coming back to her and somehow
comprehendsd the awful tragedy in his
face, She etopped as though turned
70 stone. ststiog at him with wild eyes,
her lips parted but incapable of utter
ing any sound.
-You see-it IL the Grubstake," he
painted. his eyes full Of pity and yearn-
Ing tenderness as he took both her
nerveless hands in his. They say the
fire caught in the boiler-bouse and
spread to the shafthouse in an instant
There were powder and giant caps
-pxoned there in the back room-that was
what we heard. twas criminal of Nc
Cready, having such stuff there" He
fingered over the broken sentences,
wsrdine on thsquestion be knew must
And ppa-?" she gasped, withdraw
log her hands and making as though
she would rush on down the hill to see
without waiting for his answer.
1T Is hoped that they are all right,
~ reluctantly returned, his eyes en-
ereating her to have hope. There are
Sen men down the shaft; but II the
~ holds good-it must be all right.
There y sure to be time enough to save
them
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