The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1902-03-06

Tvs itNrts Lf eWNcH ettHhft W. 'N'
sriier ~st his promised ~iie.
Dovn 10 The underground chem Der OF th'
mine st David Grafton, the msnsser. he
too. us reading . letter. snd lie isce trsu
black /. thunder. He pssred closer snt
closer TO the typevritien sheet, 10 thopst
be could scarce believe bis eyes Tb'
room sss lighted by csndlo 10 miners
sharp pointed csn5l,siicts, sSd stray puG,
Of cir made them flicker badly.
4 Jsct, be cried sharply. Hsetst writes
that the onsppt muss be doubled or ibs
mine closes down.
That wss the hu,b, bnt not the whole
truth ltwss the bluff sitb which be bad
decided to yin Jack over TO bis side.
| What's that you ssyf answered Jsck,
. bsnt and bearded Coruishmsp.
He vent dosn on bic knees connecting
feed pipe With diamond drill eel up
sasinst the fscs Of The rock,
Tho output most be doubled or the
mine closes dowo, repeated Grafton 10 .
higher hey.
Can't do il. II sin't 10 the Evening Star
to twinkle that bright.
Bot i,'s 10 the b -sy Bee, Oar pri
vsts borines chow II, whispered Grafton,
Jack wasn't surprised h the speech.
He knew Grafton wsll. bad worked With
him for years, 80 be SWING round on bis
knees and lesrsd: Going to stssl' Eur
The manager flushed crimson.
We're Just taking . loan. II we don't,
the entire bank Of cssh we've thrown into
this cursed hole is gone. and, ss . psrtioe
shot, your losns 60 With il.
The old msa was silent. A nervous
twitcbine OF the mouth betrayed bis exotic
ment. and his hand trem bled % be stretch
cd out to untie the red handkerchief 10
the can beside him. He pulled ont sand
wich and began muDcbing on IL. Grafton
rose and stood looking st him sheepishly.
Neither spoke for time,
The nine hundred foot level Of the Even
ing Stsr had been run hundred feet west
wsrd from the main shaft. timbered up
solid like tunnel oil the way, Beyond
was the underground room where
the ms1sger and the drill hand we're work
iug Then cam. five feet Of solid rock. YET
nnexcsvated. inside the boundry line Of
he miue. Beyond that every inoh OF the
rock belonged to the Widow Baird.
The late owner Of the Busy Bee had
sunk . shalt and followed the losdstsi
lode westward with Indifferent success,
while, oil unknown TO him, 10 the eastern
portion oil bis mice bounded by the Eveo
ing Star lay ions Of che weslth which
makes men mad. Year alter year OF heavy
expenditure, poor returns and . supers
buudspce OF litlsstion had disbesrted hin,
90 the Busy Bee closed down. Shortly
aiterwsrd Baird died. II vas sid that
disapp ointment had crashed him. Grsi
ton had been the decesseds intimste
ompsnion sud one Of the experts on
whose advice Baird had relied, Knowing
the widows low financial state, be assured
Hsegsrt, We can buy the mine Tor cong.
The Evening Star WAS completely plsy
ed out. NJ one knew thst better than be
lie vas drawing . princely salary for bis
work, snd the monthly reports to The
owner had beea couohsd in srAndeloq uen b.
language. bat the lstter's eyes were open
1t last. Grafton had approached the
widow with = misery offer aud was stag
ssred II the reply, The mine is not for
sale. Hs knew tbs woman bad nothing,
Her dsug hter1 besssrly ssrninss ss . mil
liner could not keep them both and psy
rent snd taxes besides. Some one vas do
log it, and the mspsger :swots roundly 1t
the unknown ben'f .c.or.
When the Oornishmsn finished bic
scsnty lunob,b began leisursly oiling the
drill bearings Grafton stood snporintend
ing.
You're not With us. thsn. Jsckp
I'm not saying I'm not. wss the sharp
reply.
Grafton erinned. He knew from that
the man would be easily bribed, 90 hs
let the mstter rest.
You'll will be on til 6. tbenp
Yes, cir.
Very good. II Ryan comes down while
I'm gone, don't let him in here. We don't
wan, him longer Ia % we'll not to 10.
him see the position Of the drill.
Aye, aye. muttered Jack.
The manager seiz d . candle snd har
ried along the level TO the sbsft and enter
I'd the cage, which came swinging mp 10
lhe surface. BE hsd % uncomfortable
'ssk to perform snd msdo straight Tor the
5fice. Rysn ssw bin coming and crushed
The love letter 10 his pocket
Morning. said Grafton gloomily.
TIE bookkseper cbeeriulIy scknosleds
ID the bslihesited sAintstion, He bad
been 80 exemplary clerk. and the manssr
'elt II necessary TO screw up bic ooursee
andsr cover oi . pretended search. He
pulled out letter books. Isdssrs, anything
,e could Icy bis hands Oh, and unlocked
mail privs,e drawer. drew ont . file Of ,
pspers end began fum bling among them.
4 small blue pint clipped out snd fall On ,
,olicsd to the a ior. A, last be closed the ,
fraser silh . bang and turoed round sb
Tupdy.
We don't need your services longer. I
Bran. H,res your cteet, Lsvs The
Ie,s 90 the desk. LII set them when ,
feturo.
he elsIosd u biz Sstob, mutieied
Z even tsenty ire sud ssiked ont
Ryan. stunned, stood ttsrips 1t the