Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-01-13
The Man in
the Pit
10. 1925. Western Newspaper Union,
BY F. H. SWEET

manded.
Anything. boss" eagerly-"that is
I'll be after tryin' anything. Ye see
I'm temp'rally embar-"
SLOW long will We stayY'
"As longs yen kape me. Ye see"
"Well call 1t week to start. II
ye're worker, we'll make q longer
contract. Hennessy," raising his voice.
"Soor?" from somewhere below.
"T Is q new man, down to We for
week." yelled Muldoon. Says he
can do anything. Put him to It,"
"Hennessy's me pit foreman" ex-
planned Muldoon to the new man.
Hes the devils driver for shirk, but
good friend to the worker. IT Is a
flea In your ear. An ye'd better walk
down the slope to the pit careful. for
7 is clay an soft an wet.
Muldoon fingered near the top Of the
slope. with his back turned but see.
ing out Of the corners of his eyes.
Being so difficult to get into the pi:
and out, the foreman and his men re-
manned down there through the week,
only coming out Saturday nights t"
clean up and draw their pay.
Muldoon hardly visited the slope
again during the week. There were
plenty Of things to be overlooked
about the big contract.
But he was near the slope when the
men pulled themselves up one BY one
1oddnr dNun rho
slope for the purpose.
With the ladder hauled up. there
was practically no escape. The new
man had stumbled and slid down. but
he could not slide back.
He came up the ladder several men
behind Hennessy. on whom he kept a
cautious and apprehensive glance. But
as soon as the pit foreman turned
away, he whirled gloweringly to Mul-
doom.
II want me wages" he stormed. "Ye
sent me down there Understandings,
We did So Look at me, stick OF mud
The clothes were worth more than the
wages Yell pay for them"
"Hennessy mentioned We stole some
tasty vittles that were his"
"A workin' man Is provided with his
eatin's."
81 do so provide, literally an OF
wholesome sorts. Ye stole extras. Bur
IL yen answer questions III pass over
the stealin' WHAT'S your nameY
IN Mike Terney."
"Ye do not look like a Mike. Try
ag'in."
"What we maneT
"Hennessy." called Muldoon, Come
here a minute. The new man Is think
in mebbe he'll go down in the pit for
another week, without cleanin' up. Is
any grub down there for him to eat
over SundayW
PLENTY"
81 will not so go down ever ag'm."
declared the man venomously.
what is your name|
The man shot yelled look at Null
doon's big frame and steady gaze, and
at Hennessy's scowl.
"The-the truth Is Pat Nora" he
muttered.
"Ye don't look It. Try jest once
more, or the pit for mebbe month"
"Well, then, t Is Barney Swanan,
devil take ye."
'"T is better. Now what sort OF
colleen did we court in Ireland, an
how did we make Out?'
81 have no use for colleens," sui
lenly,
"Hennessy."
I'll did court the prettiest girl in
in Cork" hurriedly, "an' married her
and brought her to America. But who
the blazes are we. wantin' to know 80
much?"
aye mistake in Cork, Borney
Seems t was in Athole belize. Tell
the truth. What did ye do with the
colleen? Mind, the pit is much the
same as the bigger one ye're goin to
by an Bly, A month in the little one
will learn we the ways OF the big.
Answer me. An was there another
rival ye?"
"The-There was big gossoon that
me girl fouted. He was bulkin' loony
she deteSted."
"What did We tell her about himT'
"N-nothin'l"
"Hennessey."
"Well, then, II did say"
1.-THE TRUTH" Numbered MuldOon.
81 told her he-was a-a-thlevin
rapscalllon the police were after" des'
perately.
"What did. We do with the colleenT
isle left me-" ahjectly.
"WhyY
Maybe IL ceat her. some, an
an worked hard at the drink. She
she got q divorce"
"Whenr
"Seven year ago ne."
"Where7"
.Tn-in Pittsburgh. An she's up
there vet, a. a nurse In hospital.
1--we sort of kept track Of her.
thinkin' mebbe-"
do We reminder the big leony's