Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-10-22


was loyal to the exigenceS of the business
regime of the institution.
One or two of the mill messenger boys
were in sight, but they might daily; Mr..
Kane might not understand from them
how imperative was the necessity OF the
moment.
Il will go and tell him myself decd-
ed Claire.
She ran back to the phone, ordered the
wire held, and passed quickly out of the
quarters into the open air.
She had to pass down a cindered road
between two long shops, round the cast
ing shop, and thus reach the spot where
she knew her employe to be. 1t was
over a quarter of a mile away by this
route. so she hurried along the deserted
roar so rapidly that she did not notice a
figure steal from shelter shed and pur-
sue her path
This was Gideon Hope, awaiting an
opportunity for a brief necessary word
with her,
Since his whole facial presentment had
been changed by that dip in the acid
trough, he had ventured more boldly in
and out among shops and workmen.
Claire sped on. full of her mission. As
she reached the middle of the long casting
shop, she fancied she deserted a way of
encompassing her purpose with due econ
omy of time and distance.
Broad doors cut the exact center of the
structure on two sides. She could look
across and through the width of the place
BY covering three hundred feet. cross
| ing the cutters and troughs in soft black
molding sand, the set pig IRON beds,
| she could come speedily to the other side,
and at once discover Kane.
Her dainty feet disturbed the even,
numerous rows of indentations sunk to
receive the molten iron, but not sufficient
y to destroy their utility, and she hur
ried along in the semi-gloom Of the COW
cred shed until about half way across the
structure.
Then a grewsome, a hurried, sound
checked her. then a fare, sudden, blind
ing. shot across both far ends of the
building.
1t seemed as If the jargon, the foul
some blaze of hell itself had let loose.
Claire stood appalled,. The overwhelm-
ing, the terrible, the soul-curdling had
happened-all in a moment!
This had occurred
At either end, on signal. because the
time had come for the usual operation, the
two immense blast furnaces had been
openened up.
Instantly their gushed forth tons of
molten metal, cascades. a torrent of it
Quick as lightning, swift. lurid steam.
it splotched into the central gutter, and
spread.
Out, in-fling a score of feeder arter-
les, distributing veins, channels, in one
throbbing, setient minute the long,
speeding rivulets of red hot metal dash
ed down, along, across.
Claire was environed-shut in !.
Only now, in the vivid illumination, did
the workers on the end platforms discover
the human victim penned in.
But now no hand could stay the de-
stroying stream; row no saving arm
could reach her.
"She's lost ~
Its reached her!
mo, not yet, but"
A roar of many voices went up a
groan of hope it was. half cheer of hope.
Claire had sunk to her knees. She
thought her doom had come and was
praying.
With closed eyes she felt the hot.
scorching breath fly nearer closer.
The spell-bound workers were glaring
at one sudden, heroic figure.
A man had abruptly appeared at the
side doorway Claire had recently entered.
1t was Gideon Hope.
In an instant he saw the frightful peril
of the woman whose life had become so
strongly bound up with his own.
A spring, and he was on the planking
spanning the upper arches of the grimy
structure.
A keen run and he was nearly over
her head.
There was a rattle. He had sprung to
the side of derrick, released its earring
Its hooked chain dropped, tangled, di-
rectly over the head of the fre-environed
Claire.
1t ratified swung, vibrated. Those peer
ing through splitting sparkle of flame and
foamy fits of steam witnessed him slide
the chain like some apt sailor.
Cling to me-"
Hoarsely, breathlessly, Hope shouted
the word, lifting Claire as he spoke.
Her dress had caught ablaze. He dash
ed out the flaming cloth.
Her eyes opened in wild hope-in wild
er surprise.
You" she cried in a love of joy, and
unhesitatingly clasped her arms about his
neck-for to cling there was her only
safety.
A strange, weird emotion played across
Gideon Hopes strong soul.
You know me!' he uttered.
"Anywhere"' ~
He lifted hand over hand-they got
safe above the blistering heat. the spite
full sparks of fire, shooting up like disap-
pointed serpents
He was forced to rest the weight, the
tension was horrible. Their eyes met. A
startling, thrilling rapture filled him.
Almost could he wish to cling there
moment thus, with that sweet face so
near to his own. and drop delriously to
the lurking death beneath-obliteratio
Of broken life after one rapture-laden
moment of ecstasy!
But he struggled anew. They reached
the platform safe.
She still clung to him. He had saved
her life. A shout aroused both.
A white-faced man, followed by others