Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-09

tnidSQ net 81 she attempted 10
get away. He was becoming mad
with jealousy ana wished TO pre-
vent her returning altogether. at
any rate while stephen Vas
there
Mother Maheu. wound mp to a
pitch wanted there and then to
so TO MontSou to slap Chavars
lace. She did not do so. but
GATHERINGS days work was lost,
nevertheless. and do what she
would the mother could not pre-
vail upon her daughter to break
With her lover
Two days after that there WAS
another upset ON Monday and
Tuesday, Johuny whom they
believed to he quietly working at
The pit. went off to the Nandame
forest with Bebert and Lydia.
There was no doubt of his being
the instigator of the escapade:
consequently he received sound
drubbing, applied in public by
Mother Maheu in presence of the
terrified youth and infant popu-
lation oc the village.
Had the like ever been seen
before with children who had
done nothing but cost money
from their birth, and WHO ought
TO bring III something now. at
any rate? And the cry was, as
II were the recollection ~ her
own bitter infancy, OF the hered-
itary misery thst made OF each
little one Of the brood bread
winner for the future
ON that particular morning
when the men and the girl start
ed FOR the pit Mother Ma theu sat
up in bed and shouted to John
ny, You dare do II again, you
Wicked aoe. and I'll take every
bit o. skin off your body"
At Maheu's new cutting the la
Dor Was very hard That part OF
the feionniere vein was grow
ing thinner each day. 80 that the
heNers wedsed between the wall
and the roof bruised their elbows
While plying their picks. Besides
the water came in more and more;
they were in constant apprehen-
SION of being Hooded by one Of
those abrupt torrents that split
the rock snd carry away the men
The day before Stephen, while
Violently driving home his pick
and Wrenchine il back again. had
received full IN the face squirt
~ water. but il was only a
warning; the cutting got simply
more sNamped and unhealthy.
Besides, he never SO much as
thought OF possible accidents, his
daily life having become like tina
or his comrades. careless or dan
ger.
They lived among the damp
without even feeling its leaden
weight on their eyelids, without
perceiNine the kind OF spidery web
1t left hanging on their lashes
Al times, however, when the
fame of the lamp, burning low
er and lower grew bluishlN pale.
mere was passing thought
NouChsated to it, 4 miner glued
his ear To the wall 10 hear the
kissing noise Of the gas which
eNuded in little air bubbles from
the creViCeS, But the Consta Mt
ANdI NAlbA AiiHE oNcl lHeTfl was
that OF slip, for besides the in %
SufftcieDcy OF The propping, al
ways too hastily Slurred over the
rock scarcely held together. sod
dened as IL was with the water
suddenly spouting out in euor-
nous jets.
Already that DAY Msheu had
been obliged t. have the props
va x,s l..
>, the men were going up. l,ying
on his side, Stephen was tuggins
away at block when 4 dista nj
rumbling shook the whole OF the
mine. What's this" he said
leaving his pick welded into the
coal. He was under the impres
sion that he gallery was tumblins
about his head.
But Maheu Was already Slidine
down the slope or the cutting
. crying out, quick, quick; It's 4
Slip"
All the men went down like
lightning. driven by the same
brotherly impulses for the safety
Of their fellows The flames OF
their lamps bobbed violently vi
and down H. the deadlike silence
that had fallen upon them. They
scampered along the traction
ways in single Ale, their backs
bent double as II they were gal
ioping on al fours. and. without
slackeninx their speed, they in
terroEated each other with = WORD
and answered aS brieHv. wv here
i itr' "lU the cuttings per.
aaIs. NJ. u came from I've
low from Tie main hau,aEe gsF,
err more likely When the,
came 20 the air shaft, they as II
were. plunged into IL, rolled over