The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-07-17
THE MILL SPRITE.

up to the door and unloading dusty sacks
OF yellow wheat while they chat with the
miller. Whole freight trains instead puff
their noisy way under massive archways
into the building, and car after car Is
emptied In twinkling, each one discharg
Ing Its load through trapdoor In its floor.
Then the cars, having been almost as
quickly loaded with -four as they were
emptied OF grain, are pushed on through
another great stone archway and go forth
to carry the product to eastern markets.
In the Perthton mill there was generally
one onlooker as the trains unloaded who
took no part In the work. Annie, the lit
tie crippled daughter Of the janitor, limped
mp and down the platform, in and out OF
the mill as we'll az her laneness would al
low. Brakomen, engineers and shippers
all had pleasant word for her. 'Hrhe
mill sprite," one engineer of poetic turn
of mind had called her, and she went by
that name, even among those who did not
know what the phrase meant.
| About midsummer new superintend-
ent, Mr.. Griswold, came to the mill
| AREN'T you afraid of being caught In
the machinery" he asked one hot even
| ing, when he found Annie perched on
Wide beam watching the wheat flow down
ward like golden river.
No; I've always lived in the mill and
| 60 everywhere, - she answered
might and day toof''
Eyes; it's prettier at night" she an
swered simply, and the superintendent,
whose heart sometimes swelled with ad :.
miration when the great structure was
lighted with electricity. agreed with her.
He stopped moment TO watch the
swinging lever which, at a pull from an
assistants hand, pushed back the heavy
cover to the deep bin and allowed carload
Of new wheat, fresh from the prairies, to
flow like torrent into the receptacle
'Twould be death 10 be under that
shower, Mr. Griswold said half to himself
and passed on.
A few evenings afterward, when she
was left alone by her father In the janitor's
nestlike quarters In the front of the mill
Annie's thoughts called up this remark OF
the superintendent about the stream OF
wheat just then she heard low, rum.
bling sound in the distance. Another
train OF wheat was coming. 1t would be
unloaded In the night She started for
the door to sec 1t roll past and glided out
along dark wall toward the tracks.
Just before she came To n corner she
heard low voices from around the turn
Two men were whispering hoarsely
1.-The last night OF the month always
brings 1t, you know one said.
Yes, but how can we git to itS Tn
watch will be on"
That s all right. I've been studying
the thing, an the superintendent Is here
alone tonight The office men are sick "
The roar of the train was coming nearer
and the men raised their voices.
"He may show fight an ring In an
alarm" said the second speaker
"No danger" was the reply. II came
80 sharply that 10 seemed to be Kissed In
the others ear. 1T won't take more than
a minute to settle him Well jest wait
till tn train Is in, an
Whir, whizzi came the noisy freight.
The engine threw out millions OF sparks
as 1t tugged up the incline, and all sounds
but its roar were drowned. Nothing was
distinguishable until the long line of laden
cars had disappeared beneath the black
arch In the wing Of the mill, and then
Annie heard again:
"Dont get scared now. tn work all
right >" Then the voices ceased.
Presently she peeped anxiously around
the corner. Nothing was visible now but
the SILENT dark walls, with CLEANS Of light
coming through the scores of windows
She wished her father was there and was
still more nervous when she remembered
that he would not be back until midnight
She thought over the mems words, "the
last night Of the month"
The meaning had not struck her at first
Now II occurred to her that they were talk.
ing about the hundreds Of dollars which
were in the superintendent hands to pay
4 r.. II l.
first of the month. He was alone as the
men had said She knew that the force
was small that night because OF Illness.
These men were going to rob Mr.. Girls
woldl She must go and warn him. But,
whatever they meant to do 1t would hap.
pen when the train was in" And al
ready it had come to standstill on the
dump platform
Annie seized her bonnet, to protect her
brown hair from the flying -four, and, not
daring to go outside and attempt to climb
the long railway rrestle In the darkness,
turned through n small door into the
depths of the mill and started for the su.
perintendent's office.
Although she had often been In the mill
at night. It had seldom been In this direc-
ton, and her progress was somewhat un.
certain. Pulling back her dress from con-
tact with the mighty wheels, stepping over
shafts and Hmping along beams that con.
pected narrow platforms, she struggled on
In the hot and dusty half darkness Once
In her excitement, she lost her way, and
then, Just as dull roar told that the first
car OF wheat had been dumped, she found
Il again. and In moment more was at
the door of the superintendent office
Impatiently she Pounded on its panels
There was no response Strengthening her
poor little body tofts greatest height, she
knocked ngain, and then, with both thin
hands, tried the latch. IL yielded, and the
heavy door swung slowly inward She
glanced quickly around.
Mr.. Griswold was not there. The doors |
Of the safe In which the money was kept |
were closed, and she reflected that the |
small night force was probably assisting
In the unusual task OF unloading the train |
ut that hour.
Out OF the office she hurried, and, tax
Ing the upper door because she knew IT'S
better and there were fewer /
belts and shafts, ahe turned In the direc. /
ton of the great bins. Another roar told l
Of second cars disposal, and she caught
her breath little as she trcmbled lest she |
should be too late
At last she turned corner In the tan
gied path she was following and looked
down the passagcway along the wheat
bins. A line Of beams led toward the /
cleaning electric light at the farther end, 4
md 90 the sighs vnst gaping spaces reached
Into tho blnckness far below Above the
Juggling, ms 10 pulled the
loaded cars into pisce for the next
dump, could be heard tho rumble OF the
mill's machinery
Annie hurried along the Darrew path.