Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-10-06
THE LADY IN The
COAL MINE

/ on the track Dy the DOX car loader.
"Mr Gronoway?" she chirruped,
extending gloved hand to the sooty
one OF the mine boss reluctantly held
out
/ "The same, ma am" said Dan, with
the air of man to whom time is
money.
my name is Ethel Hunter" she
said. in a friendly way Il am tray-
cling representative for the Ladies
Delight, a beautiful publication, and
when | sell so many copies / get
teachers course free in the uni
versity."
"Yesm," was the foreman's brief
response, as he began edging off.
Il want to go down in the mine"
1.-THE del mean, yes'm said Dan,
recovering himself.
when can | go?"
Eye can't 50 at all"
but | have written order from
Mr. Thufston, the manager"
"Then let Mr.. Thurston come and
show ye around"
The young woman looked with
troubled eyes into the stern face of
the foreman.
Il heard you were such nice man."
she said
They be telling lies on me-" re-
turned Dan, though not unkindly.
But, look a here. Miss-er-'
Hunter"
Miss Hunter-it's as dark as
stack of black cats down there, and
there be mule trains whizzing by
every blessed minute, and the cross
entries has got water in 'em and there
be rats as big as cats"
The young woman burst into tears.
Several men had gathered around,
during the colloquy and looked sym
pathizingly at the fair petitioner.
And | wanted to be teacher, so
as to support my poor old mother and
little brothers and sisters!' she
sob3ed.
A slight framed, wiry man touched
the foreman on the arm
"Tll so with her, Dan,' he whis-
pered.
ards, a shot firer. The young woman
with a big family responsibility wiped
her eyes and looked gratefully at the
slight framed knight. BY a con-
temptuous shrug of his shoulders Dan
indicated the washing of his hands
in connection with the whole fool
business, and returned to his wire
cable.
AS the seven o'clock whistle was
splitting the air above the engine
room of No. s the next morning the
lady with mission appeared at the
tipple and sought her cavalier. She
was attired in a coarse black gar
ment and wore heavy shawl over
her head, but it did not hide seduc-
tive little curls which peeped out over
the white forehead.
At the bottom Jack filled and hand
ed her a pit lamp, which she took
gingerly and transported at arms
length. The shot firer loaded her
with advice, which she took with muir
murs of gratitude.
When they got out on the far en-
tries, where the miners were at work
the lady proceeded to business
In most of the rooms it was not
necessary to go into details about the
widowed mother and little children
before the dollar came for the Ladies
Delight. Where they didn't have the
money, she took in order on the treas
urer. Not a man baked. 1t would
look mean, they thought, to turn down
handsome lady who had defied the
horrors of the underground world to
visit them.
The woman solicitor had a way of
talking which made each man think
she had gone down on purpose to see
him. They had never heard of the
Ladies' Delight, and wouldn't have
known it from an almanac of the
vintage of 70 but they did know this
young woman knew how to talk, and
that she was brave and pretty.
At the end of the second day, when
a complet haul had been made in the
mine, Miss Hunter turned to her es-
cort.
Il guess you think it funny Mr..
Richards" she said, that l go down
in the mine after men to sell them
woman's paper rather than see their
wives, who are IN on earth"
1T did look a little odd at first, re-
piled the shot-frer, but | believe l
know the reason now"
The lady smiled.
81 began in the mines of Wyoming"
she said, land then through Kansas.
I've been in every mine in this dis
trict. Out there at 81, where they
employ Italians and negroes who can't
read. over half of them subscribed If
I'd worked them on top / wouldn't
have taken six subscriptions. Now
you've been good to me, my friend,
and l."
Don't mention it" said Jack, back
ing off
She was reaching into her handbag
where she kept her money,