The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-05

word \ few cured his cowsrdicd
-zmote wondered q his flighi
Bernard whispered % Anne All
yellow, you see But she did
not hear him, apparentiy-she gave
him NO answer. She was thinking
hard. Curate Lee knew the outer
face Of the workings as did no ons
else. He loved outdoors with al
passion-and the coal country va
q magic land to his lowland s07J.l
He had spent all his scaqt le!LdIe
ranging it-what might he not
have foundi She asked herself
the question. over and over as she
went among the women crouching
here and there with children at the
breast or clinging tight to their
skirts, She soothed them-bet TO
those berett she dared, not even
breathe a shadowy hope, only
pressed their hands and stroked
the heads Of their children-what
timo she could spare from making
them comfortable in the shade. III
was high noon. blazing hot but
somehow she did not feel Il. I'll
was left to Bernard to supply fans,
ice water, milk and fruit. He had
forgotten hlmSelf and his enmities.
letting his fine realities come tol
the surface. Anne was dimly con.
scious Of the change, but Il seemed
futile and trivial. Here in the face
OF death afr, clean, fresh and sweet.
was all that mattered.
There was a constant road Oh
arriyals-trains. motors .appara.
tus from the nearest collIeries. al.
manned Wis the pick Of their pro.
tession and every man eager only
to succor the doomed prisoners. Ii
was a time for doing not hoping,
they went at 1t with a will Ia
'massed array. The major wanted
to lead them-these were his owu
men-he must take the greatest
risks. They would not let him,
these eager volunteers. He had
brought back from the big war
less than half his man strength.
He should not give It uselessly Ut
was clearly a forlorn hope, with
heavy odds against winning.
Blasting would make an end Of
the barrier-yet might bring
down so much a greater fall as TO
crush all within range. II nj
crawlway could be cleared at the
top OF the massed earth and rock,
air could be sent in through a
hose-maybe even food and water
then rescue would be certain II
laggard.
So. they set about maxim GIT
these men Of might and muscle.
BY late afternoon they had got In
ten Nfeet-and there were above a
hundred to pass. Moreover, the
roof was none too solid-shor!ng
II meant still slower progress. The
, major, watching with stralning
eyes the snaillike progress; pray
ed silently-he was past speech.
And suddenly there, smote upon
his ears a wild hubbub Of yells, OF
cheers-the maddest eve= heard.
He turned to face Bernard. who
leaped from the descending cage
crying: Major, majorl Come up
They're all safe-all out-evefy
man. -everybody-wants tc
see YOU"
"Why-It was nothlng-less
than nothing. indeed" Cruate Lee
explained. somewhat haltingly and
reddenlcg at what everybody was
saying. you see, / had a notion
the cave in North Hollow ran al
most to the mine-I had meant .
Ion gtime to find out-so II came
to me-this was a good time for
it."
But he was dripping from d
plunge In a subterranean pool, his
clothes in rags, his hands bleeding
from clingtng to jagged rocks.
Also, the men who had follow
ed him the perllous way to safety
had much to say,
Hearing It Bernard said defect
eddy 10 Anne: "of course It is all
up with me now" To which she
retorted: "Goosey, you're ridicu-
! lous. You need caretaker. Sandy
Lee does not-and never. never
will-Besides he has girl back
home"
Clure. Newspaper Syndicate)