Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-01-13


IF its not too late. Oh, you poor,
little baby with your terribly wise eyes,
will you come with me? Joe, will YOU"
Anne made her way down the shak
ing ladders without being heard. Her
swollen heart seemed crowding her
throat. She stood in the chilling rain
quivering with excitement. She had
had her first glimpse into Donald $ soul,
and it had terrified her.
1t was still early when they returned
for lunch to the hotel. Joe, stunned
into silence and with round eyes, &C.
companied them.
I'm going to adopt him." was all
the explanation Of his presence Donald
had given. He was again as unreadable
as a mollusk, and Anne could almost
believe the scene i'll the breaker had
been of her imagining.
Hours afterward, as she sat i'll tho
rainy dusk writing All impassioned ac-
count of the day, faint knock sounded
Oh her door. Donald stood outside, very
pale, an unusual eagerness in his man
ner.
"If you want tosee what mino looks
like, Miss Garrick, this will be your
only chance. The sheriff and his men
have come over with militia, and for
the past hour the engines have been 60
ing, pumping down air, you know.
They think that perhaps Red Evans is
hiding there"
but could he? How could no get
down if the cage wasn't working"
"You see, besides tho cage there's an
iron bar-a sort of ladder with fiat
prongs laid upon it, the whole only half
q yard wide. This goes down through
q separate opening. It's put there as q
precaution i'll case Of explosions or in
jury to the cage, but it's matter of
life and death to use it. A desperate
man, however, wouldn't hesitate to
take the one chance The sheriff fancies
Red Evans may be clinging to the
bar a good way down beyond sight, yet
not too far from the air. don't believe
it. It's almost absurd. But they're 60
ing down and will take us along.
"All right" said Anne. But I
won't tell DIR. Ericsson. He might be
nervous"
Twenty minates later they were
again at the mine. The scene was ami
mated now. Lanterns like the eyes Of
uncanny animals shot from one point to
another in the falling night A line Of
soldiers controlled the swell of the
mountain, and above the strikers, with
their families, sullenly watched. From
wooden sheds came the braying Of
mules. Four men stood near the cage,
which resembled q huge lass boiler
with round opening for air at mans
height. The kissing and throbbing of
engines and the sound Of many voices
filled the valley with life.
Anne's fingers were unsteady as she
put on the miners protecting outfit.
This was rubber blouse to her knees
and wide brimmed, glazed hat, lit
tie oil lamp Pickering in front just
above the brim.
Ready" said the sheriff, and the
wire rope throbbed.
The cage shot down with tremendous
speed. The lamps OH the hats flared in
the gust through the circular opening
in the wall. 1t was breathless, anxious
descent. Anne closed her eyes and stood
like one in trance until the Journey
was completed.
When by Donald's side she stepped
into the underworld, an overwhelming
depression seized her. She had not
dreamed low the knowledge of being
1000 feet beneath the ground she trod
10 lightly could chill heart. The rank,
moist place smelled of death. She gazed
at the jagged ceiling of coal upheld by
tremendous tree trunks placed at regu-
lar distances and forming rude aisle,
the fungus on props and beams, the
sluggish pools in every depression, the
empty mule carts and discarded picks
Just where the hat lamps flung their
beams there was light, and beyond lay
appalling mystery.
You'd better sit on this knoll"
And Donald, circling his lantern over
his head, showed her the up hill recesses
Of a vast worked out chamber. "I'll 20
with the men down this gangway bit
Well not be far away. See, they're
looking in the mule carts. I'd like to
be on the spot if they get him. want
his face"
"I'll be alone here" was Anne's in
ward exclamation. "You won't be
long," she said and sat down, apparent
ly calm.
"We're just going down this gang
way. And Donald turned away, his
fingers tingling to sketch her as she sat
there. the light f1aring above her eyes.
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men entering into the various hewn
chambers, plunging their lanterns into
clumsy carts, leaping into pits. Her
heart seemed to have ceased beating.
She found herself waiting for cry Of
triumph and fancied the searchers drag
ging out a struggling, stormy browed
figure, the murderer at bay.
Then an unlocked for thing happened.
Without warning the moving throng of
figures turned q corner, and she was
alone in silence save for the dropping of
water, in darkness save for the light
upon her hat. She seemed to become
stone surrounded by an atmosphere Of
horror.
This paralyzing spell broke, and her
blood crept in cold currents around her
spine, for up in the black hollow be.
hind her she heard quick breath, then
another, and piece of coal tinkled
down the declivity to her feet The
breathing came closer. 1t was Just be-
hind her now. There was q step, and
she knew horror unnamable stood at
her back. She did not turn or move
the stiff fingers clasping her knee or
flicker an eyelid.
She was reused from the thrall of ter
ror by sight to haunt her while she
lived. A man groveled before her, his
supplicating clutch upon her knee. The
uncertain flame Of her lamp flung blue
splashes into the hollows of his face.
His red hair was glued to his throat.
The red streaked flannel shirt was open
to the waist. showing his hairy chest.
Mildew and coal black covered him.
There was a mortal hunger in his
glance. She was gazing at Red Evans
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