Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-11-12

out with resistless force. II leapeu into The
clay lined trougbs and bissed its way fam
ing down 10 the mouth of The bell mold.
The "fool" had done deed worthy Of a
general on a field of battle.
Was II too late2 Every moment new lis.
sures opened in the doomed furnace. Some
OF the upper stones toppled over. Sill the
metal poured out into the mold. But the
waste was great from those gaping flaws.
The pressure was relieved by the open
vent, but the leaks multiplied continually.
II was art running a race with ruin.
Poor "Mopus" stood powerless before
the coming catastrophe. His knees knock
ed together and his head swan. A great
heap of red hot bricks and rubbish fell at
his feet. He had barely thought to get out
of the way aud save his life. lie heard a
wild shout Of human voices in the distance,
then an awful roar behind him, aud he
saw and felt himself pursued by surges OF
seething fire. Sharp, blisterng pains
pierced his flesh at hundred points. The
rest was all horrible unintclligiblo dream.
1t was as II he bad suddenly sank into the
earth and had been swallowed up forever.
BY seven O'Clock comparative quiet
was reigning again on the scene Of the dis
aster Ruins lay everywhere. The en-
gines had queuched the flames that had
caught the building, and the men, blacken-
ed with smoke, stood in silei.t groups
about the remains OF the furnace. 1t had
fallen TO pieces and nothing was left but
heaps Of steaming rubbish.
Poor "Inventor," who had been found
with the tapping-rod in his hands, lying
on his face in the sand, friGhtfully burned,
had been carried to his home.
Little was said, but the few words spok-
en- uttered with no mild emphasis the natural
wrath OF the master and hands against the
man George, whose excuses for hmselfon-
ly exaggerated his offense.
"See what he's DONE" said they, a few
days later. as they stood in the half burned
foundry. Five thousand dollars gone to
waste in minute The best job in twenty
years spoiled The rascal TO go hunting for
his pine, and leave that suffering idiot to
watch Is that all be can say for himselfH
Out upon such carelessness Why the boy
didn't even know enough to bawl out
when he must have seen the furnace tuln-
bling to pieces!'
The master, who had more at stake than
the men, of course felt the loss more keen
ly than they. lie almost wept with min
gled grief and rage. Suddenly something
peculiar caught his eye among the debris,
and he cried in startled voice:
"Halloi What's this? What's this?'
He snatched up fragment Of one of the
he ,,,bf hoI In1 I,a f,,r 10
the mold. There were traces of the stream
of bronze still running in it. Then the pos
sible meaning of the iron found in the in
jured boys's hand flashed upon him.
Bring me shovel, quick ~ he shout
ed.
A spade WAS put into his hands, and he
began nervously TO heave away the hot
mass that lay piled over the bell mold. 1t
was herculeau task, bnt he worked like
giant, and three or four of his men took
hold and helped him.
Brick bats, ore, Stag and ashes few in
every direction. Presently the masters
spade penetrated the sand and touched
something bard. He stopped down. Then
he leaped up like one half frantic, and ply
ing his spade with redoubled energy, tore
away the remaining sand, disclosing what
looked like great metallic ring.
"Men," he cried out, lifting his flushed
face, "the bell is castr
"Who did this?" asked every excited
voice, as soon as The cheering died away.
"Come with me, two or three OF you -
criod the master. 81 think I know who
did il. It's miraclcr
They hurried away TO the home Of the
half witted boy. The attendant met them
with her finger on her lips.
"The poor boy is in brain fever" she
said.
"Does he say anything in his delrum ?"
whispered the master.
sob, yes, he raves all the time about the
big bell mold. "I hope it will till-I hope
it will tll," he says.
The men exchanged glances. 1t was in
deed true. The idiot had cast the great bell
OF st Johns. Just then the physician came
out. perhaps he will recover his reason
by this shock and sickness" he said. "Such
things have happened"
ado you think soH Pray Heaven he
may y solemnly CALCULATED the master and
his men and they turned away deeply
moved.
Two months later the great bell hung
from huge derrick in the lathe room OF
the factory, and beneath II stood a heavy
truck upon which II was about to be lower
ed. A silence fell upon The group of work
men as the pale face and feeble form of
"Inventor' appeared, borne In a small re-
cining chair. He had recovered his rea-
son, and was fast getting back his strength.
His large gray eyes instantly fastened
themselves on the bell, that splendid mas
ter-piece, whose making meant so much to
him. They had told him the whole story
of the cas:ing, and the disaster in the foun-
dry, but it all sounded like a wild romance
10 him.
III remember nothing that happened"
said he, shaking his head with a smile
"Irs all new TO me, all new and strange
so stranger
"Yes," said the master devoutly, at was
Gods hand"
Every eye turned upon the invalid.
Some of lhe men felt almost afraid it was
so much like a resurrection to have him
there among them, the boy they had known
so long unidentified, now a young man,
keen and intelligent, as If changed into
another being.
81 should like to strike the bell once )"
two men lifted him up and put small
hammer in his hand.
He struck one gentle blow. A deep sweet,
monrnful tone, solemn as the sound of dis
tant waterfalls, rolled from the great bell
and echoed through the foundry. Tears
filled the eyes of the rough men as they
heard ii.
"Ah," said the master, "lhere's a hallelu-