The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-29

sunk from sight. In an instant self is
obliterated. every nerve is tense for
| the effort which lies before him.
| AS he nears the boat the curly head
Of Ruth is just rising from the dark
| water. With one hand graspns firmly
| the bodice of her frock, few strokes
| of the free arm brings them to the
| side Of the boat, and restores her to
| the frantic mother. But now for the
| greater effort before him. VIII he be
able to save the drowning girl, who
has a second time sunk out of eight?
Can he do it? But he does not ask.
| Watching where the water last closed
| over her until the half unconscious
form again approaches the surface. he
grasps her at the back attempting to
support her thus until the boat, now
| drawing near, may give assistance.
But with the frenzy common to the
drowning, she clutches him about the
nec,- and drags him down. Those watch
ing from the boats feel that both are
| drowned, but the strong arm and
dauntless courage of Paul Benedict are
not to be defeated, and at last they
again rise to the surface, this time
so near the approaching boat that
with the tardy assistance of Percy Hol-
den she is lifted. unconscious. and
placed in Maize DENIES arms.
A second time Percy Holden leaned
out to assist the now exhausted res
| cuer, but not so; his hold upon tie
| boat side relaxed and he sank back
| into the water. For another he had
| gladly accepted his assistance: for
| himself he could not. When after a
| few seconds of exhaustion he was
seen to turn and slowly swim toward
the shore, there was the light of newly
awaked emotion in Maize Dennies S
| countenance. JOY and pride in his
| bravery seemed still half mingled with
| fear-fear that she might yet lose
something which had suddenly be-
come precious in her sight
| Among the pleasures planned for
| the guests of Gray Swan had been that
| of a trip to the Fairfield mines, with
Paul Benedict. to whom every cham
Der of these great underground caverns
| was familiar, to act as guide.
On Friday morning. all having recov-
cred from the effects of the incident
| just related. Gray Swan Cottage was
scene of activity at an early hour. A
| picnic dinner in a grove overlooking
| the valley was a feature of the day.
| All hands were busy in packing the
baskets of goodies and putting in read
| mess other accessories for the days
pleasure. BY ten o'clock the party
| were at the station. whence a short
| ride by trolley would bring them to
| their destination.
The morning was fair and as the
swift flying trolley sped onward, over
| hills, with glimpses of blue mountain
| chains beyond. and down the valleys,
| decked with fields of waving corn joy
| and gladness seemed evident every
where. The breeze that swept through
| the open tourist car, causing hats to
| lose their balance, and tossing into
| distracting confusion the rinGlets sur
| rounding the fair young faces, seemed
| but in keeping with the reckless gaiety
| which had taken possession of all
| minds save one. To Paul Benedict the
| life beneath the ground suggests too
| much of hardship and suffering for him
| to contemplate it even from dis
| tance, in the spirit of mirth evident
| among his companions. 1t Is with evil
| dent effort that he meets the raillery
| and jesting words of those about him,
| for his own thoughts awakened dur
| ing the preceding days, helps to out
weigh the buoyancy of spirit which ma
| ture would suggest
Noontide finds the party dining be-
meath the shade of oaks and pine trees,
which clothe the hills on the western
outskirts of the town. The view which
| lay before them was indicative of
| different life than that from which
| a two hours ride had transported
them. That, faryland of beauty and
| pleasure; this, land of stern real-
! ties. activities and toll.
Long black mounds of culm lay
stretched across the valley, with here
| and there tall black breaker rising
| like dark skeleton figures from the
surrounding blacknesS. On the north
ern and southern horizons distant
wreaths of smoke are issuing from
| other skeleton figures, and other black
| mounds, these constituting the only
visible evidence of this monarch Of
| industries, which, hidden in the deep
bosom of the earth, has honeycombed
for many miles the Lackawanna val
ley.
Arriving at the mines, the party are
taken down in the little iron cage to
a depth of several hundred feet. AL
though they find the atmosphere some
what repulsive to nostrils accustomed
to the sweet-sCented air of verdant
hills and the Eruesome darkness send
ing "creeps" along their spinal verte-
brae, yet the spirit of the weakest
does not falter. They are bent upon
research and adventure, and to what
young being, filled with the abundant
vitality of healthful life, is there not
fascination in earth's mysteries and
struggles, even though death and de-
| struction are mingled in its conflicts?
For a few moments they watch the
forlorn- looking mules patiently plod-
ding back and forth with their bur-
den of black rocks, only working out
their lives in darkness, and yet filling
an important part in this buried world
of activity, Down where the great
steam pumps are forcing out the water
they are told of an underground flood.
How rift in the earth above had once
let torrent come pouring into the
mines, filling the working until men,
mules and machinery We're all afloat,
and grave disaster was only prevented
by cutting new channel for the
mountain brook, which had by chance
found so deep a bed.
AS they penetrate a long low cham
her, from which the miners are busily
breaking out the black diamonds and
| delivering them to the waiting cars,
| they engage in conversation one whose
bent form and Scared face indicate
| long experience in this hidden realm
| of chance and labor. When asked what