The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-11

smart. as straight as a pole, with his
blue eyes looking so frank and smiling,
and you'd say he looked a picture.
He struck up mighty affection fsr
me before he had been a month i'm the
gang. He told me all about his friends
and suchlike, most confidential. and
found out he had To keep his mother
and hadn't "a 6 pence he could call his
own.
Well. one day--I remember IL as clear
as yesterday--it was between the
lights on a September evening, l was
smoking my pipe i'm our back room
father was out of the house-when ]
heard voices in the other room across
the passage. 1t was Matty and my Sis
ter talking together.
Matty was the dwarf He had long
Welsh name. but we called him Mat
"" i'm the general way because of his
rough hair. and he didn't seem 10 mind
the joke.
II love you" he says to Hetty. i've
loved YOU ever since 1 seen you. Won't Z
you marry me? I'd be good husband
TO you"
She went into light kind OF scorn-
ful laugh.
Marry you?" she says why. Matty,
YOU must be dreaming! OF course, j
won't"
He was silent for minute, then he
Il
know. but l love you better than any
other man will ever love you. and I've
a comfortable home 10 offer you"
IF you had twenty homes, l wouldn't
have YOU" she answers quick. $50 do
say no more about It,"
think he moved round the room af-
ter that, for his voice sounded nearer
To me. He spoke short and savage
like;
Jim Marwoods the man that stands
between you and me. Do you think
I've been blind? Jim Marwood has got
your heart, and do you think you'll ev-
er marry him while I'm alive?'
Hetty never was the girl to be cowed,
and she flashed around on him the next
moment like gunpowder:
"It is Jim Marwood that has got my
heart and I have his, and I'm not
ashamed to say IL before you or any
man. 1 know you've got your cottage
and your garden that you are so NOR
tai proud Of and l know Jim Is poor
and we shall have to wait for years
but you needn't think you'll frighter
me out OF marrying him, for you won't;
and ~ l didn't marry him I'd never
marry such miserable. wicked, ugly
little wretch as youl So don't flatter
yourself I would"
I saw him no more that night and l
didn't let on TO Hetty that 1 had over
nehfu lUcIl.
The next day we were all under
ground as usual Somehow or other
Matty and Marwood and me found our
selves always pretty close together. Tie
seemed TO me Co be hanging on To Jim
i'm a way l didn't like. hearing what ]
had heard. and I kept as close to both
as well as ] could.
noticed that the dwarf scarce took
his eyes of Jim. except AZ II O'Clock
when we stopped for our bits OF food
and then he sat in a corner by himself
under "A truck and scrlbbled ON "A scrap
of paper. with queer sort Of smile on
his face.
In the afternoon We got down to n
lower level. II was a dangerous part
of ~ mine. as we all knew. and we
kept our dayy lamps pretty tight. I can
tell YOU.
There's nrc-damp about here"
said ono OF the men.
And a spark would settle the lot Of
us. wouidn't itf" said the dwarf.
"Ah. that II would" Jim answered.
Nothing moro VAS said about the f1rc.
damp. however and that day the long
est day had ever known. came around
to 8 o'clock without an explosion
The cages were ready for us 10 get up