The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-02-14

testing the slightest uneasiness. At
every human form which appeared at
the opening she started forward. And,
not recognizing him for whom she
waited. she sank back upon the
ground with d deep sigh. They
tried to take her away, and she uttered
such piercing cries that they considered
it best to leave her there. They
thought that she soon must yield to
fatigue.
Whence comes to the weak and
feeble such strength in the great crises
In life? Ask God; it is his secret.
The third day the child was still at
the shaft.
81 must put an end to this" said the
engineer, approaching her. Come,
my little one, be reasonable?"
Papa! seek for papa!"
"Alas! he is dead"
NO"
She uttered this mo" with such en-
ergy that the engineer was struck byit
"Why do you say mop" he asked.
He would have told me"
Poor little one,n murmured the en-
gineer.
And he made sign to the men to
take her away. But she clung desper-
ately to him, crying:
Papa is not dead. l want to 60
down. / will find him."
They bore her away and left her
with the school teacher. An hour lat
er she was back at the shaft, and,
clinging to the engineers knees, she
kept repeating:
II want to go down! will find
him!"
He was tender-hearted man, that
engineer, and he took pity on her.
"After ALL" he said 10 himself, "that
will, perhaps, be the best thing. When
she has seen with her own eyes, she
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 gave the signal to
descend.
She shuddered when she felt beneath
her that yawning pit, from which
arose foul air which almost sufocat-
ed her. The engineer felt her little
arms inclose his neck, and her curly
head was pressed against his own.
When they reached the bottom she
disengaged herself, sprang to the
ground and rushed straight forward,
calling:
Papa! papa"
The engineer, who could hardly
keep up with her, was tired Of explain
ing to her twenty times what he had
already explained-how the explosion
had taken place, where it had occurred
and what they had done to find the
victims, and the child kept questioning g
him, and repeated:
"He is living! Seek for him!"
She would have remained down
in the mine three days, as she had al
not taken her by force and carried
| her up.
The engineer gave orders that she
| should be taken back to the school
| teacher and also orders that if she re-
appeared at the shaft she should be
| prevented from going into the mine.
All his measures had been carefully
| taken, and the next day, no longer
thinking of her, he was inspecting one
| of the galleries when he felt himself
| siezed by the arm of his coat. 1t was
| Miss Papa.
She had escaped from the school a
second time. Repulsed at the shaft,
she had slipped into an empty coal
car and had thus descended into the
| mine.
She told all this to the engineer and
obtained his pardon. Five minutes
| later she again began her search, still
full of undiminished faith. The min
ers followed her with plying eyes,
Struggling their shoulders, saying,
Poor little papa"
Little papa kept on seeking with un-
abated courage. Suddenly they saw
her running toward them, pale and e.
| cited.
Down therc!' she gasped. Down
there! Papa!'
"What? Down there P" said the
| miner.
| His blousew
bah! Wherep"
| "Down there"
In moment every one had heard
the news. and the mine was in tum
ult. The child declared that she had
seen a piece of blue cloth in a hole
! which she could not raise because il
was held down by an enormous piece
| of coal.
"Where?" they asked her again.
She turned. followed by the crowd
of miners. Then she stopped anC
hesitated.
She could not find the spot. All tht
blocks of coal resembled each other
all the cavities were alike, all tn,
galleries were the same. And yet sht
was sure she had seen that blue piec,
of cloth. Where the blouse was tn,
man must be, living, no doubt, ant
that man was her father. and sh'
could not find him!
One by one. tired of the useless
search, persuaded that the poor cir
was crazed by grief, the men with
drew and returned to their work. Blu
they had hardly taken up their pick
axes when loud cry recalled them t.
the child.
IL have found it! have found it!'
They pushed her aside and looked
Yes. it was a piece of blue flannel! l
was blouse! There was imam there
They set to work with a will and il
the twinkle of an eye the wall wa