Ifife i^eukes’ Sflarat BiaRiiaet iouti3 Pictorial 
ooiB fejoaipanion. 
dawned upon his mind. The scene at the breakfast-table 
only confirmed his suspicions that she had been dogged and 
frightened by a man claiming to be, or who really was, her 
lost uncle, and who had insured silence by threats and vio¬ 
lence. It was a joy to feel that now he had the right to 
free her from this mysterious torture, that his arm and his 
heart were a shield for the poor, sad girl’s defense, her de¬ 
liverance from the baleful influence that of late had been 
disturbing her pure life and troubling her sensitive con¬ 
science. Edgar Swayne’s account of the stranger lurking 
about the mines had given him the clue he needed. He 
could think of only the one woman that the world held for 
him, and what he would do in her cause. All else had 
shriveled into insignificance. He meant to break the con¬ 
ventional tie that bound him to Winnifred at once, confi¬ 
dent that the rupture would only wound his cousin's pride. 
He would renounce mother, fortune, friends, all if need be, 
to cleave unto the one God and nature had made his. 
It was a steep climb up that hill path, and suddenly, 
about half way to the top, the road emerged from the 
woods upon a broad, black track, where the coal-trucks 
were coming and going in endless procession. The land 
had a blasted look, with scrubby oak-patches and ferrugin¬ 
ous rocks cropping out, for here the coal measures lay close 
to the iron. The entrance to the mine lay a little over the 
mountain ridge, in a sheltered hollow, where the miners’ 
cabins were grouped about a quarter of a mile apart from 
the black sheds and buildings connected with the works. 
Now many laborers were engaged in the slow business of 
sinking a new shaft, and in extending and repairing some 
of the old disused galleries. The creaking of machinery 
was constantly heard, while the pumps poured out streams 
of water that made dirty yellow brooks and runlets, and 
great piles of d bris were heaped about the pit’s mouth. 
Bradley, in his boyhood, had been very familiar with the 
mine, which he had explored from end to end in company 
with a friendly old guide, who told him wonderful yarns of 
his early days passed in the deep Cornish mines. Now, as 
he threaded the dirty wet lane that ran between two rows 
of wretched miners’ cabins, picking his steps among fowls 
and garbage heaps, he looked about for the little lad known 
as Sharp Ben, who had given Edgar Swayne his informa¬ 
tion concerning the stranger. But at that moment the 
boy was picking and sorting coal, with his grimy fingers, a 
toil to which lie was doomed except for a few hours daily, 
when Winnifred had decreed that all children under a cer¬ 
tain age should attend the school—her new pet—which 
she had just set up. There had been no end of grumbling 
among the pareuts at this attempt, as they judged it, to 
take bread out of their children’s mouths, by “ putting a 
little useless book-learnin’ into their noddles.” But Win¬ 
nifred had persisted, and the youngest workers were paid 
for full time, and received their schooling gratis. 
The temple of learning, where Mr. Swayne was working 
very bravely and devotedly, was a mere rough shed, hastily 
altered; but Winnifred had already secured plans for a new 
building, which, besides its main purpose, could be used for 
Sunday services, social meetings aDd lectures. All this 
was included in her plan of civilizing the rough people bru¬ 
talized more or less by their hard lives, and which she had 
talked over and arranged with Edgar Swayne. 
Among the houses where the women were washing, 
cooking, scrubbing and clattering pots and pans, while the 
wee little ones, too small to pick coal, stared at him with 
round-eyed wonder as he passed, Bradley sought for a par¬ 
ticular cabin, with which lie had once been familiar. He 
stopped at last before a door where a gigantic, bony, north 
of England woman was standing to cool herself, ancl to es¬ 
cape tiie smudge she had raised in the interior of her room. 
Her hands were propped upon her hips, and her face was 
bold and red and defiant. The old judge had imported a 
number of these miners from the great coal and iron dis¬ 
trict, the black country, as it is called. 
“ Does old Nat Driver live here?” Bradley inquired, in a 
civil time. 
“ Hoot, mon! old Daddy Driver’s been dead and buried 
these three year gone. He got full drunk one day and 
slipped down the pit’s mouth and broke his neck. Me and 
my mon, Smoky Duff, and our gell ten year old come 
Michaelmas, have lived here risin’ of two years, and a poor 
place it is,” she grumbled, “ with the rain beating in 
through the roof. The old boss wouldn’t give a board or 
a penny worth o’ nails to save a body’s life, and here’s the 
young missus up in arms about the sehule, and cornin’ to 
meddle and make in tilings no business of her’n, takin’ the 
callants from their work and payin’ full time, as if ever a 
body should hear the like of that onreasonableness. She’s 
overbearin’ and masterfull, puttin’ down her foot to say 
what shall and what shan’t; but they do say she’s goin’ to 
get married, and have grand doin’s down to the great 
house, and then she’ll fash her head no more about the 
mines, and things ’ll be harder than ever. They alius is 
harder after a let-up. But I shan’t cry to have the sehule 
shet. I’se no scholard myself; nuther’s my mon. I’ve 
never heard that schulin’ helped a mon to save his light, or 
kep’ him from swallerin’ the damp, or helped him at heavin’; 
but our gell Polly is so took up about learnin’ and readin’ 
books, and that fuleishness, my mon and me thinks most 
likely she’ll turn out bad.” 
