The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-05-04


there is not much time for caution on
his own behalf on the part Of the
slate picker who would avoid a rap of
the oracker-boss's switch across the
knuckles.
When the dinner.hour arrived, and
the great noisy breaker, that had been
full of sound aud action all the fore
noon, like a painting giant, brought its
m,riai wheels and forces TO a temper
ary stand-still. Mamie realized for the
first time how badly lacerated her
bleeding fingers were.
In her eagerness to put her plan into
execution she had not thought of TAX
ing any dinner with her on leaving the
house in the morning, but she did not
feel the deprivation very keenly, be-
cause her mind was occupied with
wondering what her father and mother
would think of her absence from home
The cracker. boss having left the
screen-room for the purpose of enjoy
ing his own lunch 10 peace and quiet.
ness, the slate-pickers were soon up to
all sorts OF mischief.
One noisy. overgrown youth, who
was known among bis companions by
the soubriquet of "Scatters," approach
Mamie and said
"Helo, Sorefingers; slate-pickin
makes you tired, don't it ! Hurts yer
fingers and makes you cry, eh7'
"No, it doesn't said Mamie, quietly.
"Wha-a' Not make you cry q
drawled Sca,ters. "Well that's rich
ness. Didn't we all see you weepin'
and snivelin, an amt ther two ohutes
of cry-juice now, down aside O. yer
purly nose, wheer the weeps ran ~ t.
But it wasn't my sore fingers that
made me cry said Mamie; II was
thinking Of my poor papa and mamma
"Ob, boys, hear that u shouted Scat
ters, in great glee, and adding with
coarse irony "He was thinkin of papa
and mamma. Look at the babby
Say. Johnny, wheers yer nussn bot
Cle ?"
A great sob was Nannies only an
1wer to this insulting talk. But Scat
ters was not to be put off in that way.
He had no more sympathy in his
na'u'e than cat, and he laughed out.
i5ht at Nannie's discontinue, and
with sneer shouted
"Say, bows; the greenhorn hain't got
no dinner. Didn't pay the store bill
last week, mebbe."
This made Mamie cry.
"Oh, dry up, you old cry y-baby,"
said Scatters, seizing her by both arms
and swinging her around so violently
that she fell heavily on the floor of the
1cre4nroom, and uttered cry of pain.
Then Scatters, who was the bully of
the breaker, kicked her in the side.
As he did so hardy little slate pick
.r, named Sam Carroll, rushed upon
him, and seizing him by the collar
said
"You sha'nt strike the new boy any
more, Scatters !"
"Ob, indeed, Sammie you get ou,
of my way, or I'll pulYerize you,' re.
piled Scatters, with raised fist
"No, you dassent," said Sam pluckily
and his heroic conduct reused the bet
ter nature of the entire screen room in
behalf OF the "new boy aud agains,
Scatters, who, seeing that he was at a
disadvantage, contented himself b,
threatening to be revenged on San
Carroll some other time.
But Sam said he was not afraid Of
him, and then getting his dinner pail
he tried to divide its contents with
Mamie. who, although very grateful tc
her little friend, was compelled to de
line his kindness, because she coulc
not eat a morsrl Just then.
Presently the dinner hour was up
and the great machinery of the screen
room began turning once more.
Sam Carl oil, whose place was neal
the opposite side of the room frou
where Mamie worked, rose and RAJ
across 80 as to be in time at his task
before the cracker-boss returned bu,
in doing so he ventured too near the
"achinery, his foot slipped and he fel
IN between the sharp steel teeth of the
emendous rolls that broke the coal
and that were now revolving slowly.
Nearly every boy in the room wit
oessed this horrible sight, and all wer,
paralyzeA with fear,
Mamie alone, of the entire number
of slate-pickers, rushed, to the rescue
Of Sam Carroll.
As she approached the rolls, tn,
others, seeing her peril, shouted
Stand back stand back !" but sh,
did not he'd them. Her brave sou
was kindled with the desire to save
the life of her little 5enefactor, ant
she had no thought of her own.
The grim and fearful rolls, with
Sam Carroll in their grip, moved slow
y around, and i'll the hope of exlricat
ing the boy, Mamie caught him b,
the coat collar, and pulled with all he
might.
Before she was aware of the grea
peril, she found herself drawn into tn,
dread machine by an irresistible force
There was tumnlt in her brain lik,
the roar OF the sea, but onl Y for an in
slant. Then came chaos, darkness
and silence.
The machinery OF the breaker wa
brought to stsndstill, and Sam Car
roll and the "new boy" were takel
from the blood-stained rolls. Carol
was quite dead, aud terribly maugled
Mamie had both arms broken, an,
was so badly crushed otherwise that
was thought she could not survive he
injuries.
No one in the breaker knew he
name, or where her home was. In tb
course of a little time, however, sh
rallied sufficiently to say;
| sim Tom Early's Mamie. Take m
home"
| Everybody knew Tom EARLY, bu
even then few realized that the crush
little slate-pioker, who had bee