Webster City freeman., 1912-04-09
added much to his really distinguished

added much to his really distinguished
appearance.
When Mrs. Denton presented him to
Josephine she said: ''Mr Eastman is
one of our new people You may ex-
plain yourself, Mr. Eastman
Yes" said Josephine, everybody
here has to be labeled and put into his
proper pigeon hole. Are you medic.
law or lit?"
"As assistant to Professor Coolidge,
l am labeled engineering"
"Oh, then you are the new mining
engineer? l consider myself something
of a mining expert, for was down in
a mine once"
"That ought to give you full claim
to the title" he replied with smile.
cat least it is distinction. for few
ladies are ever allowed that privilege"
$50 l learned after / came up"
Just then dinner was announced.
At the table Mr.. Eastman was seated
opposite Josephine and for the first
time was far enough away really to
see her. She wore filmy dress of
seafoam green, round at the neck and
with sleeves that fell away from the
arm at the elbow. The dark gray of
her eyes held a CLINT of green. : Her
lips were red and slightly dropping
at the corners. Her hair was yellow
brown, curling softly about the face
and heavy on the head so that the
shell. combs with difficulty held it in
place.
Josephine laid her napkin in her lap
looked around at the people that she
cared SO much for and then her hand
went up to her head with character
istic motion to see if all was secure.
For an instant Mr.. Eastman's heart
stood still. The table, the guests, the
beautiful women all vanished-nothing
remained but the white hand with the
opal ring, and that, instead of touch
ing the tawny hair, was reaching for
a blown-out candle in miners red
dened hat. He could not be mistaken
in the hand that for the past five
years had unconsciously guided him
from the lowest level of the mine to
this land of books and flowers and
interesting people.
1t had been to him almost a spectral
hand-"Joe's hand to be sure, but
who Joe was or where in the wide
world she might be were questions
that held no hope of an anwser But
that beautiful hand with its warn,
grasp which he had felt for an instant
had been his guide to this ideal life
which was fast becoming a reality.
The teacher had trained his mind,
Jackson had set the standard for a
strong and refined manhood, but Joe's
hand had brought the human touch OF
the upper world
Then the dinner and the people came
back to him and he tried to listen to
the president, who was telling story
in his own charming way.
At last the dinner was over and as
the older people gathered at one end
Of the parlor he found it easy to have,
Josephine to himself far from the
others.
What kind of a mine did you go
into?" he asked
1T was hard ore mine at Ishpem-
ing II you are from Columbia YOU
probably don't know our local geogra-
phy.'
Il have heard of Ishpeming," he an
swered.
"Why. yes, now I remember there
were a lot of mining students there
from Columbia that same summer
wonder if you were with them?"
"No, I never went there with the
Students
THAT expedition to the mine made
a great impression upon me. 1t was
very weird and strange"
How far down did you go?"
ITO the third level only" After q
moments silence, Two or three pic
lures remain vividly in my mind"
Tell me about them"
81 remember how frightened / was
when we stepped out of that cage and
before came accustomed to the
semi darkness don't know why I
was frightened, but was until Mr..
Jackson, the young engineer who
went down with us, called one of the
miners to come with US. After that
felt safe"
i wonder why?'
"I don't know exactly, but he SEEM
ed 50 strong and shall never forget
his eyes. They were different from
those Of the other miners Theirs
were sharp and keen as though strain
ed to peer into the darkness, but his
were soft and gentle"
Mt. Eastman adjusted his glasses
more firmly.
Then, when they blasted. he SEEM
ed to understand that would not like
it,
How do you know that? What did
he say?'
81 don't think he spoke word all
the time we were there, but when the
explosion came, somehow our hands
touched and l knew then that he real