The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-10-24

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glow disclosed the pressncs oE three
men. They were one-fwo-threa she
counted. platforms below her. Sixty
feet Nearly to the bottom. bat still
/ she could not make ous what they were
doing. She resolved 70 descend 70 the
next platform.
The water, which far abosa was in
drops, nor came down In small
streams. and is noise drowned all
ether sounds. save the beat OF the
1 plnngars IN tlne water cylinders. Ii
sileneed her cautious footsteps. aBd
she reached the platform without al
tracing their attention Her heart
I was beating quickly with excitement
as she looked down. she was near
4 enough TO see them. ard what they
were doing They we-e-she could
hardly keep back q cry q alright
i one OF them had g wrench ard was IN
screwing the nuts from the bolts that
I held the guides in which the rods ran!
I IL they lcosened them al il woald dis
i connect the engine and the pump. and
4 the rods. with nothing 10 hold them in
+ place. would strip the shalt OF hunt
ings and ladders,
The strike. R eEenge On thc CON-
I panyl All this flashed through her
mind as she watched them. pesrified
with fright The mutierings Of their
I voices reached her H0w many more
{ bolts 70 loosen before they would &C
/ complish their vile work?
She turned and ran Up the ladder.
/ Gaining the platform she looked down
I again What could she dos Her eyes.
/ accustomed % the darkness. ssw tia
I wreach steadily st its work, and their
upturne1, harsh-loozing faces while
/ one man held a lamp above his head.
/ There could not be many more bolts TO
I take out; she must not stand there and
see every thing sacrificed 10 their
I malice
She felt the hard beating OF her
+ heart Il almost suffoczted her Her
/ breath came fast Then. with strength
augmented by despair, she showed
/ against The ladder below her. II
moved, balanced. and slowly. gather
/ ing speed as il circled over, fell, crash
/ ing. crashing-aud she elosed her eyes
down into the midst of themi There
was q wild cry from the men: the sound
Of the falling ladder echoed and
/ re-eehoed against the solid walls Of
/ ths shaft until it died away. The
wafer was still dripping. and the rods
were lunging mp and down. bat no
/ soslnd came from below. save from the
! plungers
Up. nov, up. Ladder after ladder.
till The engine-room vas reached
/ Pausing a moment she looked down the
/ shaft II was totally black. No vel
low spot Nothing. The walking beam
/ came oat 70 welcome her, aud the cog
wheels pounded savagely. but leaving
it all behind. she sped out across the
rocks to the boiler-house beneath the
hill 1t was q rough path She STUN
bled many times in her haste and ex-
element, till, with dilsted eyes. breath
I ing heavily. she dashed into the fire.
ROOM The two men working there.
shoveling coal in the furnace doors.
1 stopped aud looked up in surprise on
her sudden appearance
DO you know where Mr. Marvins
livesgn she asked One Of you 20 for
him Quick, quickl Bring him back.
and a. many men a. yon can.
is -. one Of them began 10 say.
Yes. three men are dead or dying
in the pump shaft
They did not hesitate after that
IN go. jim. said one, I'm a good
runner.
Hurry. then! You must hurry
she cried Bring him. and doctor
Il you can Go, and Oh be quickF'
Turning she ran out- leaving the
man called Jim gazing after her. while
the other nan started on run for the
town
P4F-pu9-pt.et The engine was
still going. Some Of the bolts had
held! Pouad-p9uad- poH1sat The
eog-wheel stili had plenty Of work 20
do; and the walking beam was coming
1 and going on its long sweep. as she
entered me engine-roon- With eau
tious footsteps she approached the
shaft. leaned over. and looked down
into its black depth The water was
dripping. and the cold, damp air famed
| her heated face. shudderIng. she
closed the door 70 shut the darkness
out and walked 70 the greasy, high
backed chair standing by the cylinder.
Sinking into il she closed her eyes
Ny story Is about told This all oc-
Cured some twenty years ago. The
three men we're found in the bot
tom Of the shaft, hurled there By the
breaking Of the platform. Luckily the
ladder did not hit any OF them. and
as the distance was not great they
were not severely injured They viii
never forget their terrible experience
| The ladder stuck in the midst Of them,
and carried them down with it Meth
er viii Alice forget during the several
months that Mr. Mcdowell lived. she
/ continued to run the pump-engine, bat
on the day shift. and. strange as il
may seem, she kept the position after
/ her fathers death, showing that the
company remembered lis brave de-
I fender.
have never seen her, but the story
was told me by one who heard it from
her own lips Phil More, in Youths
/ Companion
4 New Lumber Substitute.