Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-09-19

sU0Itu pdSo Oi rags, lu>l a. AHty "V'N
bought, black and white, lnen, silk, and
cotton mixed together In the upper
story they were stored, and then taken to
the main building TO undergo the process
OF bleaching About twenty girls were
usually employed In the Sorting-room, but
an unusual press OF work had necessltated
the employment of FIVE more, and the two
Maggies had been fortunate enough to Sc
cure places.
Two weeks passed by, and the two girls
remained as far apart as ever The teud
between the two families was not
healed by the enforced association of two
of its members for eight hours
day. Occasionally Angie came to the
mil bringing her sisters lunch. She
always nodded shyly to Maggie Lane,
ana perhaps would have spoken had
not her sister given her so fierce look OF
warning.
One morning, however, Maggie Lowe
did not appear. Angie came IN her stead,
saying to the overseer that her sister was
sick, and that she would take her place.
She understood the work very we'll, hav-
ing watched the sorters for hours at time,
and she began on her bag of rags without
delay.
1t proved II very eventful day In the
beginning of it some of the machinery got
so much cut of order that all the hands
except those in the sorting-room were dis
missed. and as noon Maggie and Angie
were the only ones left in the room, the
others having gone elsewhere to eat their
dinner Both Maggie and Angie lived toe
far from the mill to go home at noon, and
neither could afford to patronize the cheap
restaurants In the next street, as the ma
jority of the girls did,
Both opened their tin pals and began
TO draw out the bread and cold meat their
mothers had provided for them, and ate
in silence until nearly all was disposed Of,
when suddenly the cry OF Fire was
raised outside
Maggie sprang to her feet to find the
room beginning to fill with smoke, which
was coming up through the chinks in the
floor. An accident not at all uncommon
in paper mills, had occurred. A bag OF
cotton waste had burst into flames, and
the store-room beneath was a furnace of
fire. With loud cry Of terror Maggie
rushed into the machine room. But SUD
denty she stopped, recollecting her help
less companion. Poor crippled Angie, the
best loved child of her fathers enemy,
Mr.. Lowe, was behind her. waiting for
death And, strangely enough, like a
flash of tightening recurred 10 Maggie the
strange words spoken by the man who
had pulled her out of the water two weeks
before.
W.s not this like danger2' Had she
not promised to sieze any opportunity of
feIed to repay him as he had asked, TO
show her gratitude? No, she must not
leave Angie there to die alone, and yet how
could she save her? There was no time to
be lost. The smoke threatened to sutfocate
them both. Back to the terrified Angie
she ran, and seized her in her arms Hard
work and outdoor exercise had made her
muscular and she bore the cripple easily.
But by the time she reached the door OF
the machine room the flames were bursting
through the flooring at her feet, and she
was obliged to retreat. She ran to the
window but could see nothing, so thickly
did the black smoke roll up outside Nc
escape they were walled in ON every side,
The smoke in the room was so thick that
they could scarcely breathe.
Maggie was about to sink dow in des-
pair to await the terrible fate when was
rushing upon them, when she happened
to think OF a shed below one of the win
dows, IN which tubs and tools were kept
She could hear the shouts of the people
in the streets the ringing of the bells on
the rapidly approaching engines but alas
they would come to late too aid her
Right and left the smoke was rising IN
dense volumes, She could not see the roof
of the she'd but she knew that there lay
her only chance of escape She knew that
she could drop easily without injury; but
it would not be 50 with Annie. The Grip
pie could scarcely escape hurting herself
badly.
Maggie rushed to the bags Help me
make rope, Annie, y she cried. Quick,
quick. "
With the aid of their scissors they
divided the bags into long strips, and
Maggie's nimble fingers knotted them
together while she explained her plan tc
the cripple
She fastened the imLrovised rope about
Angles waist and bore her 10 the window
In a moment Angie had descended safely
TO the roof below. As she reached it she
was seen by the dense and anxious crowd
below, among which were Mr., Lowe and
Mr. Lane.
Come on Maggie, cried Angie look
ing up.
But no answer came, MaRgie's strenth
had become exhausted. Sutfocated by the
smoke she had fallen by the window in
sensible
ladder was run up IS the roof Of the
shed, and IN a moment Angie had explain
ed TO the backened fireman the state Of
affairs. Another ladder went up in
twinkling. and IN another moment Mag
gle was being carried down to where her
half crazed father, waited for her You
may be- sure that a cheer went up as he
Clasped her in his arms. and many a wO-
man eye, we're wet as they saw how white
was the face. how death-like, which rested
on Mr. Lanes brest.
That evening the Lanes were all at tea
as calmly as is nothing had happened
Maggie lay on the sofa with q waiter be
side her. and was telling how Angie had
cuDg to her, when there was a knock az
the door.
Come in, said Mrs. Lane.
70 the surprise Of all in the room M.
Lowe. his wife and bis daughter Maggie
entered
'Neighbor, said Mr.. Lowe, we've