The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-12-23

nlerubered her shy appeal tina, re
wculd do The best he could for The
Master Key"
II think we had better 20 into the
mine: we can talk there he said.
"'rhey are setting off Il blast" Gallon
remarked.
Dorr looked up Mt the car roaring
past them overhead and said suddenly:
BEFORE anything else you ought to fix
that trcStlc. Some day IL car will go
over on the dump"
Gallon looked up and then glanced ut
Dorr. Il guess you're right. John; I've
thought of that myself. Things have
kind Of gone ut loose ends Now I'll
see to it myself with your help. be-
cause have something to say to you"
There comes Ruth with Il basket of
lunch." said Dorr.
"Ol. yes. When am away from
the house she often liicnics With me
here in the mine. Say, I'm going up
on the tr"stlc. Have another talk
with Tuhbs. He is all right. but he
HIS S't SditicS>. ie'I HiiI W heep w
the slack of his cabI" | tell you.
John. | have wanted to tall, to you
for long time, but first I'm going to
look after that cable. because can
see YOU are right and we might have
n bad accident"
AS the old man started into the
mine. putting one foot after the other
with that careleSsneSs characteristic
Of men becoming drrrcpit. Il man ran
ont of the month Of the mine waving
bis arms Almost instantly following
him came q puff Of gray blue smoke.
which scared upward and spread ont
as If it We're the blossom of cloud
warmed into full bloom by the hot
sunlight pouring down into the val
ley
Ruth lot fall the lunch basket and
stared upward at that dark. murky
hole in the hill. Was john there:
Was her father there? She knew
that that bulky cloud blooming into
the heavens meant death beneath
tho ground. UnwittingIy she crict
John" Then she remembered her
tilinl duty. and her next word. wills,
pered toward that billowing. cdhying
mass Of vapcr was Father"
Thus do maidens confess to God the
secrets of their heart. hut let us see
how they conceal from men these
sa me sacred mysteries.
Ruth fastened her pace toward the
entrance Of the mine. Tie sla e gave
way under her little feet. hut she
struggled upward until she reached
the trcstc. Having lived all her life
In a mining camp. thrrr was no ter
ror for her IN anything hut fallin;
rock. That CffuSion of smoke float
Ing over the hillside seemed to speak
of disaster. She knew the peril of
a premature explosion. and sh" also
knew every working of ''Jhe Master
Key" And again she wondered whcth-
or it was John DorT' or her father ar
both who were sitting for air within
that dark tunnel.
She did not see John Dorr talkin" to
the engineer below her. nor did she soc
tho miner who had Just left the mine
and was scramblinc down the ladder.
Her thought was that during this noon
hour, when both shifts were OF duty. |
her father had Gon" in and accidentally |
set off a blast. What blastin. was
done In "rhr Master Roy" usually |
took place durin. tho incoming. but ow-
ing to carrlessncss ii was sometimes
! I, hat all l,n 1,lasiv ~
SGT off. She had seen men hrlcheI ont |
Of that dark hole before furious gusts |
Of gas. And yet why was The ore car
inside? That. too. spelled disaster.
She dropped the lunch basket aud
pulled out the pocket electric light /
,nly tiny hole in the billowin. smoke. |
She rushed btindly In. trusting t" her |
ong familiarity with the tunnel tn find !
her father. |
Thus il was That father and daughter |
passed each other in The darkness: |
;allon grimly but silently c'irsin- the /
,wkwardncss of his mcn. Ruth trying !
% choke ont the names IF he two men |
she loved. Suddenly she came into the
REQ :lir. The little beam of her LAM, |
,howed her nothing hut an ore ear ana
he tools dropped hr The last shift,
when they had quit for dinner
Father" she cried. pccrin. into thu
larkmcSs beyond
John"
She stepped on into the shadow aud
allied asain. Her foot slipped ON the
'ough floor of the tunnel. and us she
ricd 10 save herself her lamp fell \
moment later she saw Il tricklc Of fire
along toward the bending. 1t
vas fuse leading to II blast that had
lot vet been shot. Wit, AL light gone
Nccpt that blue flicker. priined in rs
he w:ls by the ore car. standing: there
With set brakes. what hope had she:
low long would it he before that 1T
IL gust OF tinlEc reached the powder?
many ways Instead of using 20 per
'ent dynamite everywhere and deto-
lating 1t by electricity. lie still insisted
N using old fashioned powder and
ampins it with II fuse. Il sign of his
bStnHcy.
She climbed into the ore car and
riel To unset the brakes. 1t was her
rama C0rreSnOndinn tn