Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1899-07-07

A iCI oh W I1elly lnat l mad over
heard them.
The next day we were all under.
ground as usual. Somehow or other
Matty and Marwood and me found
ourselves always pretty close together
lie seemed to me to be hanging on to
Jim in a way l didn't like, hearing
what had heard, and l kept as close
to both as l we'll could.
noticed the dwarf scarce took his
eyes off jim, except at II o'clock, when
we stopped for our bits of food, and
then he sat in corner by himself un-
der truck and scribbled on a scrap of
paper, with 4 queer sort Of smile on his
face.
In the afternoon we got down to q
lower level. 1t was a dangerous part
of the mine, as we all knew, and we
kept our davy lamps pretty tight, can
tell you.
There's fire-damp about here" said
one of the men.
"And a spark would settle the lot of
us, wouldn't itY' said the dwarf
"Ah, that it would" Jim answered.
Nothing more was said about fire.
damp, however, and that day, the long
est day l had ever known, came
around to G o'clock without an explo-
sion.
The cages were ready for us to get
up to the top Of the shaft, and most of
the men had gone.
"You go now," says to the dwarf.
mo-" he answers; 'I'm going to stay
little overtime tonight. You all go on
and send the cage down again for me.
And look here, give this to your sister
Hetty-will you?-and tell her to open
it."
He put bundle into my hand tied
up in handkerchief. l took it gingerly
enough, for with such suspicious in my
mind half expected it might 90 off in
my face somehow.
what are you afraid off," he asks,
sharp.
Nothing" says as sharp.
And we touched the signal rope, and
up went Jim and me, and the dwarf
stood underneath and turned his face
up, watching us out Of sight.
Well, l felt more comfortable when
we put our feet on firm ground on top
of the shaft and had sent the cage
down again for him.
"Wonder what's in that bundle?"
says Jim.
Maybe Hetty will tell you some
time," l replied, little thinking how it
concerned him.
took it home and called Hetty to
open it. Our cottage wasn't far from
the pits, and it couldn't have been
above ten minutes since the dwarf had
put it into my hand.
She undid the knot, and there-if you
would believe it-were the title deeds
of his cottage and $50 tied up in a bit
of canvas and the scrap Of paper 1 had
seen him scribble under the truck.
There were these words on it:
"What is here is for you. Ugly and
miserable l am, wicked am not.
said you shouldn't marry him while 1
was alive, and l shall keep my word.
Think kindly Of dwarf if you can.
God made me as well as him."
We hadn't got to the end of the poor,
dirty little letter when we heard q
sound that made our hearts stand still
"a long, dull roaring shaking the floor
we stood on, as If it was thunder under
our feet.
"An explosion in the miner says
Hetty. with face as white as chalk.
1t was no use trying to dig him out.
He knew when he opened his davy
lamp-and he must have opened it
that human help could never reach him
there.
She cried about it for a week, and
said she should never be happy again.
But l think she is happy now, for she
married come the Easter after. They
live in Matty's cottage still, and the
garden is all abloom with fowers.-
London Evening News.
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