“ I have heard of you and your husband, Smoky Duff.” 
said Bradley, as he stepped inside the cottage, “ and also 
of the gentleman who has been lodging with you for a few 
weeks past.” 
The -woman started back into the gloom of the cabin 
with a gesture of surprise and anger. “ If you’ve come 
pryin’ and peepin’, begone with you, and all I can say is 
that you’ve put your head in the wrong trap. I wouldn’t 
have yon parson-schulemaster sneakin’ around the place. 
When he come pokin’ his nose into my business I drove 
him off with my tongue. Next time I’ll take a broom or a 
jug of hot water to him.” 
Bradley seated himself on a stool near the truckle-bed 
with the coolest nonchalance. “Why do you get angry 
and accuse me of prying into your affairs because I spoke 
of this stranger ? I have come to you as q friend.” 
The virago looked darkly for a moment at his half-smiling 
unconcerned face, and then her scowl began to clear. 
“Hoot, mon, how should I know friend from foe when 
there’s rumors of robberies abroad in yon town, and if it 
was known we had lodged a stranger, me and Smoky 
might be suspicioned for aidin’ and abettin’, as it’s called; 
but you do look like a fine young gentleman, as wouldn’t 
dirty your white hands with sich work. Mayhap you’re 
the friend the doctor spoke of. He said he was expecting 
to get some money from a friend, and then lie would pay 
me for his lodging, and keep, and his hit of washing." 
Bradley clasped his hands around his knee and laughed 
lightly. “ So you took me for a sheriff’s officer, or a spy, 
when I am the most harmless man alive. I have no ill de¬ 
signs against you or the doctor either.” 
“Well, now,” returned Nancy Duff, still more mollified, 
“ I thought you must be a friend of his’n. Poor gentleman, 
it’s a shame to suspicion him. He was poorly when he 
first came, and staid in bed a good deal, and took his por- 
ritch as quiet as a lamb. He was that peaceable I never 
did see, and he took a great shine to our little Poll, and of 
an evening helped her figure on her slate, and the drops he 
gave Smoky did him a sight of good for the cricket in his 
back.” 
“ Drops ?” repeated Bradley, interrogatively. 
“ He peddles his doctor stuff round the country now you 
know. Pash my head, what do he call ’em ? But I can 
show you the bottle.” 
“ Do,” said Bradley, with quiet alertness. 
Mrs. Dutf went to a dark corner cupboard, and brought 
back a little vial with a printed label, which announced that 
“ Dr. Walters’ Universal Panacea and Elixir, for the cure 
of all known diseases, was prepared and sold exclusively 
by himself.” He took the vial, a harmless looking thing, 
and turned it about in his hand. The virago, whose confi¬ 
dence he had won, turned her broad back toward him fora 
moment, to stir some mess that was cooking over the fire. 
There was a little piece of writiDg-paper wrapped around 
tiie cork to hold it fast. It was in fact the end of an old 
letter. Bradley turned toward the window, and, drawing 
it aextrously out, smoothed the scrap of stained, crumpled 
paper in his hand. It was that thin, sheer kind used 
mostly for foreign letters, and on the inside of it were 
traced a few faint lines in a feminine hand. They were 
quite sufficient. Bradley stood still for a moment without 
attending to Nancy Duff's remarks, which had run on in 
an uninterrupted stream. 
“I do know Dr. Walters,” said he, turning round, and 
then he stepped to the cabin door and closed it quietly, and 
returning, faced Nancy Duff, who had eyed his movements 
with gathering astonishment and suspicion. Bradley took 
from his pocket a little roll of money and slowly unfolded 
it. 
“ You have been kind to this man,” said he, facing 
Smoky Duff’s wife, “ and I want to reward you. Take this 
and answer me one or two questions.” 
“ 0. your honor,” cried Nancy, “I’m an honest woman, 
’deed I am, and if harm should come along of the money to 
me, or my mon, or little Poll 1" 
“ No harm can come,” said Bradley, with quiet decision. 
“ Take it and keep your own counsel. Now tell me when 
Dr. Walters left this place. It is absolutely necessary that 
I should know to insure you and your husband from 
trouble." 
Mrs. Duff hesitated and scanned his face with her keen 
eyes, then she glanced at the money in her hand. 
“ Three days ago, your honor.” 
“ And you do not look for his return?” 
Again she faltered, but the money and Bradley’s eye 
were potent charms. “I can’t say for dead sure. He 
may, your honor, to-night, seeing he left the medicine-box 
and some of his clothes in the attic where he slept.” 
