The Press., 1899-08-24
Mcguire was aroused from his ,

by shout. The man who twirled the
handle of the rope seemed like one pos
sessed of an evil spirit. He had served
his time as driller in the days when
Pennsylvania was covered with der
ricks.
..BailI'' he cried "Get out of the
wayl"
Mcguire stepped back. A thin stream
of black slime flowed from the iron cyl
inder as the valve of the boiler was
loosened.
"It's the proper shale," growled the
tool dresser, who had just come from
his forge.
The drill ratified down the iron cas-
ing. The rope frightened, and the steady
beat of the polished shaft kept time to
the droning of the leather betting The
great rod was thrown from its socket.
It struck the side of the derrick and
sent wooden braces Gathering to the
ground. Held by the rope, it vung far
out A dull roar filled the air. A slight
| ~ sulphurous oder rose from the earth.
| The driller rushed from the we'll with
his hands before his face.
"Draw that frel' he yelled at one
of the helpers. "Draw that fire. you
blockhead!'
The helper irre@olutely grasped the
shovel and started to the furnace door.
His eyes were fixed upon the swinging
drill He took another look at the der
rick and fed as fast as his legs could
carry him. Gracious Mcguire picked
up the shovel which the man had
dropped in his fight.
| "Look outl" he heard the driller say.
The voice seemed to be that of one
who was miles away. There were loud
report and fash of light. Over the
mud and slime yellow trail sped from
furnace to derrick. From the we'll dart
ed a tongue of flame. A thing of fire
rolled over and over and fell into the
shallow creek back of the mounds.
Gracious Mcguire, when he recovered
consciousness, was lying in spare
room of Moundmere swathed in band
ages. Through the small PANIED win.
dows shoue brilliant light which il
lumined every nook and corner Ct the
apartment. A Valley City physician
was bending over the young school
| teacher.
"Where is the fire ?" asked Mcguire.
| Then the occurrences of the night
crowded back upon him. Ee looked out
toward the meadow. He saw a shaft of
fame qulvering into the air for 100
feet. 1t sprang above the top of the
burning derrick. The structure toppled
| and fell blazing to the ground. 1t lay
there Kissing and writhing.
Around the burning we'll swarmed
Valley City's volunteer fire company.
A stream of water had been turned
upon the flaming jet. The driller and
his mates were trying to persuade the
| fire1nen that their work would be of no
avail.
"Fools, foclsr' muttered Gracious
Mcguire. "They might as we'll try to
stop the progress of man who has
never said fail.
He turned painfully in his bed. In
that shaft CT fire he saw dull red
building, surrounded by a dilapidated
fence. He beheld the faces of the idiots
and the epileptics with whom he had
spent his childhood. They faded away,
and his gaze fell upon ragged boy
bending over rows of young corn. He
saw the face Of a white haired man
whose smile was gentle and whose look
was kindly and benign; then youth
sleeping beneath the counter of a dry
goods store. The print laden shelves
disappeared. He beheld congregation
coming from little white church
There were grave faced women in alpaca
gowns and men in suits of shiny broad
cloth.
"He's not family. you know" they
seemed to be saying. Then there ap-
peared pretty girl, a Marguerite with
hymnal and golden braids. She smiled
at him and passed on.
| Mcguire leaned his head upon his
hands and looked fxedly at the darting
jet which to him meant riches. pros
perity and power. The sullen roar of
the gas was to him the sN eetest min
strelsy.
whelming sense of guilt He saw before
him the image of a man whom he had
wronged.
81 have reached the goal" he said,
but at what cost All these years
have worked that might ask her to be
the wife of a man who had obscured
mean origin by success. Today I am a
leper in her sight and in the sight of
Godp'
He remembered now that while he
had toiled and planned she had grown
further away from him. He seemed to
hear again the words which Ellen
Spencer had spoken to him months ago.
They were standing beneath the old elm
at the foot of Hunter street.
"You are ambitiousl' she was say
ing. "There are times when fear that
you forget that there is no true success
gained at the sacrifice of the highest
Ideals
In the light of those words all his
reasoning became bare sophistry. What
if he had agreed to give Peter Frobishe1
the full value of his land and of the de-
serted homef By whose plot had the
farm become fallow ground and the new
house desolate3 1t was true that Fro
bisher would have laughed at him if he
had told him that the farm might become
an Ohio Golconda. Even the state ~eol.
ogist had sneered and told him that the
qualification of Mingo county's rocks
made his belief utter foolishness.
Whether the rock strata would per-
NIT it or not, Gracious Mcguire had
staked everything on his belief. Every
cent he had in the world, every cent he
could borrow. had been sunk in hole
in the earth.
81 am further from real success,
said Gracious Maguire, Ethan the end
of that tube in the ground is from the
pure air and the sunshine.
On the edge of the group gathered
about the we'll he saw carriage. Two
women walked around the winding
path toward the front of the house. He
recognized Ellen Spencer and hel
mother.
Gracious Mcguire leaned forward
and took letter pad from the table.
With bandaged fingers he painfully
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