Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-09-16
man-killing stage now!" Iohn paused.

"lan-Kling stage now!"' John paused
l. I've been watching you-ans
Josephine" Van Horn continued SLOW
~. shes difficult John, you know
what l mean. Women demand a lot
l know, John, I know" The olde,
man looked kindly at the young en-.
gineer. "This work is making you
but women don't see such things
not all of them, at least: Pug made
your body what it is, the school,
have helped your mind, but thi.
work, with its damnable demands, j.
forging character. God, boy, l envy
you the fight" Van Horn was tenss
But you have still another thing te
DO, and that is to get and keep you,
woman-your wife. 1t means a 10,
to me, John, more than you know
l wish a day could be set for you,
marriage; say next June?
Pm ready, Gill" John laughed
and looked away.
Josephine can get her trousseau
IN Paris, I've promised her that. III
speak to her, a run across will do nc
harm, winter in the south of France
and back here early in the spring
How about that John.
Things may be easier for me by
chat time, Gil" John visioned a win
ter of uninterrupted work. He
would get" the shaft and tunnel
BY that time; he would master the
work, and take his place with the
men who counted, the hard true men
who worked with him on the Job.
Never in his life had he expected to
have such slavish v~eneration for hu-
man beings as he had for the men of
great rock pressure tunnel crawling
beneath the u~nknowing people Of
the city.
by the way" John remarked as
he was about to go, Josephine is
coming down to the job some night
next week. You've seen the thing.
/ thought Rantoul might like to see
it, too. He got me the first 'ap-
pointment, I'll never forget that"
Good boy. It's something that
will open her eyes. Show her the
whole works, John; good luck to
you"
And the night Josephine came
John was in the thick of a big tun-
mel accident.
Rantoul's gray cushioned 1imou-
sine drew up silently at the entrance
to the shaft enclosure. Josephine
Lambert, on the arm of Rantoul,
walked gingerly toward the shaft
head. Women were crowding about
the head-house; weeping, wailing
women. Children were crying. She
knew the tunnel was a terrible place.
But this? 1t was horror! Something
had gone wrong. Rantoul held her
arm, and led her toward the Office
of the section engineer, Josephine
trembled. "You stay here" he said,
seating her before the desk in the de-
serted office, brilliant with its clus-
tiers of lights above the drafting
tables. Something wrong below. I'll
see." He was superbly calm
John! l hope he's not hurt" She
chung to Rantoul's hand. eyes! yes!
90! Tell me soon. CO." she cried
Don't go!" She was shuddering-
white. But he had slipped through
the door.
Her frightened eyes took in the fit
tings of the little office. The place
reeked of labor, and the untidiness of
working men. A garlic smell frot
the locker room conveyed a n of
common uncouth feeding, as she
shifted the gas of damp carbide spill
ed while hastily filling tunnel lamps.
And without, just beyond her sight,
she heard the echo Of an Homeric
struggle rising from the shaft. The
screams of women came to her, for
the mangled bodies of mel were be-
ing hoisted out. Why did Rantoul
stay so long? Was John killed? Why
had she come? Questions crowded
upon her. She was dizzy, nauseated.
The vile garlic odor was overpower-
ing. She shuddered, sinking breath
less in Johns chair.