Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-06-27
CHAPTER vII-coNTINUED.

Inc sun Hdu ClOuueu ONSI WhiS
they talked, and as they started toward
the factory the air, which had been
bracing in the sunlight, struck chill
and damp. Already the short Novem-
ber day was drawing to its close, and
the gathering clouds screened the rap
idly fading light.
What a waste of time this was and
what o bore! Every visit Of this kind
put the work of the factory q day be-
hind its schedule. II was the standing
excuse Of every man who was back In
his work or careless in its perform
ance for months afterwards. II ma
chine got out Of order, 1t was always
"the exhibition we gave Of 1t, sir, last
time" II q screw or bolt was missing,
at must have been carried of by that
lady, sir, as a keepsake" Once a wo-
man had been caught in the act OF
unscrewing a nut for "a souvenir"
another had sent him a bill for oil
spilled on her dress. And yet with all
these warnings he was frittering away
his time and nal ing endless trouble
for himself. Confound 1t! Would she
never finish telephoning? He'd only
take her through the model-room and
the stock-room and the testing-depart
- BY Jove, this was Tuesday. Not
q machine would be running on test!
He flung up the window as q man
passed before 1t.
"Boltwood," he cried, tell the fore
man in the test-shop to start up one
binding and one grilling mach
No. don't bother about It," he added
abruptly. 1--WE changed my mind"
The window closed with bang, and
he turned to find Leslie seated quietly
at the desk.
"If you're ready" he began, "Iu
take you through the place now"
The words were ungracious, and ne
knew It. He almost feared she would
apologize for troubling him, and when
she merely nodded her readiness. ne
almost thanled her as he held open
the heavy door.
They passed through the clerical
offices and the covered passage con-
Meeting the buildings without speak
ing. At the threshold Of the FORGE
shop he paused as though about to
warn her of something. then changed
his mind and showed open the iron
door. The noise which up to this point
had seemed deafening to her. now
burst like a whirlwind from q dozen
different points. crashing. shrieking,
thudding. scraping. saueaking. and
hammering For an instant she hesi-
iated, and her hands moved instinct
lively to her ears. Then she looked up
at Kennard. caught him glancing at
her curiously. and then without ges-
ture stepped inside the pandemoniac
chamber.
Leslie followed her guide down the
long passage without attempting to
speak, almost afraid to breathe. Ken
nard was joined every now and then
by foremen, who asked questions in
pantomime. or shouted in his ear
words inaudible to the nearest by
stander. But he marched on without
pausing. pointing in answer or below
ing back replies. There were men
on every side, before the forges. at the
bellows. at the furnaces. and move
ment everywhere. Sometimes the shad-
owy workers absorbed in their labor
did not notice the presence OF the boss,
but when they did there was always
pleasant smile or nod for the tall,
grave man striding along before his
guest. At last they reached the end
Of the room and passed through
door into another short connecting
passage. The cool air and diminished
noise were like q sudden release from
bodily pain, and Leslie almost gasped
her relief. Kennard paused as he
closed the door.
"You would prefer to go outside now
and sit down for a moment, would
you uot?" he asked. almost every
woman does"
The tone was courteous, but the
words stung her like challenge.
Let me be one Of the exceptions
to prove the rule. won't you. please"
she answered quietly.
They passed into the machine shop.
alive with moving fingers and arms OF
iron and steel, throbbing with the
mighty revolutions Of giant wheels.
resonant with the singing of motors,
saws, and lathes. They stopped before
q steel Titan, holding in its grasp
mighty pillar of iron. which it shifted
and clutched,' turned and twisted as
easily as q man would roll pencil.
Now It placed its iron fingers on the
surface Of the shaft, while an unseen
hand revolved 1t swiftly until the
fingers, lifting lightly as a piano-play-
ers, showed the indentations OF
thread" Once more 1t was lifted,
shifted, and clutched. and the fingers
descended, combing the iron surface
with relentless, steady touch. All
around little wheels were turning
some swiftly, some slowly; pistons
were raising and lowering their heads,
putting out tiny jets Of steam, seem
ing to play hide-and-seek with levers
and balances darting and retreating on
every side to the clicking Of hidden
tongues.
Leslie looked at the workmen who
hovered about this monster, watch
ing 1t with almost loving care.
These men understood this Thing,
could check and control 1t. knew what
1t meant when 1t painted, and what 1t
said when 1t Kissed its mighty breaths
Did she know anything as perfectly as
these men who slipped in and out
among these wheels and levers and
bars? How impotent she felt before
1t, how ignorant. incompetent and
idle! And this man beside her, whose
seriousness she had thought a pose,
and whose awkardness had amused
her-he controlled the whole vast
mechanism of this business. That was
a life worth living; that was accom-
plishiug something in the world.
In the power-room a workman was
crawling along the top Of the engine.
touching little pin-holes with the point
Of his long-stemmed oil-can. It was
fascinating to see him step over the
,haalo ond hofUnan the fash