第16部分(第5/7 頁)

nothing　appeared　to　justify　it。　Yet　that　which　had　been　might　again　be。 This　mystery　about　the　new　cutting……Nell　was　evidently　the　only　person　acquainted　with　it。　Now；　if　fresh　dangers　were　in　store　for　the　miners　of　Aberfoyle；　how　were　they　possibly　to　be　guarded　against；　without　so　much　as　knowing　the　cause　of　them？

〃Nell　has　persisted　in　keeping　silence；〃　said　James　Starr　very　often；　〃but　what　she　has　concealed　from　others；　she　will　not　long　hide　from　her　husband。 Any　danger　would　be　danger　to　Harry　as　well　as　to　the　rest　of　us。 Therefore；　a　marriage　which　brings　happiness　to　the　lovers；　and　safety　to　their　friends；　will　be　a　good　marriage；　if　ever　there　is　such　a　thing　here　below。〃

Thus；　not　illogically；　reasoned　James　Starr。 He　municated　his　ideas　to　old　Simon；　who　decidedly　appreciated　them。　Nothing；　then；　appeared　to　stand　in　the　way　of　the　match。　What；　in　fact；　was　there　to　prevent　it？ They　loved　each　other；　the　parents　desired　nothing　better　for　their　son。　Harry's　rades　envied　his　good　fortune；　but　freely　acknowledged　that　he　deserved　it。 The　maiden　depended　on　no　one　else；　and　had　but　to　give　the　consent　of　her　own　heart。

Why；　then；　if　there　were　none　to　place　obstacles　in　the　way　of　this　union……why；　as　night　came　on；　and；　the　labors　of　the　day　being　over；　the　electric　lights　in　the　mine　were

extinguished；　and　all　the　inhabitants　of　Coal　Town　at　rest　within　their　dwellings……why　did　a　mysterious　form　always　emerge　from　the　gloomier　recesses　of　New　Aberfoyle；　and　silently　glide　through　the　darkness？

What　instinct　guided　this　phantom　with　ease　through　passages　so　narrow　as　to　appear　to　be　impracticable？

Why　should　the　strange　being；　with　eyes　flashing　through　the　deepest　darkness；　e　cautiously　creeping　along　the　sho