St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-07-30

real home. Nobody under us and no
body over US, and such heaps Of room
all round"
Mary's intense delight in all she
saw, and the deep gratitude she eX
pressed for all that was done for her,
made every one anxious to give hel
pleasure. She was thoughtful Anu
lnscltish and the whole settlement
learned t. love 'Cronin's Daughter.
Was child unruly? The mother
would call Mary IN to help her, and
soon the unhappy little one was list
ening with open eyes and dirty mouth
expanding into smile, to her account
of some st. patrick's day parade, or q
Fourth of July exhibition OF fire
works on Boston Common. TO Mary
versed in city lore and sights, the
country was one thing to be desired
but the Katahdin children, tired OF
mOnOtOny and loneliness Of life in
| the woods, could never hear enough
! Of the crowds and noise
| SO "CrOnin Daughter became the
story-teller Of the settlement. Often
the Workmen stopped and joined the
circle Of children and crowded around
her in the summer twilight and list
cned to her story.
Seems different place, some
how, since 'Cronin's Daughter
came,' said many of the people
The children don't fight half SO
much as they did, nor torment the
critters. They're nice folks, them
! CrOninS.'
Before her mother was taken i'll,
Mary's hands and feet and head had
| hnatt Dt Irn # hA lnf nnS
| Element Every one loved, pctted
and tyrannzed over her.
| In spite Of her mothers sharp but
short illness, from which she was now
recovering, the summer and autumn
had passed happily with Mary. Her
father had kept sober, and no one
suspected his past shame. John
| CrOnin was good workman and soon
rose from being a driver Of the four
horse wagons which carried the ore
down from the mountain to the
works, to being a " top-man.
The duties of the top-man We're ola
very responsible nature. Eight
times an hour the elevator, built be-
side the chimney, came crealling and
grooming up to the top house with its
load Of ore and limestone. The top
man fastened the elevator with a
| bolt, and the car to the rear mouth Of
the chimney. Over this the car rest
ed while the tOp-man pulled a chain
which opened the bottom and precip-
itated the mass Of ore and rock
down the chimney and into the fur
mace below. The car was returned to
the elevator, the bolt pushed back. a
bell rung, the man below started the
machinery and the elevator began its
downward Journey
All this required methodical care
and Wakefulness. The children of the
settlement had told Mary of al awful
night, two winters before, when.
owing to the neglect Of the night top
man, al explosion had occurred which
wrecked and burned the works and
brOug hit all the men in the top-hOuse
to Il fearful death.
No wonder Mary's heart stood still
with fright when her father reeled
through the door. nor that she re-
solved to follow him to the top-h0use
to make sure that he had not fallen
asleep. She had watched the furnace
and knew by the shower Of sparks
that were sent up that the ore was be-
ing dumped regularly; but at any
moment sleep might Overtalle him
sleep that means dismissal and dis
grace, and possibly death TO himself
and others.
The road was white and lonely.
The frozen river had no word of ell
enlargement as she crossed the old
red bridge, and the stars were, far
away and cold. She avoided the front
works for fear Of being seen by some
Of the night force in the casting.
Around the charcoal-hOuse and
through the thick smoke, up the hill, |
over the bridge and up the ladder the .
child went, with chilled hands and !
feet, but with heart warm with love
and desperation.
Surely that is the elevator rafting
up beside her. Now she stops for
breath on the landing, waiting for
welcome noise from above that will |
drive her fears away. How her father |
will laugh and kiss her. and, with a
CHEEKY word, send her home for the |
night. Inc intensely cold air may
have brought him to himself, she |
There was an OminOus silence above
and the child hurried up the ladder.
John Cronin lay asleep on the floor.
Mary had no time for thought. She |
drew the bolt and secured the elevator.
Then she seized the handles of the
car and wheeled it toward the fiery
pit. The heat grew more and more
intense. Could she guide the car and
dump it? Before she knew it, it was
done. The car was replaced, the bolt
pushed back and the bell rung. The
elevator had gone down and the
floor had been replaced.
Then Mary crouched beside the
sleeping man and moancd and cried:
20 father' father Wake up! [
ant stay here all night! If [ call
or help you will be dismissed. I'm
afraid to stay here alone"
The man slept on. 1t was impOssi-
Die to rouse him. Mary had feared ID
me weakness, but suddenly she be-
anne conscious Of her inner strength.
She knew that she would stay here
until morning and hoped that by that
ime her father could be reused and
hat they might so home without
suspicion.
The elevator was coming again, and
gain she must nerve herself to roll
he heavy car at that awful brink.
Well she had done it once and she
ould do it again.
Again and again she had bent her
elf to the heavy task. The hours
vent by, Mary counted them by the
ds-eight to all hour At first they
vent quickly, for she dreaded the re-
urn Of the car; but as the night wore $
n, the child became conscious OF an
empowering desire to sleep.
The dreadful sense Of responsible !
ty, the loneliness and unuaturalness +
1T her. She even began to forget +
Ell desire to save her father. All
motion was swallowed up by the sea
t sleep, which surged around her,
laking her sick and giddy.