The Opelousas courier., 1892-10-01

lore the range, Il always give the
lame an extra polish, for it seems to
mean so much to US. Thtsis our first
.eal home. Nobody under as and no
BODY over US, and such heaps of Soon
Ill roundl"
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 her
pleasure. She was thoughtful and
,nselfsh and the whole settlement
earned to love "Cronin's Daughter.
Was a child unruly? The mother
would call Mary in to help her, and
CON the unhappy little one was list
ming with open eyes and dirty mouth
expanding into a smile, to her account
# some st. Patrick's day parade, or q
Fourth of July exhibitor, OF, FIRE
vorks on Boston Common. To Mary
fersed III city lore and sights, the
ountry vas one thing to be desired
,ut the katahdih children, tired OF
nohotony and loneliness Of a life in
he woods, could never hear enough
# the crowds and noise.
So "Cronin's Daughter" became the
tory-teller Of the settlement. Often
he workmen stopped and joined the
ircle Of children and crowded around
aer in the summer twilight and list
med to her story.
Seems a different place, some,
low, since. 'Crohin's Daughter
,ame,'' said many Of the people.
The children don't fight half SO
much as they did, nor torment the
ritters. They're nice folks, them
Jronins."
Before her mother was taken i'll,
Mary's hands and feet and head had
been at the service of the whole set
hement. Every one loved, petted
and tyrannized 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
'ather had kept sober, and no. on5
suspected his past shame. John
JfoWn was a good workman and soon
Jose from being a driver Of the four.
horse wagons which carried the ore
Town from the mountain to the
works, to being a "top-man."
The duties Of the top-1nan were ofa
very responsible nature. Eight
lines an hour the elevator, built be.
side the chimney, came creaking and
groaning up to the top house with it's
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 a rest.
I'd while the top-man pulled a chain
which opened the bottom and preeip.
itated the mass of ore and rock
Town the chimney and into the fur,
1aee below. The a was returned to
the elevator, the bolt pushed back, q
bell rung. the man below stssted the
machinery and the elevator Began it's
downward journey.
All this required methodical care
and wakefulness. The children OF the
settlement had told Mary of On awful
night, two winters before. when
owing to the neglect of the night top.
man, an explosion had occurred which
wrecked and burned the works and
brought all the men in the top-houss
TO a 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-house
70 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 overtake him
sleep that means dismissal and dis.
grace, and possibly death to himself
and others.
The road was white and. lonely.
enlargement as she crossed the old
red bridge, and the stars we're far
away and cold. She avoided the front
works for fear of being seen by some
IF the night force in the casting.room.
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 a heart warm with love
and desperation.
Surely that is the elevator rafting
up beside her. Now she stops for
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
word, send her home for the
The 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 a replaced, the bolt
pushed back and the bell rung. Tbs
elevator had gone down and the
floor had been replaced.
Then Mary crouched beside the
sleeping man and moaned and cried:
90 father father! Wake up! /
stay here all night If [ call
help you will be dismissed. I'm
to stay here alone"
The man slept on. It was impossi-
Die to rouse him. Mary had feared
inc weakness, but suddenly she be-
anne conscious of her inner strength.
She knew that she would stay here
until morning AID hoped that by that
lime her father could be reused and
hat they might go home without
suspicion.
The elevator was coming again, and
again she must nerve herself to roll
he heavy car at that awful brink.
Well she had done it once and she
do it again.
Again and again she had belt her.
self to the heavy task. The hours
vent by. Mary counted them by the
Dads eight to an hour. At FIRST they
went quickly. for she dreaded the 1ee
urn OF the eur but as the night wore
IN, the child became conscious of an
empowering desire to sleep.