The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-03-12

comes down to you is already roasted, as
it were, and can't do you no good.
Bustins? Well, no, only one, and that
was qnite enough for though it didn't
hurt any body it did hurt my heart, and if
you happen to be father you'll understand
what l mean.
1t was dinner time at our woIk-a great
place, where the engine used to be going to
pump water night and day, so that there
we're two of us one week I'd be on day
work, next week night-work, and so on.
Now, it so happened that our water in that
part was terribly hard-water that would
cover the inside of biler with thick fur in
no time. But whether it was that or not
/ can't say; all know is that one dinner
time L went out into the yard to wash my
hands and have a cooler, when heard a
strange, wild, rustling noise, ana felt
something hit me on the back of the head
and then, turning round, I stood fixed to
the spot, for the air was black with tiles,
and brick, and laths, and rafters, while the
whole place seemed to be crumbling up
together, just like if you'd built up tall
card house, and then tapped it so that one
card fell on top of another till there W rs a
little heap all lying close and snug; SO that
out of a tall building there was nothing
left but some smoking ruins.
| know it was not my fault, for I had
looked az the guage just before, and the
pressure of steam.wasn't heavy. | know
there was plenty of water in the biler, and
the safety-valve WIS all right; SO that an
| could do was to be thankful for the acci-
dent happening at dinner-.ilne, and also
for my own wonderful escape. And then,
though | wasn't hurt, something seemed to
come over me like fash, and struck me
to the ground in an instant.
When I came to, felt horribly sick and
deathly like, and | looked about from face
to face, wondering what was the matter,
for l couldn't make it out why should be
lying OH my back, with people round me
in the yard-one holding up my head and
another sprin!>ling my face with water.
Then it all came back at once, and L
shuddered as | turned my head and looked
at the ruined works for / knew what it
was struck me down to the earth. 1 said
was the quick thought which came across
my brain, for knew that, being dinner
time, my little go.den-haired gal would
have brought my 'lowance tied up in ba-
sin, and something had told me that she
had gone into the stoke hole to find me
when L had gone into the yard.
''Let me get up,'' 1 says, and ran to-
ward the ruins and began tearing away at
the heap of brick and rubbish, while the
crowd now gathered together, hearing that
there was some one underneath, began
tearing away at the rubbish like fury
BY and by the police came and some
gentlemen and something like order was
got at, and people worked we'll to get down
TO where .he stoke hole had been | had
said there was some one there, bat
couldn't shape my mouth to say who it was,
and some said it was one man and some
another5 but whoever they named seemed
to come directly back from his dinner or
because he had heard the explosion. So,
by and by, people began to look from one
to another and ask who it was.
"Ask Wilum," says some one, che was
here at the time" and some one asked me.
But l had no occasion to speak, for just
then, alarmed at the child not going back
as usual, the little gals mother came
sh:ieking out and crying
''Where's little Patty? Where's little
, Patty 20 And then, when no one spoke.
she gave sort of pitiful moan and sank
slowly down-first on her knees and then
sideways on to heap of bricks and re-
member thinking it was best, for i could
| not find it in my heart to go to her help,
but kept on tearing away at the bot bricks
and rubbish.
1t was puzzling and worriting, for one
could not seem to be sure Of where any
thing had once stood in the horrible con-
fusion before us. One said the stoke hole
had been here, and another there but
even /, who had worked there two years,
could not be sure amid the confusion
Hour after hour went by, and still we
worked on while, as every big rafter or
beam was lifted or dragged away l was
obliged to turn my head, for felt sick,
and the place seemed to swim for | ex-
pected to see Patty's little bright curls sorn
out and hanging to the Jagged wood, and
that underneath there would be some>
thing horrible and crushed.
know it wasn't manly, but what can l
say when there was little, bright, blue
eyed child in the case-one OF those little
things whose look will make your great
rough hand fall to your side when raised
in anger, while the tiny thing can lead you
about and do what she likes with you ?
P,r'ars l amt manly, but, somehow, chill
dren always seem to get the upper hand
of me-
And so on we worked. hour after hour.
men getting tired and dropping Off but al
ways plenty ready to fill their places
while IL never thought Of it, but kept
on tearing away till my hands bled, and