The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-18
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though he could not tell, perhaps,
why it ought to be done.
Two years before he had been an
intelligent, promising lad. He was
the son of designer, connected with
the foundry company, and had al
ways been allowed free access to the
shop, and to mingle with the men
and watch their work. But one day
very large lifting chain broke with
its load and an iron fragment struck
him in the head, inficting serious
injury. From this he partially re-
covered, and only partially, for his
reason was impaired. But his natural
love for machinery and mechanical
experiments remained, and as he re-
gainedIhis bodily strength, he spent
most of his time making small wheels
and shafts, and putting together
odd contrivances, which he would
exhibit with immense pride and sat-
isfaction.
This peculiar trait in the young
fellow gained for him the humorous
title of the Inventor" All the men
felt great kindness for him, even
though their manner toward him was
occasionally harsh and impatient.
Such was the person left to help
watch the great blast for the casting
of the king of the chime OF st. Johns.
Faithfully he kept his place before
the furnace, while the man George
sat down little distance away and
began to eat his supper. Doubtless
the latter intended to keep kind of
general oversight, but he certainly
made the Inventors" eyes do the
looking. Whether he felt kind of
reckless trust in the instinct OF his
half -witted companion, or indolently
concluded that nothing wrong could
happen, he was sadly to blame for
charging himself so little with the
important duty before him.
| Not word was said by either
watcher, and only the deep roar of
the furnace was heard through the
the vast foundry.
George finished his supper and
sauntered into one of the tool shops
to find his pipe. "Inventor" sat
alone before the great blast The
one rational faculty of his feeble
mind enabled him to comprehend
what it meant, and even something
of the magnitude of the enterprise
that was ripening inside those burn
ing walls. He knew that the furnace
was full of valuable metal and that
close beside him, buried out of sight
in the deep sand, was the huge mold
SO soon to be filled with the precious
cast. He knew and could see that
all the channels for the flow of the
fiery liquid were ready, and that near
the mouth of the furnace stood the
long iron rod that was to be used
when the moment came to let on the
molten stream.
All this his limited thoughts took
in by habit. Dimly conscious that
something great was soon to be done,
he sat with his eyes on the furnace,
absorbed and intent.
Suddenly something startled him.
There was slight noise, and burn
ing crack appeared near the top of
the furnace. Then another crack,
and a scorching brick fell out and
rolled to the ground at his feet.
The lad opened his mouth and
shrieked, but so terrified was he that
the sounds stuck in his throat, as if
he had been in fit of nightmare.
A thin red stream followed the fall
len brick and trickled down the fur
nace-side like running lava. Then
came another alarming noise, and
thin gap half way down the masonry
let out more of the kissing metal.
Where was George! Was the I'M
faithful fellow still hunting for his
pipe? The furnace was bursting,
with only poor, half-idiot lad to
guard it.
What could he doi He did what
perhaps lad in his right mind
would not have dared to do. Rush
ing to the mouth of the furnace he
seized the long iron rod that stood
near and tapped the vent. One des-
perate thrust with the sharp point up
the terrible funnel; few quick, pry-
ing strokes. Stand back, nowl The
combining clay fell away, and the yell
low white food spurted out with re-
sistless force. 1t leaped into the
clay-lined troughs, and Kissed it's
way into the mold.
The fool" has done a deed worthy
of general on field of battle.
Woe ~ too lofa9 Euaru ,,,o,,,o,,k