Amador ledger., 1908-07-10

laid them down.
The thing will CO." he said. "The
directors will buy it, too; but it will
be on my terms this time.
Then he sat still for half an hour
with an unlighted pipe in his hand,
while certain roseate visions floated
before him. The long lean years of
struggle had gone, and there opened
up an alluring vista of brighter ones
which it seemed possible he would
not spend alone.
1t was two or three weeks later when
be led small but select company in
to the changing mill big Bessemer
converter, roaring tumultuously,
hurled up a vast column of flame be-
hind them, and in front toiling men,
giant pounding hammers, and long
rows of grinding rolls filed the big,
open sided shed. There was a smell
OF burning grease and incandescent
iron, rails glowing blood red changed
along the iron floors, the frock- coated
directors and eminent engineers with
the few daintily dressed women among
the other strangers looked ouTiously
out of place there. They stopped be-
fore row Of ponderous iron rolls
ranged in a series after the fashion of
giant clothes mangles with big silent
engine at the head of them and the
chairman of directors turned to the
rest.
Mr. Tavisdale's invention is, |
think, going to revolutionize this
trade" he said. GAS most of you
know this steel was hitherto passed
backwards and forwards between the
rolls in straight lengths at a consider
able expense in labor, while now it
will run through them, as rod does,
continuously. 1t is, perhaps, unneces-
sary to say that we hold all rights in
the INVENTION
be smiled at the others geniaIly,
and Tavisdale, who smiled, too. in a
somewhat curious fashion, glanced at
Agatha Leslie.
81 am glad you are here," he said
softly. "You we're the first to be gra-
cious to me when not out of any kind
ness these people took me up"
Agatha Leslie said nothing. but a
very faint trace of color crept into her
faoa Che ,,o1arotood uhot bo hod
left unsaid, and knew he meant that
he was glad she was there to see his
triumph.
Then mass of steel glowing incan-
descent was shot from a truck, and the
big engine painted when he raised his
hand. The ponderous rolls spun, and
seizing the glowing mass kneaded
flame from it as they drew it in be-
tween them and cast it out again,
longer and narrower than it had been.
This happened several times, and ther
the rolls took hold and kept it whlli
Kissing band of metal that changed
from white to red hot swung from one
to another lengthening all the time.
1t wIithed across the iron floors in
apparently living folds, a great fiery
serpent without head or tail and then
rushed into the jaws of machine that
devoured it. Nobody lad touched il
after the first few passes with a guild
ing tool. The Tavisdale mill did
everything.
cts unique" said an eminent en-
gineer. 81 suppose an ordinary mill
would not turn out as much with q
dozen men and boys. Perhaps the
most ingenious thing is this auto
matte swivel guide that practically
does all the guiding"
The secretary looked at Tavisdale.
sit is rather curious; | don't seem
to have heard OF it before. We're those
guides made in our fitting shop?"
"In Sheffield" said Tavisdale dry
lY, "at my expense.
Then, while the great men expressed
their approval, he glanced at Agatha
Leslie, and saw comprehension in heI
eyes. This was part, at least, OF the
reward he had toiled for, and the girl
felt thrill run through her, for il
seemed that she had her share in the
man IS achievement. She WAS glad that
she had been gracious to him when he
first, in his own reserved fashion, which
was rather proud than dittident, passed
the grudgIngly opened gates of heI
own world. She had seen that he was
man with a gift then, and now the
comments of those famous in his pro
fession had proved her belief in hin
warranted. She had also,a little later,