told me what a brave
fellow you are, and that he feels perfectly safe in trusting us to your
guidance to-morrow."

Then Miss Nellie, a pretty girl of about his own age, whose eyes
twinkled with mischief, held out her hand, and said, "I think you must
be a regular hero, Mr. Sterling, for I'm sure you've been through as
much as most of the book heroes I've read about."

Blushing furiously at this, and coloring a still deeper scarlet from the
knowledge that he was blushing, and that they were all looking at him,
Derrick barely touched the tips of the little fingers held out to him.
Then thinking that this perhaps seemed rude, he made another attempt to
grasp the offered hand more heartily, but it was so quickly withdrawn
that this time he did not touch it at all, whereupon everybody laughed
good-naturedly.

Instead of further embarrassing the boy, this laugh had the effect of
setting him at his ease, and in another minute he was chatting as
pleasantly with Miss Nellie and her mother as though they had been old
friends.

Before he left them it was arranged that, early in the morning, he
should show the ladies all that was to be seen above-ground, and that
they should spend the heat of the day in the cool depths of the mine.

The boy had much to tell his mother, little Helen, and Bill Tooley, who
were sitting up waiting for him, when he arrived home; but, after all,
he left them to wonder over the age of Miss Halford, whom he only
casually mentioned as Mr. Jones's niece.

CHAPTER XIII

LADIES IN THE MINE--HARRY MULE'S SAD MISHAP

When Derrick awoke the next morning, at an unusually early hour, it was
with the impression that some great pleasure was in store for him.
Before breakfast he went down into the mine to give Harry Mule's sleek
coat an extra rub, and to arrange for another boy and mule to take their
places that day.

At eight o'clock he presented himself at the door of Mr. Jones's house,
dressed in clean blue blouse and overalls, but wearing his
smoke-blackened cap and the heavy boots that are so necessary in the wet
underground passages of a mine. The mine boss had already gone to Mauch
Chunk, and Miss Nellie was watching behind some half-closed shutters for
the appearance of their young guide.

"Here he is, mamma!" she exclaimed, as she finally caught sight of
Derrick. "How funnily he is dressed! but what a becoming suit it is! it
makes him look so much more manly. Why don't he ring the bell, I