Year: 1871

afterWard, he was never found.


There had been sudden and terrible
break of water in the mine the very
day on which he entered with the par
ty, and it was thought that he had
been drowned, and his body boz
the force of the water into
omless pitfall, OF Vi
place was full.


The circumstan oH
made more distressing
he was on the eve of
young lady of birth and .,u~,...
wasJ rendered insane by the sad des.4 >to-
tion of her hopes.


1 am not a stperstitious man, and
why should fall to thinking of Ruth
erford's fate on that night is more than
[ can decide.


A thrill of something very nearly
akin to horror swept over me as l
reached the point where the footpath
diverged from the main road-the path
which led across the old mine.


Just to convince myself that [ was
not afraid took the path, and hurled
along.


The night had grown darker and
darker, and the storm ragged with a fu-
ry which at times half took me off my
feet.


mentally formed the resolution that
Katie should make me ample amends
for the difficulty had experienced for
her sake when once [ reached her
house.


I stumbled ON a little longer, and
then, by the extreme roughness of the
footing, felt convinced that was out
of the path.


With frantic haste I strove to regain
the right way, but apparently only blum
dered further from it. For some time
[ went on in this way, unable to see a
hand before me, and about mercilessly
by the fierce storm.


[ thought of Katie


She was surely pouting by this time,
satisfied that was not coming.


The fricasseed chicken and the cran-
berry sauce were cold, [ felt sure and
when I did get there I should probably
have the pleasure of coaxing pet into
good humor


Suddenly, while full of these
thoughts, I was conscious of the
ground slipping from under my fees.
made desperate effort to recover my
self-seized on brush, which grew
close beside me, only to uproot it in
an instant-and then I went down,
down, down, through intermina able
depths of darkness, until it seemed
that I was going On thus for ever-al-
ways falling.


heard dull splash at last, but did
not realize that I made it myself, until
I felt a chill of mortal coldness in all my
body, and then L became aware that
had fallen into water.
| [ was a good swimmer, and after the
first shock of surprise and dismay was
over, 1 exerted myself and soon swan
to where my feet touched the bottom


[ dragged myself out, and sat dow1
on the rough floor of the place where
was, to collect, II possible, my scatter
ed senses.


Of one thing I felt tolerably certain
I had fallen down some unclosed shaft
of the old mine, and the only wonde
was that I was that [ had reached tht
bottom alive.


Only the depth of water saved me.


Such terrible, palpable darkness a
prevailed everywhere! I put out m,
hands involuntarily to clutch it, full o
the thought that I might compress i
into less space, and make room TO
light.


Nv hands touched the rough slim,
walls of the mine, down which the ice
cold water was dropping slowl wly-tanta
lizngly, the only thing in that place o
silence and despair which was no
speechless.


The horror of despair seized me as
became fully aware of my situation.


As well might 1 lie down and die a
to make any endeavor for liberty.


I might shout until my voice perishe
within me and no sound would eve
reach the world above, but indeed if
were possible to make myself heard, tn
superstitious people in the vicinit
would flee from the sound in terror
thinking it the call of the spirits whic
they firmly believed Inhabited the de
serted mine.
[ had been in the mine, when boy
several times; it was possible that If
had light might be able to find m
way to one of the numerous entrances


I bethought me of the box of lucife1
dllu bllG CODl0S VI ID 1doll1Ou L
: my pocket


? L was taking the periodicals to Katie


There was plate Of the latest style
/ In one of them, and had fancy ths
l the lady in the blue dress with the lac
o affair over her shoulders looked lii


Katie-that is, if Katie could be SUI
k posed to wear such an extraordinal
T trail of silk at her heels.


took out the lucifer-box and felt
[, it.


o Good heavens! there were but thr,
h matches in all


[ tried the first one 1t famed I
l. brightly for a second and expired
another did likewise; and on the thi
!! and last my hopes alone depended.
J. [ scratched it carefully. 1t burnt


clear and steady. I put it to a leaf
e the magazine, torn out for thatpurpo'
d and the strong light illuminated 1
re dreary prison home with almost noe
e. day splendor.


stood in an extremely large hi
# cavern, the walls of which were bla


and glistening.
d There was shoreless pool of wa
ID at the further extremity, stretchi
er away to unknown regions of dread a
I darkeness.


i'd Leaf after leaf of the book I light
+, ard by the light thus afforded I rush


hither and thither in vain hope of d
OF covering some way of egress.


Just as [ lighted the last leaf [ p
e. ceived narrow passage way leading
at to the right, and into this .plune
sc with frantic haste.


The paper in my hand shriveled IL
ne ashes and blackness, and left me ol
,h more in eternal midnight.
ut I went on for little while, stu
ly bling over loose stones-heaps
vn "slack "-and piles of debris at ev


step.


of By-and-by / sank down irresolu
ks Ny thoughts were with Katie.
as Dear little thing she was IN bed


this time-and / wondered if she
re gone to sleep, or was crying her sw