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

asking Him to take care of me, and He
will. Good-by, motherl You'll be up
with the babies and let me IN 1hen |
come,s
With a hurried kiss on the warm,
sleeping little faces size 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 might 70 each other, and
the wind was doing its best at mixing up
snow and stars in one binding whirligig
Minnie reieiced in the whirling snow; it
covered up her footprints nearly as fast
as they were made, and would do Won
ders ct concealing everything she had 10
do and wished to conceal.
The little lantern in her iand ready to
light, the matches in her pocket. and
brave heart under Cabs heavy jacket,
gave Minnie courage.
The river twisted itself in and out
among the hills. and BY the river ran for
miles the railroad, to ward which Minnie'
took her way. 1t was a 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 thourht 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 a rush and 8
roar; il 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
i obeyed it and ran lightly aside, waiting
for the train to 60 whirring on its way.
!" Now / must hurry she thought;
" the other train will be aleng soon," and
she tried rs step frotn 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 s bridge over tie
river. Bfinnie Thought she should surely
heat 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 1t 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 | ng
down upon her, for there was not wi, lin
sight either miners cabin or lumberman's
lodge. She sat down or & ro3k &itfin
shelter from the Wild which still tumbled
the light snow from side to side of the
track, and waited.
John Jansen returned 20 mis- home at
half past nine o'clock, looked, as was his
custom, into Minnie's room, into the boys
room, kissed the twins, said 4" goodnight y
to his wife, and went out again, notwith-
standing her entreaty that he would stay
at home.
miner stood and wruDg his hands in vain
agony. 1t was all Of no use; he had
Joined the organization of eHii workers,
and he could not get out of its rule. He
knew that the words he had spoken since
the afternoon, urging delay until another
night, had caused every movement to be
watched that he made, but John Jansen
would have given anything that he pos
sessed for the power to prevent the very
thing he himself had plotted and plan
ned.
Minnie grew veIy 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 maker was on the track. racing down
toward it, swinging the lantern around
her head, up and down, to and fro, from
side TO side.
said to the driver:
"Look out There's 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 motion Of
the cars, laden with precious human
lives The headlight came near and ut
terly blinded the lantern light that Min
ME still held
Down from the engine sprang the two
men. Up walked 10 meet them johns
Minnie.
'What the mischief, you boy, you, do
You mean, stopping the train III this wayl"
shouted the foremost man, springing for
ward TO seize her arm.
ooh" cried Minnie, whether from pain
or fright she herself could not tell. II
had to stop you, or you'd 60 off into the
river, and there wasn't anybody else to
tell
'Whats the matteri'
THE track is torn up by the bend, =
said Minnie.
"Come up on the engine, youngster,
with me, said the driver.
''0h, no, y gasped Minnie. Il should
be killed if anybody found me out a-tell-
ing. 1 can't go; but I've told true-oh, 1
haver'
With the words Minnie blew out the
flame in her lantern, and darted into the
pine woods just as the conductor came
forward.
A few minutes later Minnie, from her
safe covert, saw the train slowly moving
onward until it passed from sight.
She had done her best, and now she
must get home. The way long, and Min
ME was tired enough to lie down in the
soft snow, but she kept on and on, meet.
ing no one in the still night. She came
within sight OF her nome. There was a
light in the window shining through the
leafy curtain of geranium.
Minnie crept softly up, taking long steps
TO fit her feet into the prints made by
larger feet than hers that lead up to the
door.
She peeped cautiously in. There sat
her weary, invalid mother, softly rocking
one of the twins in her arms. Minnie
saw that she was weeping and she moved
nearer the window and tapped very gent
ly on the glass.
The mother-ear heard the sound She
moved, and baby began to cry. Never
was baby-cry more welcome. Under cover
of the sound Minnie opened the door, slid
softly in, having removed her boots out
side, and, crossing the room, gained her
own without having disturbed the heavy
sleep of her father.
In fhraa minutes moro @he rxsrl cfo1I -