Evening star., 1924-05-11
FLUFF

visit to the mines Standing at
the foot of the shaft, with the chill
air sweeping about him. he conceived
wanted to get out. He wanted sun
light, trees, i1owers-not shadows
with little pale lights appearing and
| disappearing into silence.
He heard O'Hara calling:
This way"
After a while they reached q. dark
gangway and scrambled up the side,
entering narrow passage. OHara
pushed aside a little canvas curtain,
thick with moisture and coal dust,
and they entered a sort of chimney
of a giant ladder.
At the top of the ladder was a small
black room. A miner worked there,
but scarcely noticed them. O'Hara
shouted something to him above the
shrek Of the air drill that was boring
its way into the coal, and the miner
answered. But Peter could not un-,
derstand. 1t was all unreal to him
the darkness, the intent figures, the
We'll, you've seen enough for one
day." o'Hara said finally close to
his ear and began the descent
His father awaited him in his offlce.
1t was a handsome room, high aboye
the street. with a sweeping view of
the low hills and beyond a gray rib
bon OF water
Dean, tapping his desk with a
pencil end. studied his son.
Well" he said at length, "what do
you think OF the mines?"
feter looked at his father. then out
tho window. He heard his fathers
voice
What's the matter with your Are
you deaf? / asked you how you like
the mines"
"Oh. all right Peter answered In
stantly he saw it was not enough. Ha
plunged on Il wish they weren't so
dirty, though, and so dark"
Dean stared at his son; then hs
laughed. Dirty and dark-did you
think we were running a laundry"
An office boy entered noiselessly
and handed Dean a slip. The effect
was electrical
Clear out" he said to his SON.
"Farwell is here to see me-"
He did not explain who Farwell
was, but Peter sensed his enormous
Importance and rose. He descended
TO the street 1t was pulsing with
life.
NEXT morning Peter went on the
engineering corps. With them
ne spent two highly unsuccessful
months in the heart of the mines.
Peter knew nothing whatever about
taking sights or measuring. He cared
less. He waited sloshing through OLD
abandoned entries full of water or
impregnated with the deadly fire.
damp.
He made mistakes He was late to
work. He hated the place and his
father and the men.
One day he was abruptly transfer
red to the timbering gang-as hard
boiled a crowd of men as you could
find
Peter was a very bad timberman-
one of the worst, it may be said. in
Prendergast's history. Very soon
Dean learned of this His sons fail
ure cut him deeply. That, perhaps,
was what drove him to, take the step
he did.
Peter had had hard day of it. The
foreman, egged on by his father, had
sent him to distant parts of the mine
on difficult jobs, all of which involved
long, back-breaking walks in the
chill darkness, loaded down heavily
with his timberman's tools.
Then o'Hara, passing by, delivered
a message.
Your old man says there's com
pany for dinner and you're to be on
hand"
Peter went home when his shift was
over and dressed. In the dining room
he found a big squares -shouIdered
man and his square -shouldered daugh-
ter. 1t was the first time since Peters
return that a woman had been in the
house. She had red cheeks-round,
firm, shiny onesLand kind. bovine
eyes. Her nose he didn't like. 1t was
too fiat and too pink. Her mouth
was wide and placid She had
pyramid of carefully waved chestnut
hair. She was introduced as Miss
Margaret FarwelL
Instantly Peter remembered the
name as he bowed to her and to her
father. Farwell was the very i'm
portant person whose entrance had
swept Peter aside that first day. Far
well. Yes, that was it
Farwell spoke to Peter. Want to
come over to New York with US for
the week end? Hear you've been
working hard"
why, yes" said Peter; that
is" and he looked at his father.
It'll let you off," Dean nodded.
Think the mines can run a day
without you. Fact Is, I'm going too
a little business-but you two chill
dren needn't bother about that-go
to the theater-do anything you like
good for you.'
Peters heart leaped! Two days In
friends Then he remembered He
was to be Margaret's escort But
oven so, he could get away from her
for hours at a time
Count me in" he said to Farwell
Margaret looked pleased in a calm
fashion. Il think 1t will be very Mica
What shall we see?"
The Follies," said Peter.
'Oh, but I wanted She began,
when her father cut her short
"All right. TIL wire for tickets
"The Folliss" suit me, too"