Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-10-12

w nat secret nave you got! would
like to know. Secrets are dangerous
things to know, Minnie"
Minnie laughed " met Miss Wren
on the mountain as | came up, and she
told me-"
Never mind" interrupted Carl: I" if
it is anything that Miss Wren has to do
with, I'm in for it with both hands, and
the secreter the better. Come here, you
young collier" stretching forth his arms
to receive the child Il hope mining
will be better every way before you
come to it, and that the Miss Wrens will
be as thick as snow-fakes in your
time"
"You never will forget Miss Wren,
will you, Carl?" asked Minnie
I'd go into mine brim-full of fire
damp for her" said Carl brushing 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-sacrifce.
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 Min
ME were leaving the room, the cabin
door opened and John himself entered
in.
Where did you get anything to eat?"
! he asked shifting the air laden with
the pleasant odor of something cooking
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 the
first summer, John, when the cabin was
new, we had flowers all the time, out of
doors and in?
Don't | 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,
"Oh, John!" exclaimed the little wo-
man, 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.
Minnie!" called John.
Yes, sir +" answered Minnie.
Did you come right home from
school to-day?"
Il didn't hurry on after | met Miss
Wren replied Minnie
Did you see me anywhere on the way
home?" he questioned.
No, father" replied Minnie, with a
little culver in her voice. ''Why?"
Nothing, child. Come here and kiss
me"
Minnie clasped her arms about her
fathers neck, clung to him and kissed
him twice, then, fearing he would sus-
pect something, she said:
You love me better when there is
supper in the house, don't you, now?"
I'll fetch home the supper to-mor-
row myself" said John Jansen.
Father" said Minnie, don't be cross
to me any more if | ask you some
thing?"
Ask on, Minnie"
Won't you leave the strikers, and
have nothing more to do with them?"
Cant do it, Minnie
Then" said the girl I'm going to
have nothing to do with you. III 90
and help mother.
And Minnie suddenly left the room,
to find her mother in waiting to hear
what she had to tell.
Come out somewhere, mother said
Minnie, and be quick. It's just aw-
ful!
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 some
thing dreadful to be done. | caught it
as came from school; the train tonight
the midnight train-is to be thrown
off the track. Fathers in the plot We
must save the trainl
Minnie Jansen! y cried the poor lit
tie wife and mother.
It's true, mother, and acc must save
it-you and l. +"
We might as well turn the mine in
side out"
Mother, Mss Worence Wren aeiH be
on that troin!"
oh! "
And be killed.!
Another groan.
Well save her, mothcr!'
And betray your own father, Min
nie?"
"And save father, mother, from all
the wickcdness he means to do, it you'll
only help me to do it. | thought it all
over on my way home from school
They mean to 90 down to the bend IN
the river, and, after the up train is gone
tear up the rails just where the whole
train will 90 down the bank. | heard it
and [ know father was there, because ii
was his voice Oh, if father would give
up going with the strikers, and every
thing!
Minnie, " said Mrs. Jansen, what can
you do?"
do! Make believe I'm 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, a little girl
in the dark night? Some one will see
you"
Z" | won't 90 little girl; I'll 90 boy
with Carl's clothes on. Mine will be ly
ing 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 tc
look in the room to see if I'm there be
fore he goes out Then I'll take mine
lantern, and save father from wicked
ness, and save the train and Miss Flor
ence toe"
Annette! Annette" called John from
the cabin door.
Coming, John" was the answer, as
the trembling woman picked up the hoe
she had been filling with coal to carry
it in
Minnie grasped it from her and stur
Oily bore it to the house.
After supper, which John Jansen ate
with his eyes on his plate, scarcely lift
ing them to glance at wife or children
he said:
I'm going out tonight to meeting
If I'm late home, don't fret about me
Boys" to Carl and Jansen, BE sure you
are in by o'clock
Minnie longed to jump up as sht
would have done on any other night, tt
go around the table to beg him to sta!
at home, but she only said:
Father, Miss Florence Wren will b.
here tomorrow. She's coming to-nigh