River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-09-20

that the Miss Wrers will be as thick as
snow-fakes in your time
"You never will forget Miss Wren, will
you, Carli" asked Minnie.
"I'd go into mine full to the brim
with fre-damp for her. said Carl, brush
ing the baby's dress suspiciously near his
trimming eyes.
Let 1t 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 per
sonal ministrations in the cabin, through
days and nights Of contagious illness.
She had been the good Angel Of the
cabins nest the coliiery for the past three
years.
At the instant Mrs. jansen and Min
ME were leaving the room the cabin
door opened and John himself appeared.
"Where did you get anything to eatG"
he asked, shifting the air laden with the
pleasant odor of something cooking for
supper.
sJohn, Miss Wren hes been here, said
his wife. 'sGhe sent is bread 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!"
"Dont you remember growled John,
''that you asked me TO build the house
close up to the shaft, so you could run
ana look down into it, and listen for ny
voice dozen times day, and now You
never go near it.''
"Oh, Johnw exclaimed the little wo-
man, as 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 husband,
selected the cabin SITE
"Mother," whispered Johns Minnie,
"don't come out now. Don't let father
see you come"
''Minniew called John.
"Yes, sirl'' answered Minnie.
ibid you come right home from school
to-dayS"
81 didn't hurry any after met Miss
Wreh,' replied Minnie.
"Did you see me anywhere on the way
homer he questioned.
"No, father replied Minnie, with a
little quaver in her voice. "WhyN
"Nothing, child. Come here and kiss
me-"
Minnie clasped aer arms about her
fathers neck, chung to him and kissed
him twice, then, fearing he wUhld sus-
pect something, she said: "You love me
better when there's supper in the house,
don't you, nowl"
an fetch home the supper tomorrow
myself" said John Jansen.
Father said Minnie, 'don't be cross
to me any more if l ask you something's"
ASK on, Minnie"
'Won't you leave the strikers, and
have nothing to do with themln
Cant do it Minnie"
"Then," said the gir!, Sim 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 awful y
swat till 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
thing dreadful to be done. l caught it
as | came from school; the train tonight
the midnight train--is to be thrown off
the track Fathers init. We must save
itr'
minnie Jansen" cried the poor little
wife and mother.
ats true, mother, and we must save it
Won and 7 -
ave might as we'll turn the mine in
side OUT
Mother, Miss Florence Wren will be
on the train
s.Ohw
"And be killed"
Another groan.
We'll save her, motherln
'.And betray your own father, Minnie!"
"And save father, mother, from all the
wickedness he means 10 do, if you'll only
help me TO do it. l thought it all over
on my way 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 train
will go down the bank. | heard 1t, and |
know father was there, because it was
his voice. oh, if father would give UP
going with the strikers and everything" -
Minnie" said Mrs. Jansen, "What can
you dor
Do. Make believe lin in bed, and
all the time I'll be going up the track as
fast as can go, and stop the train"
How will you go alone, little girl,
in the nightl No one will see you"
Il won't go a little girl. I'll go boy,
with CARTS clothes on. Mine will be lying
on the chair, just as they are every night,
and you must wake me up and put me in
bed, and father will be sure to look in the
room, to see if I'm there before he goes
out. Then I'll take mine-lantern, and
save father from wickedness, and save the
train and Miss Florence. too"
Annette Annette!' called John, from
the cabin door.
Coming, john" was the answer, as
the trembling woman picked up the bod
she had been filling with coal to carry 1t
in.
Minnie grasped it from her, and sturdi-
ly bore it to the house.
After supper, which John Jansen ate
with his eyes on his plate, scarcely lifting
them to glance at wife or children, he
said: "I'm going out tonight to meet
ing. If I'm late home, don't fret about
me. Boys" to Carl and Jansen, "be sure
you are in by nine o'clock"
Minnie longed to jump upas she would
have done on any other night, TO go
around the table, to throw her arms
around the miners neck, to beg him
stay at home, but she only said: "Fath-
err, 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 a
little way with me-"
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