Mower County transcript., 1889-10-30

and then in her eagerness. Dark
shadows and piles of rock surrounded
her, while to her left. barely to be
seen in the approaching darkness, the
mining town of Carbondale nestled in
the valley. 49,.
The darkness was complete when
she reached the pump-shaft. As she
opened the door and stepped into the
engine-room, the day engineer, who
was waiting for her father to come,
greeted her with an exclamation.
What be you a-doin here?" he
asked.
i've come to run the engine" she
answered.
What! You! Who iver heard the
loik o that9 Does yer father know
eet?"
Yes, sir; he has been sick for a
week."
II know"
e. And tonight he's too sick too
come out, so came. I have been here
often enough with him to know how to
attend to his duties"
ITO be sure; if he's wjllin', I am,"
he said, taking up his pail. There's
nothin' special only to keep her we'll
lied"
"rll do that
If you don't they can't blame me.
I've always attended to my part, and
oh. we'll, goodnight" and he banged
the door behind him. and Alice was
alone.
Alone! With twelve weary hours
ahead of her, and the pmf-puf--puf
of the steam at regular intervals out
side, and the pound-pound- pound Of
the cog-wheels, meshing into each
other, inside, as her only company!
She took up the oil-can and went
around the engine, with the lamp in
her hand. oiling every part until she
came to the walking beam which car
ried the rods to the water-cylinders at
the bottom of the shaft. It came quite
close to her, and then, with savage
grind. disappeared in the darkness,
only to come back again, bringing
with it the cold, damp air from the
shaft, and a volume of water which
she could hear rushing and roaring
outside. Back and forth it moved,
approaching till it almost touched her
dress, and then disappearing; bat re-
morselessly the engine drove it on,
with its steady puf-puG-puE and
pound -pound-pound, until Alice
grew weary of watching and listening.
Setting down her lamp. she walked to
the greasy, high backed chair and
watched the ceaseless revolutions of
the fly wheel.
The steam whispered to her in the
cylinder and through the pipes at each
successive stroke, and the water
roared outside. making the night dis
NAL and dreary, but Alice was brave
and determined, though once she
climbed to the high window and looked
out across the waste land to see if
there was a light burning at home.
She did not see any; it must be late.
What, eleven o'clock. she had been
there nearly five hours 1t was time
to oil the engine again, and with it the
bearings and pins ON the walking
beam.
She had left her lamp standing on
the stone foundation out by the shaft,
and by its dim light she oiled the
guides and link-pin. With the can in
her hand she approached the walking
beam, going and coming on its long
sweep. TO oil the pins she would
have to jump on it! A misstep would
be fatal; it worked closely between
the two walls of stone, pausing at the
end of each stroke before beginning
another. AS it passed .her, going one
| way, she saw the round hole in it's
frame, frightened by use. and fastened
her eyes on it, Quickly, as she had
often seen her father do, she sprang
forward; her foot landed lightly
in it. and her hand .clutched the
| angle in the iron above. Then
the walking-beam started the other
way, carryinging her on its resistless
| course. Out-out-Out 1t went, till
she hung over the yawndng pit, and
heard the water dripping on the rocks
below; now back on it's long, circular
sweep. Out once more, deity pour
ing oil on the massive journals, hang
ing there as it stopped before going
back.
One. two. three seconds, it seemed,
as she hung there, till it moved again.
She looked down into the darkness be-
low, clinging tightly to the greasy
iron. a quick, startled glance into the
depths, blaclxer than night. but a
small, yellow flame, far down, caught
her eyes. -.u. -.
The walking-beam gave it's aceus-
toned jerk; back she came, her heart
beating quickly, and jumped to the
stone where her lamp was placed. 4
Who was down the shaftp
The shaft had long been abandoned.
and was osly used to pump the water
from new workings on higher ground.
Whoever was down there had come in