The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-09-20

stay at home, but che only said: Faith |
or, Miss Florence Wren will be here to-
morrow. She's coming tonight in the
midnight train. Miss Wren told me
when met her, and she walked back q
little way with me-" -.,@''
f. Minnie did not see the expression of
her fathers face at that instant for she
had not the courage to look into it.
He went away the moment tea was
over. The boys quickly followed his ex-
ample, and the cabin was left to Mrs.
Jansen, Minnie and the little ones.
"Mother," said Minnie, the instant they
were alone, "father will; try to stop, the
work they're going to do tonight, and he
can't do it. Oh. saw their cruel faces
to-day. They're going to have their own
way; unless do it,
Johns Minnie loved her father. He
had been so kind to her when mining
was good; for her sake he would have
done anything she had asked him, but
now everything was going wrong-low
wages, little work, bad counsels and hun
ger had driven John Jansen back almost
to the condition Of savage.
Something to look like Minnie was
made up, Minnie's own night-cap put up
on its head, and the image was laid, with
face to the wall, in Minnie,s bed. The
clothing the child had worn that even
ing was put in its accustomed place on
the rude little chair, the shoes and stock
ings laid on the floor fly its side, and
Minnie put herself into stout mining
suit of CARTS. She looked very like him
90 she tucked up her fair curls out of
sight inside the close cap, and, with the
little lantern in her hand, stood saying
the last good-by words.
II shall do it, mother. Never fear for
me, nor for Miss Florence, nor for father,
I'm going to do right, and I'll ask God
to tell me how to do it, and you keep
asking Him to take care of me, and He
will. Good-by, mother! You'll be up
with the babies and let me in when
Gomez
With hurried kiss on the warm,
sleeping little faces side by side in the
trundle-bed, and long clinging one on
her mothers cheek, Minnie set forth.
The snow had ceased to fall. Up above
the cold, clear stars were twinkling away
with all their mi ght to each other, and
the wind was doing its best at mixing up
snow and stars in one binding whirligig
Minnie rejoiced in the whirling snow; It
covered up her footprints nearl as fast
as they were made, and would do won
ders at concealing everything she had to
do and wished to conceal.
The little lantern in her hand ready to
light, the matches in her pocket, and a
|
gave Minnie courage.
The river twisted itself in and out
among the hills, and by the river ran for
miles the railroad, toward which Minnie
took her way. 1t was bleak, lonely
walk through the snow and the night for
a girl of only twelve years, but Johns
Minnie was not afraid for herself. Once
she thought she saw some one approach.
ing; she left the track and went into con-
cealment among the pine trees that skirt
ed the river bank, but no one appeared.
Through the night came rush and a
roar; it was the train that Minnie knew
had passed in safety the place where the
train-wreckers meant to do their work.
The engine-driver, looking out, saw the
boy on the track in that lonely spot, and
gave whistle of warning. Mime quick
~ obeyed it and ran lightly aside. waiting
for the train to 20 whirrlng on its way.
"Now I must hurry" she thought:
the other train will be along soon," and
she tried to step from sleeper to sleeper
through the snow. At last, almost ready
to lie down with WEAKNESS and sleep, she
came to the long, long stretch of straight
track where she knew the train men must
see her lantern, if she began to signal
with it the instant the headlight could
be seen.
At the further end of the long line of
straight track there was bridge over the
river. Minnie thought she should surely
hear the train when it Numbered through
the bridge, and that would be the minute
in which she would jump up and run and
swing her lantern with all her might, and
keep on swinging it until the train should
slow down and stop. After that she
didn't know just what, but she lit her
lantern without fear Of any persons being
down upon her, for there was not within
sight either miners cabin or lumbermans
lodge. She sat down on rock within
shelter from the wind which still tumbled
the light snow from side to side of the
track, and waited.
John Jansen returned to his home at
half-past nine o'clock, looked, as was his
custom, into Minnie's room, into the bows
room, kissed the twins, said F." goodnight u
to bis wife, and went out again, notwith-
standing her entreaty that he would stay
at home.
Outside the cabin the great savage
miner stood and wrung his hands in vain
agony. 1t was all of no use; he had
joined the organization of evil workers.
and he could not get out of its rule. He
knew that the words he had spoken SINCE
the afternoon, urging delay until anothe,
night, mad caused every movement to be
watched that he made, but John Jansen
would have given anything that he pos.
sessed tor the power to prevent the very
thing he himself had plotted and plan.
ned.
Minnie grew very cold and sleepy, sit
ting still under the shelter of the huge
headlight Of the locomotive engine
dashed itself and the train after it into
the bridge.
BY the time it emerged the little sig
nal-malkcr was on the track, racing down
toward it, swinging the lantern around
her head, up and down, to and fro, from
side to side.
| The fireman On the tender, looking out,
said to the driver:
"Look out! There's light ahead"
| He glanced down the long line. saw
the waving glimmer of brave Minnie's
lantern, whistled for brakes.
Slower and slower grew the melton of