Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-03-21

T0CIeu the search, Out all III vain. III
the opinion of all nothing more could
be done, and it was possible that, by
the force of the explosion, the unfort-
innate man had been buried by the
falling debris, and it was impossible to
tell where or how.
For forty-eight hours little Miss Papa
waited anxiously, but without mani
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 a 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 lifeP 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 papar'
"Alasi he is dead"
"No."
She uttered this ''no" with such en-
ergy that the engineer was struck byit.
"Why do you say mop" he asked.
s.He would have told me-"
''Poor little one," murmured the en-
gineer.
And he made sign to the men to
take her away. But she chung desper-
ately to him, crying:
"Papa is not dead. | want to go
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:
81 want to go down! I will find
himr'
He was a tender-hearted man, that
engineer, and he took pity on her.
"After ALL" he said to 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 suffocat-
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! papaP'
The engineer, who could hardly
keep up with her, was tired of explain
ing to her twenty times what he had
already xplained-how the explosion
had taken place, where it had occurred
and what they had done to find the
victims, and the child kept questioning
him, and repeated:
.'He is living! Seek for hint"
She would have remained down
in the mine three days, as she had al
ready done at the surface, if they had
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
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 undimnished faith. The min
ers followed her with plying eyes,
Struggling their shoulders, saying,
Poor little papa!'
Little papa kept on seeking with I'M
abated courage. Suddenly they saw
her running toward them, pale and ex-
cited.
Down there? she gasped. Down
there! Papa!'
"WhatP Down there ?" said the
miner.
His blousew
"Bahi Wherep"
Down there!
In moment every one had heard
the news, and the mine was in a tum-
ult. The child declared that she had
seen piece of blue cloth in a hole,
which she could not raise because it
was held down by an enormous piece
of coal.
"WhereP" they asked her again.
She turned, followed by the crowd
of miners. Then she stopped and
hesitated.
She could not find the spot. All the
blocks of coal resembled each other;
all the cavities were alike, all the
galleries were the same And yet she
was sure she had seen that blue piece
of cloth. Where the blouse was the
man must be, living, no doubt, and
that man was her father, and she
could not find hint
One by one, tired of the useless
search, persuaded that the poor girl
was crazed by grief, the men with
drew and returned to their work. But
they had hardly taken up their pick
axes when a loud cry recalled them to
the child.
81 have found it! I have found it,"
They pushed her aside and looked.
Yes, it was a piece of blue flannel! 1t
was blouse! There was man there!
They set to work with a will and in
the twinkle of an eye the wall was
beaten down and in a deep excavation
they saw man extended; il WAS Michel