Bradley took a little diary from his pocket and rapidly 
traced with a pencil on one of the blank leaves the follow¬ 
ing words: 
“You are strongly suspected 'of complicity will] the 
Deanport masked burglars. You are watched, and will 
be arrested on suspicion if you remain in this place another 
night. This is from a friend, who warns you of your 
danger and advises you to instantly quit the neighbor¬ 
hood.’’ 
He tore out the leaf, folded it, and gave it into Nancy’s 
hand. “ Give that to the doctor immediately when he 
comes, and if you should happen to know where he is at 
this moment, convey it to him at once. But not a word, 
not a breath to your husband, or that bright girl, Polly. 
If you follow my directions to the letter you shall be liber¬ 
ally rewarded. Do you hear ?” 
Nancy Duff seized the paper, gave him a significant look, 
nodded three times, and Bradley was gone. He walked 
rapidly away out of the cluster of miners’ huts, glad to feel 
the cool air blowing on his face, for his mental excitement 
I was intense, and he wanted time to recover himself and to 
; think clearly again. As he struck into the path that led 
I down the mountain there was the sound of rapid steps be¬ 
hind him, and some one called his name. He turned and 
i saw Edgar Swayne dashing along over the slope. 
“ Pardon me for troubling you, Mr. Haicburt,” said he, 
j soon as he could recover his breath. “ I saw you 
coming away from the miners’ village, and it seemed quite 
providential, for I have been in urgent need of some safe 
and secret means to send a message to the telegraph sta¬ 
tion at the depot. I should go down myself hut Bob 
! Smithers’ wife has just lost her baby. She is/a good, 
gentle, patient soul, and it is pitiful to hear her moan and 
sob over the empty cradle. The young ladies at the Hall 
took a kindly interest in her last summer, and I have prom¬ 
ised to hold a little service this afternoon. You will see by 
the message to Dalrymple that I have got hold of what I 
believe to be important testimony in reference to the bur¬ 
glary. There is not a moment to lose, and if this man is 
secured probably it will lead to the capture of the whole 
gang. I shall tell Miss Braithwaite all about it when I see 
her, but I must remain here to night, for there may be 
lively work. If you will personally see that this is sent to 
the sheriff at Deanport by telegraph, I think you will be 
doing a service to the public.” 
“ I will attend to the matter,” said Bradley, curtly, as he 
took the open envelope from Mr. Swayne’s hand, and re¬ 
ceived that gentleman’s thanks, given less coldly than any 
words he had ever spoken to him before. Edgar turned 
hastily back, and Bradle}^ stopped in the path feeling sick 
and giddy from a sense of something that had stolen away 
the strength of his manhood. What had inspired Swayne 
with such a diabolical zeal in the public cause ? Slowly he 
opened the message and read as follows : 
“ Halcourt Mines, October 18th, 18 — . 
“ Alfred Dalrymple, Sheriff of Deanport: A stranger 
calling himself Walters, and purporting to be a quack doc¬ 
tor, has been lurking for some weeks about the Halcourt 
mines. He has been recognized as a notorious character, 
who has figured under various aliases, and it seems prob¬ 
able that he was the ringleader in the recent burglary com ¬ 
mitted in your town. He has a confederate here, the wife 
of a miner named Smoky Duff, in whose cabin he has 
lodged. He will be here to-night. Send up by the late 
train a sufficient force to surround the cottage. A wagon 
will meet your men at the station, and I will he here to 
guide them to the place. 
“Edgar Swayne, 
“ Schoolmaster at the mines.” 
Bradley’s knees seemed to give way, and he sat down on 
a log by the roadside, for the light had suddenly darkened 
before his eyes. Should he, a gentleman, who had always 
prized his honor before his life, betray a trust, and help to 
shield a criminal from justice? Then there swept past him 
the vision of a sad, wan face, framed in a mist of golden 
hair, that seemed to implore him with wide open, pitiful 
blue eyes. He must shield her from shame; he must save 
her from being dragged into the courts Nothing had as 
yet been proven against this man. It might not bo wrong 
to give him a chance to escape. Bradley rose to his feet, 
looking strangely haggard. He seemed to have grown old 
in a moment of time. Slowly he tore the dispatch into 
bits, and scattered it to the winds. 
(To be continued.) 
[For the Floral Cabinet.] 
CYPRESS VINE. 
Leaning gently from my window. 
Swaying softly in the breeze, 
Is my pretty cypress, growing 
With a modest, graceful ease. 
One by one the buds are peeping 
Through the fragile, leafy vines, 
Fairest beauty now unfolding, 
While around the frame if twines. 
How I prize its tiny blossom, 
As I watch it day by day; 
Cheering me in lonely moments, 
By its little petals gay.. 
Tendrils clasping one another 
With a sister-like embrace— 
Teaching me a noble lesson, 
As its tenderness I trace. 
Vickie Blue, 
