Tip Top Weekly No. 61: Frank Merriwell in the Mines — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

13 FRANK MERRIWELL IN THE MINES. let me. suffer enough, without finishing |small tables, would have supposed he had ny tottering life with such a blow!” _ He kissed her again, and a cheer went up from the rough men in the place, as| of John North. struck a prayer meeting. An eloquent prayer came from the lips He asked God’s blessing the child’s arms were about the old man’sion the friends who had stood by him, he neck, and her golden hair mingled with his snowy Jocks. | ‘T—thank—vyou—my friends,’? said John North, slowly, and with deep emo- tion. “‘I thank this young man’’—indi- cating Frank—‘‘who was the first to dare to take the part of a helpiess old nan. I thank that stranger who stands on the ‘table—I thank every one! And now,’’ he solemnity added, ‘‘let us thank God.”? Then he knelt there on the floor, in the middle of that saloon, and his old, un- ‘steady voice rose in praver. Frank Merriwell and his friends, standing nearest the old man and the little girl, were the first to uncover and bow their heads. Then the others did so, and the hat of every one in that saloon, with the exception of that belonging to Dan Powers, was immediately removed. Some of the men actually knelt. . . Powers sat there, a look of disdain on dis cruelly handsome face. He had lighted a black cigar, and at that he puffed quite coolly. But he was not allowed to sit thus. ‘*Remove your hat!?! The command rang through the room in the midst of the prayer. | Powers looked up and saw. that the man from Mexico had spoken, and was again handling his long revolver in a! manner that seemed to indicate a desire to shoot. It occurred to the gambler at once that the man of the white hair was looking for a good excuse to shoot him, now that Little Blossom was not near. Immediately with a graceful bow and a swinging motion, the card sharp re- moved his hat, and placed it on the table at his side. His lips smiled, but there was a mad tumult of fury within his heart. He hated the man who had thus humbled asked that Little Blossom might be spared him, and he asked God to soften the heart of the unnatural father. Then when he had finished Little Blos- som prayed, and her sweet, childish voice, her innocent words, everything served to touch the rough listeners and move them as they had not been moved before. ‘Dear Lord,’’ she said, ‘‘I am so glad you did not let me be taken away from my good old grau’pa! He has always been so good to me! Dear Lord, bless gran’pa, and bless them that kept me from being taken from him. I don’t know anything about the man who says he is ny father, but Ido know about my gran’pa, and Ido not want to leave him ever atall. I don’t want you to hurt my father, dear Lord, if he is bad, but I wish you would make him good and kind, just like my gran’pa. That is all, dear Lord, but I reckon perhaps you is goin’ to hear and ’inember what a little blind girl says, who never can see till she goes to Heaven. Whien she gets there, my gran’- —tpasays she'll see you, dear Lord, who is so good to everybody, and she'll see her own angel mamma, who 1s up there now. Oh, the little blind girl does want to see her manima sonie time! Amen!’? And from the lips.of every person in that saloon, with a single exception, came a fervent: | Amen !”? The old man and the eclrild arose to their feet, and then men crowded round them, crying: | . a “Hold yer hat, Leetle Blossom, fer we has got somethin? ter give yer!” She heard them, and smiled such a sweet smile, as she held her hat with both hands. Then came a rain of gold and silver |money into that hat—a rain that aston- him, and he swore that he would find aiished and amazed the old man and the way to even matters with Smith. girl, for the hat quickly grew heavy to It was a most remarkable scene there | 20!4. in that rough mining campand that com-| “‘Is it all money, gran’pa?’’ asked mon saloon. A stranger, coming in sud-| Little Blossom, wonderingly. denly and failing to note the barand| ‘‘It is ali money, my dear one. wae CONNICGMOOKSaG