St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-09-17
BLACK ROCK.
trContinued from last week. I

ANXIOUS, and my tongue stammered
snd became silent. Then, laying her
hand upon my arm, she said, with gen.
tie sweetness:
oTell me your trouble, Mr.. Craig
and | knew my agony had come, and
burst out:
"Oh if it were only miner
"She turned quite white, and, with
her deep eyes-yOu'ye noticed her eyes
drawing the truth out Of mine, she
said;
ais it mine, Mr.. Craig, and my ba-
by's?
81 waited, thinking with what words
TO begin. She put one hand to her
heart and with the other caught a little
noplar tree that shivered under her
grasp and said, with white lips, but
even more gently:
"Tell me-
II wondered at my voice being so
steady as l said:
"NIrs. Mavor, God will help you and
YOUR baby. There has been an acct
dent. and it is all over
"She was a miners wife, and there
WAS no need for more. could see the
pattern of the sunlight falling through
the trees upon the grass. 1 could hear
the murmur of the river and the cry of
the catbird in the bushes, but we SEEM
ed to be in a strange and unreal world.
Suddenly she stretched out her hands
to NE and with a little moan said:
"Take me to him.
asst down for a moment or two,' I
entreated.
"'No, no; am quite ready. See,' she
added quietly; L am quite strong
81 set off by short cut leading to
her home, hoping the men would be
there ahead of us; but, passing me, she
walked swiftly through the trees, and
followed in fear. AS we came near
the main path l heard the sound Of
feet, and / tried to stop her, but she,
too, had heard and knew.
"Oh, let me gop she said piteously.
You need not fear
"And had not the heart to stop her.
In little opening among the pines we
met the bearers. When the men saw
her, they laid their burden gently down
upon the carpet Of yellow pine needles,
and then, for they had the hearts Of
true men in them, they went away into
the bushes and left her alone with the
dead She went swiftly to his side,
making no cry; but, kneeling beside
him. she stroked his face and hands
and touched his curls with her fingers,
murmuring all the time soft words Of
love.
"'Oh, my darling, my bonny, bonny
darling, speak to me! Will you not
speak to me just one little word? oh,
my love, my love, my hearts love!
Listen, my darling!
And she put her lips to his ear,
whispering, and then the awful still
ness. Suddenly she lifted her head
and scanned his face, and then, glanc-
ing round with a wild surprise in her
eyes, she cried:
"'He will not speak to me! Oh, he
will not speak to mel
Il signed to the men, and as they
came forward l went to her and took
her hands.
"'Oh,' she said, with a wall in her
voice, he will not speak to me!
"The men were sobbing aloud. She
looked at them with wide open eyes
of wonder.
"'Why are they weeping? Will he
never speak to me again? Tell me,
she insisted gently.
1.-THE words were running through
my head,
There's land that is fairer than day,
and l said them over to her, holding
her hands firmly in mine. She gazeC
at me as if in a dream, and the ligh
slowly faded from her eyes as she
said, tearing her hands from mine an(
waving them toward the mountains
and the woods:
"'But never more here! Never NOR
herep
II believe in heaven and the othe
life, but l confess that for a moment i
all seemed shadowy beside the realit.
Of this warm, bright world, full of lif
and love. She was very i'll for tw
nights, and when the coffin was close
a new baby lay In the fathers arms.
"She slowly came back to life. bu
there were no more songs. The miner
still come about her shop and talk t
her baby and bring her their sorrow
and troubles; but, though she is a
ways gentle, almost tender, with then
no man ever says Sing And that i
why am glad she sang last week.
will be good for her and good TO
them"
"Why does she stay3" I asked.
MAYORS people wanted her to go t
Them" he replied,
"They have money-she told m
about it-but her heart is in the gray
up there under the pines, and, beside
she hopes to do something for the mil
ers, and she will not leave them"
attn afraid 1 snorted a little impi
tiently as l said: Nonsense! VIII,
with her face and manner and voi(
she could be anything she liked
Edinburgh or in London"
"And why Edinburgh or London
he asked coolly.
"WhyT" 1 repeated a little hotl
"You think this is better?"