Evening star., 1911-08-13


a huge beam.
"Hang your moping!" the man burst forth Had
known you'd this way. Id never have brought you
Must YOU ALWAYS be thinking of that felowof that
accidento This is not Kennesbarre!7
The sighed. "The mine, said She "brings it
all back-no no. it is something else. perhaps the air
don't know what she let her vcicd head sink into
her rI1 bands u., aaa, -, b .,;a lace
harshy. "lll send you to the springs when we get
back"
The fire boss returned; an cleaned upon his shoul-
der With few blows he cut through and loosened the
brattice and pulled it aside.
Here the air was still heavier,-dank, inert, full of
decav The three little oil lamps rattling in their caps
burned dusky By the faint lurid reflex cast around,
thev saw the rotted beams of the deadwork crumbmg
away covered with mildew and bulging under the
ponderos overhead. Stalactites OF salt hung
from the rocky roof and old rails and wooden ties
lay half buried in the silt of the ancient tunnel In
great chamber excavated in wall their lights re-
vealed titanic of iron, huge boilers, and aban-
doned machinery covered with earth, red with rust,
sprawling amid ruin of brckwork and tangled pipes
coated with sime-a mute, ghostly, and pteous wreck
of power lying forgotten dead, and useless IN the
vast tomb had helped to hollow 1t was like the
decaved monument of some vanished race
@These workings have been robbed. SAID the flre
boss; "that is, most of the intermediate supporting
pillars of coal have been removed The only way to
reach the lower levels is by means of this slope.
They halted before the black. yawning mouth Of the
inclined tunnel.
a am tired said Mrs. Dunford; Il will wait here
and sat down a block of slate
avery well, said her husband; "but must go down
/.
just as well go alone he added turning to NIavis Il
know the run of the workings by heart
The fire boss looked at Mrs Dunford. He felt the
vague terror and alarm that had attacked her If that
is So he answered slowly perhaps had better remain
here with the lady until you return.
" his difficult way down the rock encumbered slope.
The two left behind the light on his cap dwinde
into faint blue then he vanished into lateral gallery
far down.
@hat is the fourteen hundred foot level spoke the
fire boss; "he goes another hundred feet deeper
"You have been long in the mines" asked Mrs Dun
"Since l was fifteen, Madam, answered Mavis.
"And always in this mlne:
NO indeed. I've been here only five years. I've
worked here and there from Pittston down Nine
years spent in big mine at kcnnesbarre
AT Kennesbarre!' she exclaimed in astonishment,
lifting her head suddenly. Il knew the place we'll |
lived there once There a terrible disaster there
sixteen years ago
a remember the accident, said the nodding his
head. A hundred and ten were killed.
a could not stand it, said the woman with an ex-
pressve gesture. death everywhere! too lost
a friend, dear friend. And left soon after
"Frends-it is not only in mines that we lose them
said the fire boss soemnly.
perhaps you may remember my friend, II you were
there He crushed death before the mine caught
fire. They never found his body. His Henry
Mavis"
The fire boss seemed struck into rigidty then with
an effort he asked her repeat the And it
again his His eyes widcncd he stepped closer to
the took off his cap and held It 50 that the rays
fell full upon his backened features at cant be- he
said simply, "because | am Henry Mavis.
Mrs Dunford gave strange nartlculate cry which
echoed through the lonely gallery She and seized
the by the peered up into his eyes covered
his beard and mouth with her hands, pushed back the
long hair from the brow scrutnzed the fine, regular
features with her devouring gaze
"Yes yes! You are. she cried hystercally. Harry,
Harry 1t is you, you-and alive-ave.
HE in turn stared upon her in the saow, smoky
light, seeking to fathom her eyes under the pro-
1act1n (t he he al
by the voluminous motor veil. She oosencd this; it
hung down each side revealing the fair full face and