Connecticut western news., 1888-12-12

began to run wildly among the debri', which they had brought up from the mine, crying: ''PApa! papal papal'
 There were, it is true, many others who cried and who called ''Papal' but not ore in such despairing accents. The others they drovo back, but no ono could be found to push her way. They let hor run, poor child, from one body to another, sometimes stopping before a di-fyured face, hositatin3 for a moment as if she feared that she might recognize her father.
 No, he was not among tho dead. She grew calm,r, and sought among the living. He was not thero. sho questioned every one, but no ono had seen him.
 Of the 60 miners who went down in the morning 45 had como up alive, IA were dead. Thcro remained but ono to be accounted for; that one was Michel.
 She had made them explain all that to her and she understood. She clapp:d her hands joyously as if they had said to her: "He is all right. You will sec him again" An! how sho hoped to see him Then she suddenly recollected the morning on which her father had said to her:
 q will not die without lotting you know."
 Itneeded only that to- give her the certainty that he was living. A child's faith is strong. It is not easy to drive out an idea which has once taken root in their minds. So, when the next morniag-sho had re- mained there all night---they tried to make her understand that there was no hope, that sho would never again see her father; that they had explored all the galleries, searched every corn CT and had not found him, sho shook her curly head and began to weep. saying: ''S:ok for papa"
 They pald little attention to her. For forty hours had they not exhausted evory means2 There was, doubtless, something strange in this disappear- ance. Living or dcad, Michel ought to have boon found, and they had not found him. z
 The chief engineer had himself di- rected the search but all ia v,in, In the opinion of all nothing more could bo done, and it was possible that, by the force of tho explosion, tho unfor- tunate man had bcen luli,d by tho falling debris and it was imposs ble to toll where or how.
 For forty eight hours little Miss Papa waited anxiously, but without mani fostiug the slightest uueasiuess. At every human form which appeared at the opening she started forward and, not recognizing him whom shc awaited, she sank back upon the ground with a deep sigh. They tried to take her away, and she uttered such piercing criss that they considered it best to leave her there. They thought that she mu t 8 oon yield to fatigue.
 Whence comes to the weak and fee ble such strength in the great crisis of life7 Ask God; it is His secret.
 The third day tho child was still at the shaft.
 q must put an end to thia," said the chief engineer. approaching her; ''come, my little one, be reasonable" "Papa! seek for papa!' 'Alas! he is dead." "Na."
 Shc uttered this "no" with such on ergy that the engineer was struck by it.
 "Why do you say no2 he askol.
 "Hc would hay, told m"."
 "Poor little one murmursd the en. gineer.
 | And he made sign to tho men to takc her away. But she cluag desper- ately U him, crying:
 Papa is not doad. want to go down. I will fl Id him."
 They bore her away and left her with the school teacher. A, hour later she was back at tho shaft, and, clinging to tho engineers knees, she kept repe at ing; r.u him!'
 Ho was tender-hcartol man, that engineer, and he took pity on her.
 "Aftcr all," ho sai to hims,lf, "that will, perhaps, be tho best thing. When she has seen with her own eyes sho will believe. This excitement, if it lasts much longer, will kill her."
 And, taking her in his arms, he bore her to the car and gavo tho signal to descend.
 She shuddered when shc felt beneath her that yawning pit from which arose a foul air which almost suffocated h CT. The engineer felt her little arms inclose his neck and her curly head was pressed against his own.
 Whom they reachol the bottom she disengagei herself, sprang to the ground, and rushed straight forward, calling:
 'Papa! Papa!'
 Tho engineer, who could hardly keep up with her, WIS tired of explaining to her twenty times what ho had already explained-how the explosion had talk en place, where it had occurred, and what they had dono 10 find the victims,