The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-09-22

| turned Mrs. Jansen, from whose hand az
she spoke the pan of potatoes Slipped
and fell to the floor. Dad.
Carl and Minnie gathered up the pota
toes with many question concerning
the good supper, whose savory odors al
ready t1oated about the room To eact
and every question the same reply was
made: Miss Wren has been here"
"Miss Wren brought it,; "Miss Wrer
sent it." g Mother" said Carl, sudden
ly, "if Miss Wren would only boss the
mine we'd have better times. / know
she'd pay me more'n l get for slate
picking"
" Stop talking nonsense, Carl" said
Minnie. I" Take the baby. l want
mother minute to myself"
What secrets have you got, l would
like to know? Secrets are dangerous
things to know, Minnie"
Minnie laughed. 81 met Miss Wren
on the mountain as l came up, and she
told me"
Never mind" interrupted Carl. If
it is anything that Miss Wren has to do
with I'm in for it with both hands, and
the secreter the better. Here, you young
| collier" stretching forth his arms to
meet the child, 81 hope mining will be
better every way before you come into
it, and that the Miss Wrens will be as
thick as snow-hakes in your time"
You never will forget Miss Wren,
will you, Carl?" asked Minnie.
I'D go into mine full to the brim
with tire-damp for her." said Carl, brush
ing the baby's dress suspiciously near to
his brimming eyes.
Let it be told briefly that Miss Wren
represented to the untaught mining lad
the utmost that his heart had conceived
of goodness, beauty and self-sacrifice.
She had saved him from death by her
personal ministrations in the cabin,
through days and nights of contagious
illness. She had been the good angel of
the cabins near the colliery for the past
three years.
At the instant Mrs Jansen and Minnie
were leaving the room the cabin door
opened and John himself appeared.
" Where did you get anything to eat?"
he asked, shifting the air laden with the
pleasant odor of something cooking for
supper.
John, Miss Wren has been here"
said his wife. "She sent us bread and
meat and potatoes for tonight, and that
lovely geranium for as long as it will
stay with us. Don't you remember, John,
the first summer, when the cabin was
new, we had flowers all the time, out of
doors and in?"
Don't l remember" growled John,
" that you asked me to build the house
close up to the shaft, so you could run
and look down into it and listen for my
voice a dozen times in the day? and now
you never go near it,"
go John" exclaimed the little WON.
an, and she could say no more. How
could she, when she remembered herself
as she stood that day, Annette Mayer,
and with John Jansen, her future hus-
band, selected the cabin site?
Mother" whispered Johns Minnie,
don't come out now. Don't let father
see you come"
Minniew called John.
Yes, sir" answered Minnie.
"Did you come right home from school
today"
g l didn't hurry any after l met Miss
Wren" replied Minnie.
Did you see me anywhere on the way
homer" he questioned.
mo, father" replied Minnie, with
little quaver in her voice. Why?"
Nothing, child. Come here and kiss
me-"
Minnie clasped her arms about her
fathers neck, chung to him and kissed
him twice, then, fearing he would sus-
pect something, she said; " You love me
better when there's supper in the house,
don't you, now?"
"pll fetch home the supper tomorrow
myself" said John Jansen.
" Father" said Minnie, you won't
be cross to me if ask you something's"
Ask on, Minnie"
"Won't you leave the strikers and
have nothing to do with them?"
Cant do it, Minnie"
"Then," said the girl, "Im going to
have nothing to do with you. I'll go and
help mother" And Minnie suddenly
left the room, to find her mother in wait
ing to hear what she had to tell.
Come out somewhere, mother" said
Minnie, and be quick. It's just awfulw
"Wait till l fix the fire and put on
more coal"
"Get father off the minute supper's
DONE" said Minnie, the instant she had
space to speak aloud in. There's some
ting dreadful to be done. l caught it as
l came from school; the train to night
the midnight train-is to be thrown off
the track. Fathers in it. We must save
it"
Minnie Jansen" cried the poor little
wife and mother.
"It's true, mother, and we must save
it-you and l." -
4" We might as well turn the mine in
side out"
Mother, Miss Florence Wren will be
on the trainm
"Ohm
"And be killed"
Another groan. .. y.
Gwen save her, motherw ... b.
"And betray your own father, Min
nie?"
And save father, mother, from all the
wickedness he means to do, if you'll only
help me to do it. thought it all over
on my way home from school. They
mean to go down by the bend in the
river, and, after the up.train is gone, tear
up the rails just there where the whole
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