Morris tribune., 1902-05-31

to do more than swear.
But, ON the whole, the antileague
men were in favor of a respectable
ball, ard most of the league men deter
mined to show their appreciation Of
the concession of the committee to the
principles Of the league in the impor-
tant matter of refreshments by attend
ing in force.
Nixon would not go. However jaun-
tily he might talk, he could not trust
himself, as he said, where whisky was
flowing, for it got into his nose ''like a
fshhook into salmon" He was from
Nova Scotia. For like reason Vernon
Winton, the young Oxford fellow,
would not go. When they chaffed, his
lips grew little thinner and the color
deepened in his handsome face, but he
went on his way. Geordie despised the
"hale hypothick" as "daft ploy," and
the spending of SIS upon a ticket he
considered a "sinfu' waste O guild sii-
ler," and he warned Billy against
"coontenancin' ony sic redeeklus non
sense"
But no one expected Billy to go, al
though in the last two months he had
done wonders for his personal appear
ance and for his position in the social
scale as well. They all knew what a
fight he was making and esteemed him
accordingly. How we'll I remember the
pleased pride in his face when he told
me in the afternoon of the committees
&Io& ho cbo tot ~
orchestra with his cello! 1t was not
simply that his cello was his joy and
pride, but he felt it to be a recognition
of his return to responsibility.
I have often wondered how things
combine at times to a mans destruc-
ton.
Had Mr.. Craig not been away at the
Landing that week, had Geordie not
been on the night shift, had Mrs. Ma
vor not been so occupied with the care
Of her sick child it may be Billy might
have been saved his fall.
The anticipation Of the ball stirred
Black Rock and the camps with thrill
Of eXpectant delight. Nowadays when
find myself forced to leave my quiet
smoke in my studio after dinner at the
call of some social engagement which
have failed to elude 1 groan at my
hard lot, and l wonder as look back
and remember the pleasurable antici
patton with which I viewed the ap--
preaching ball. But 1 do not wonder
now any more than 1 did then at the
eager delight of the men who for seven
days in the week swung their picks up
in the dark breasts Of the mines or who
chopped and sawed among the solitary
silences of the great forests. Any break
in the long and weary monotony was
welcome. What mattered the cost or
consequence? To the rudest and least
cultured Of them the sameneSs of the
life must have been hard to bear, but
what it was to men who had seen life
in it's most cultured and attractive
forms fail to imagine. From the mine.
black and foul, to the shack, bare,
cheerless and sometimes hideously re-
pulsiye, life swung in heart grinding
monotony till the longing for a big
drink" or some other ''big break be-
came too great to bear.
1t was we'll on toward evening when
Sandy's four horse team, with a load
of men from the woods, came swing
ing round the curves of the mountain
road and down the street. A gay
crowd they were with their bright,
brown faces and hearty voices, and
in ten minutes the whole street SEEM |
ed alive with Fundamentally had
a faculty Of spreading themselves so. |
After night fell the miners came down
"done up slick" for this was a great
occasion, and they must be up to it.
The manager appeared in evening
dress, but this was voted ''too giddy"
by the majority.
AS Graeme and l passed up to the |
Black Rock hotel, in the large store
room of which the ball was to be held,
we met old man Nelson, looking very |
grave.
''Going, Nelson, aren't you?' l said. !
eyes," he answered slowly. "Pll |
drop in, though 1 don't like the looks
of things much"
"What's the matter, Nelson?" asked |
Graeme cheerily. "There's no funeral |
on"
Perhaps not" replied Nelson, '''but
l wish Mr. Craig were at home" And
then he added. '"There's Idaho and |
Slavin together and you may bet the
devil isn't far off"
But Graeme laughed at his suspicion, |
and we passed on. The orchestra was
tuning up. There were two violins, a |
concertina and the cello. Billy Breen |
was lovingly lingering his instrument,
now and then INDUCING himself in a |
little snatch Of some air that came to |
him out of his happier past. He look
ed perfectly delighted, and as paused |
to listen he gave me proud glance out
Of his deep little, blue eyes and went |
on playing softly to himself. Present
~ Shaw came along.
That's good, Billy" he called out. |
"You've got the trick vet, I see"
But Billy only nodded and went on
playing.
where's Nixon?" l asked.
"Gone to bed" said Shaw, land l am