Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-03
THE DOUBLE CHANCE
Fasna7 Romance Of Wrongly Accused Hero and Loyal Srshe
BY J. S. FLE1C CHER
Anho, of "Rays~-Sads Amagamaion." etc.

pail in one hand and lamp IN the
other, he had got down the shaft in
the easiest fashion possible, nobody
paying the least attention to him.
! Down below Tandy proved himself
| an excellent guide. He appeared to
| know every inch OF That vast
| spreading warren in which huma n
beings. half naked, grimed and black
| ened with coal dust dragged fuel
| from the earths womb with infinite
cost Of sweat and labor to them
selves.
| 1t was indeed a warren, thought
| Stead, as Tandy hurried him along
galleries and passages. and he
| caught Slimpses of forms and lights
| in all directions. 1t made him feel
a momentary sensation OF queerness
to realize that the green grass, and
| the fresh air. and the widespread =
| ing sky. the busy village. the wind
| ing river. and the gray castle. were
(, twelve hundred feet above 1t.
| The disuscd working. of which
! Tandy had spoken az being safe and
! never visited. was one of which
] great things had been expected and
| never realized. Dogger Tandy knew
how to get into it from the main
| workings without attracting atten-
| ton; IL was only 81 question of slip
ping away Up this gallery and down
| thet. He led Stead to the hiding
place he had Thoughts of as surely
as an old mole might have led a
young visitor to the most decent
chamber of its underground castle.
This hiding place was rooted
and boarded room, which had been
intended for an underlooker's office.
! Tandy contrived to get some horse
rugs there, Rnd from the disused
| stable nearby he procured a
! left and was quite dry. The place
was naturally warm enough and
Stead would do well enough in it III
| that respect They had brought
with them food supply for a day
and a half-the full extent of time
which they considered it would be
necessary for the fugitive to remain
| there. And so in this place OF dark
ness Stead was left.
The experience was not pleasant:
he had to admit that before he had
| been there three hours alone. 1t
| was az If hg We're fastened up in
: the middle of the world, with all
the worlds weight pressing upon
him on every side. The blackness
seemed to unsle with life: he
u
strange shapes materialized out OF it.
IL IL had not been that by cautiously
| creeping some little distance along
the gallery to a point where he could
hear the distant ring of picks and
shovels and occasionally shouting
voice. he would have gone mad. The
silence, the sense of oppression. was
awful. He longed to be out again,
to feel the air and see the sky
Hut when DoGger Tandy came to
visit him in his hiding place the first
time. that worthy individual shook
his head as he set his lamp and one
he had brought Stead down on the
rough table which stood in the mid :
die Of the dsused office.
ITS TO use trying to cut II vet.
guv'nor." he said. producing a parcel
nf food and n number of much Crum-
safe for n moment once you poked
your nose outside the shaft They're
on to Your track. and no mistake"
Stead uttered an impatient excla
nation. Il can't stay here much
longer" he said. Il can't"
Tandy shook his head. The sec
ond day won't be as bad as the first.
guv'nor." he said. And. after all.
1t amt prison. nor vet penal
servitude establishment. NV but
they are keeping a bright lookout
for YOU. II so be as you was the
size OF a flea. suv'nor. 7 don't be-
lieve YOU could get out OF Manners
ley Just now. No YOU must wait,
guv'ncr. till the coasts a bit clear.
I've brought enough food and drink
Of the best for another dag. good.
so you'll not starve."
Sfeai fn0lS n mill NJ tho ContanS of
the tin bottle which the miner had
brought. He drank feverishly.
What Is being done up there" he
asked inpatiently. Surely there
must be some way of getting off,
Tandy folded his arms and crossed
his legs as he sat down on the edge
| OF the table.
There's whole heap OF news
papers there, guvnor. "a YOU can
read while the lamp lasts, and thatll
be ten hours he said. and
Il wish there was way of escap-
ing that dark SPELL" interrupted
Stead. That's the worst Of it."
"Ah'" said the miner. splitting on
That's when you want TO go to
| sleep. guv'nor. That's"
Stead snatched at the newspapers.
We'll. wha, if look at these" he
said snappishly. II suppose you
know all there is in them"
Pretty we'll nearly all. guv'nor,"
replied Tandy. Them newspaper
| fcllers has knack, YOU know, of
! wormipg their way everywhere and
getting to know everything. What
J said was that leaving alone what
ever can tell you. you'll see If YOU
read them papers that you're a done
man IL you slip out of this for day
, or two. That's a fact. guv'nor."
And Stead. when he had glanced
over the various accounts in the
daily newspapers which Tandy had
brought him. had to admit that it
would be a very dificult thing to
escape from Mannersley just then.
lie had. perforce. to accept the con-
/ ditions OF his plight and to suffer
p! another twerty-four hours OF life in
| his underground dungeon.
And at the end OF that time things
were no better. Tandy came back
next night with a longer face than
| before.
| They've got q lot of new boobies.
both uniformed and plain clothed.
into the place. guv'nor," he said.
| And there's lots Of our chaps taken
| 70 playing private detective, and on
the prcwl all round the countryside
Scr you. I'll have to put nay think
ing beg to werk to get you out Of
this. And wHat's more. Ruv'nor,
tattss = asHdscns reward eut fer