The morning call., 1891-06-03
KNIGHTED,
THOUGH BRANDED.

fellow who was given to playing practical
! Jokes without thought of their possible
evil results to Others
Sandy Kyle, the youngest "ho0ker-up
| employed in the Quincy Wire Mills, had,
more than once, patiently submitted to Mas
| ter Edwards medding with his personal
affairs, making no disturbance even when,
on two occasions, his noon luncheon was
found to be wholly unfit for use, having
been charged with wire clippings and steel
filings, which were, to say the least, indi-
gestble condiments for boys snack.
When, however. a 5lyly inserted screw
caused an odd twist in the rod, as it issued
| through the rollers from the furnace, Sandy
went promptly to the office to report the
! flaw, and to charge the irOn-maSter'S son
with being the author Of the mischief. In
| this in stance Edward was notified of his
| fathers disapprobatiOn in such unmistak-
| able terms, that, for time, his propensity
| for mischief was held in check.
Sandy was well aware. though, that the
! young gentleman had small use for him.
| bur, as long as his resentment should keep
| him at distance from the section of the
| mill where his work went on, he, Sandy,
would be content to bear the weight of bis
diSpleaSure.
By degrees. however, Master Quincy
! d
which wrought Sandy. his barred arms
rOseate in their muscular young strength,
/ as they deity welded the iron pncerS that
! hooked up and guided to the hole opposite
! the fiery rods issuing in apparently endless
! succession, through the rollers from the
! gaping mouth of the furnace. Edwards
| advances were received by Sandy in the
| kludlest way, the latter being too gener-
! Ous-hearted fellow to rebuff any boy show
! ing a disposition to forgive and forget, as
| Edward was apparently doing, even had he
! not considered it the wiser policy to regain
! and hold the goodwill of the son of the
! man upon whom lie was for the present de-
| pendent for the daily living of his invalid
! mother and himself.
! Frank and honorable in his own nature,
! it did not occur to him that there could be a
! double dealing in this suddenly renewed
/ frIendllness of Quincy. Edward in fact,
| was not himself aware, possibly, how deep
rooted was his intention TO get even, some
| how, with Sandy for telling tales on him at
| the Office. He would teach Kyle how to
| carry complaints OF him which should reach
| his fathers ears. just how the lesson WAS
! to be taught, or what was to be its cOnse-
/ quence TO Sandy be did not bother himself
/ 10 reflect Let the opportunity present it
| self, and it would md him with his eyes
open, and his hands ready 20 take advan-
| tage of it. Well, neither Edward Quincy,
| nor any other boy who has in him the pur-
| 1
! TO seek long for his opportunity.
| GuTney's chance came only too soon.
1t frequently happened that Sandy's
| tongs become Oyerheated or got cranky,
! from much gripping of the hot rods. 1t
was bis duty to keep within reach a second
! pair, to be substituted in case of an acct
| dent
One day when the rollers were sending
! out the rods at their best speed. a wrench Of
! the t0ngs Oent one OF them until it snapped.
| Missing its proper groove, the fragment
! dropped upon the sanded floor, while the
! end that was still confined, being thrust
| oblQUely forward began writing snd
| twisting back on itself. FOreSeeing a dis
| asteT to the machinery, Sandy cast away
| his disabled pincers and felt behind him
for those which should have stood within
his reach.
They we're not in place.
CHANGING back he caught Master Quincy
in the act of showing them out of sight be-
hind heap Of cid iron. With a wTathful
exclamation Kyle sprang upon the shoulders
If the meddier, who, seeing his intention,
had stopped to grasp the tOngs There was
a sharp wTeste. The boys were about
equally matched in strength and agility but
Kyle, animated by a sense of the wrong
! done him in the injury likely TO res ult 10
| the machinery placed in his charge, Strug-
| gled with such desperation to possess him
self of the tOngs that uncOnSCiOusly he
dragged his opponent perilOuSly near to the
heTy rod which, diverted from its course
was sullenly failing the heated air, as 1t re-
turned, after making an abrupt bend, pre-
cisely on a line with the unheedug wres-
tiers. Kyle was the first to see the danger
menacing them both. Unless it should be
| turned aside, the jagged point, advanced
less than a ward further must pierce the
body of Quincy, and, possibly his own. He
uttered a cry Of horror
The tOngs, Quincy Give re the tongSw
Master Quincy laughed the haunting laugh
Of triumph.
cake them, Kyle, if you can. See!
have them" Putting forth the final meas
ure Of his strength, Kyle whired his an
tagOnist behind him, thus reversing posi-
lions, in order TO place himself nearest TO
the OncOming instrument Of destruction.
In its serpeHtine WTiggle, the advancing rod
appeared as though a 6raZen octopus, or
'deyil-iNh," had stretched a horrid tenta-
Gle forth 10 fastpn its scarifying suckers
upon his naked flesh. The breath of the
monster seemed already to dry The blood in
his veins; its pOlsOn eXhalatiUns were
sitting his breathing. and criSpimg and
browning the muscles and tendons of his
arms and breast
His flesh quirered then shrlveled, as he
threw himself forward into the embrace of
the awful curve. Under his weight the
flexible iron bent, causing the broken end
OF the cylinder to enter the sanded floor, to
bore, like an artesian auger, through ii into
the strata Of earth and stone below.
Edward Gurney'S eyes were at last opened
to the results Of his mad folly. To his credit
be il said that his first impulse was to stand
by Kyle, regardless of the peril still menac-
ing him. In moment he had dragged the
heroic lad aside from further contact v it'll
the heated metal, and was welding the
tGngs to good effect in preventing the sue
ceedng rods from following the deadly
course Of the first, The alarm was given,
the mill closed down, and Sandy was ten
derby borne away and committed to kindly
hands for whatever relief was to be afforded
him in his suffering
1t was, OF course. terrible injury he had
sustained. for, although the impress Of the
rod had conferred upon him as knightly an
accOl8de as ever a CheValier BaVard re-
ceiyed, it had, too, branded his shoulder and
breast with scars he would carry with him
TO his grave Nevertheless, thanks to the
most skillful surgical aid Mr. Quincy could
procure for the boy, his manned limb would
in the course Of time, render him good
service still.
In his gratitude to him for thus saving
his son from horrible death, at the risk of
his own life, Mr.. Quincy was not only I'M
firing IN providing him with the necessary
medical attendance, but was unstinting in
supplying whatever comforts were essential
TO his restoration to health, and for the
maintenance of the invalid mother during
the sons tardy cOnvalescence Edward
Quincy, it is needless to say, had been
taught lesson which, fortunately, he had
the wisdom to see he would do well to
profit by. 1t may be added that its force
was not lessened by the association aud
friendship thereafter maintained with Sandy
when the two had been entered in tie same
classes at one Of the best schools of the city,
both of the boys having received from Mr.
Quincy the assurance that they should
thenceforUh share equally such educational
advantages as it might be in his power 70