Tip Top Weekly No. 61: Frank Merriwell in the Mines — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FRANK MERRIWELL IN THE MINES. 3 ‘Merciful God, Ithank thee! Spare! ‘‘There,’’ she said, indistinctly, ‘‘I her life—give her back to me!”’ shall remain here till I go away for good. Then he dragged her nearer the fire,'I am going to leave Little Blossom with he rubbed her face and her hands, he. you, daddy,'? she added more plainiy, forceG a little whisky into her mouth, ‘and you must keep her, and care for he worked with frantic haste and heart- ; her, and love her as vou love me. Be breaking fear. igocd to her, daddy, for she is blind.’ She opened her eyves—she saw him. | : ‘‘But you shali not leave me!’ the old Then the ghost of a smile came to her;}man cried. ‘I will keep you both! If he. face, and that smile told she was yeticomes— Well, he shall not take you voung, scarcely more than a girl, and she | from me again.’’ had been very pretty not long ago. ; Once inore she smiled faintly. ‘*Daddv—iny dear good daddy !”? | ‘‘You are so good, daddy!" she said. The words were the faintest whisper, ;‘‘You always were so good to me! Aud uttered with a supreme effort, but hejI have been such a bad girl— =] heard them, and he sobbed with joy. ihave caused you much pain, dear “Nellie, my dear one! my little girl!:daddy——” my pet! you have come back to your ‘*Don’t, Nellie—don’t speak of that!”’ poor, lonely old daddy, thank God!”? ‘“Itis true. But he was so handsome, _ His armns were about her, and he kissed | daddy, and he had so inuch money! He her as a father kisses the one child he; promised me such beautiful things, and I, loves best in all the world—the child that thought it would be prand. He said he is dearer to him than his own life. ‘would marry me, and he did. Here is the e t » . “Yes, I have come back,’? she whis-: certificate, daddy,’ she fluttered, drawing pered; ‘“‘but not for iong, dear daddy. lia paper from the bosom of her dress. . must soon go away again.”? “Keep it—keep it for Little Blossom's ‘“You shall never leave me again!’ he!sake. And keep her with you always; | declared. ido not Jet him have her. Promise me you ‘You do not know—you do not under-| will not let him have her!” t stand. But—my baby—where is my; ‘‘I promise, Nellie. But you must not baby! Quick, daddy —look at her! Seejexcite yourself so much by talking—. if she is alive!’ there is no need of it.” She tried to start up, but her strength | “T must talk now or never. You do - was rot equal to the task, and she fell not seem to understand, daddy. I am back, moaning. The old man hastily and | going to die—I feel that I-am dying carefully undid the bundle, He removed | now.”” the shawl, hé removed other wraps, and; ‘‘No! no!’ he hoarsely cried, clutch- at last he came to something that was | ing her with his crooked fingers. ‘You alive, warm and moving. This was a/shall not die—you must not!”’ baby girl, at least five months old. The wind in the ravine answered his When the mother saw the child was| wild cry with a triumphant yell, as if the alive, when she heard it cry, she whis-!storm rejoiced in its work. pered a thankful prayer. | “Tam going, now, daddy!"? whispered “*Put it on the bed, daddy, and lift me, {the dying woman. ‘‘I was determined to help me there.” ireach you and give you Little Blossom, He did so, and with some difficuity|else I should have perished long ago. I — aided the mother to get upon the rude'was near when the storm caught ime. Then I feared all was over, but at last, . bed, which was near the fire. COMmiiEoooe (CO)