The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-09-28
HhPTER :
KNIGHT ERRANr.

IN the heart of the foothills, in u
basin where two rivers meet to
form a mighty third, lies the Steel
City. TO see it you must journey
by night along its rivers, whose vel
low, placid waters, rejecting the lights
of a hundred steamers, seem a ield of
gold incrusted with diamonds, rubieS
and emeralds. Mile after mile you
pass by mills, mills, mills-nothing but
mills-magnificent monuments to the
inventive and adaptive genius Of man
Thousands of black faced, muscular
Titans rush hither and thither. swift,
methodical, earnest. single %purposed.
But ever this powerful army, levied
from the worlds strongest, is pygmy
like beside the marvellous mechanism,
which works, seemingly. of its W
will, unerring, unfaltering, ~unceasing,
Irresistible. Rivers of molten metal
flow beneath your gaze. Massive in
COTS of white hot iron. beyond the
strength of men to lift, swing easily
on the cranes from cast to car. Fiery
SerpentS of steel writhc and plunge as
though obsessed by the spirit Of hell
that broods over the smithy of the
World. This is the Steel City.
He was standing at the window in
one of the city's bleakest tenements, Il
ragged, dirty faced boy. In the years
he remembered of his ten he had
known no other surroundings. OF
xx-hnf u-Anf bafnro hn Ennrr N-n 10
know-nothing. From without came
the sound Of shutting, uncertain foot
steps. He turned in an attitude Of sui
len expectancy.
'If he ticks me again III run away"
he muttered. The faded drudge who
shared the room with him nodded
~hopelessly.
The door opened and the relic of
what had nee been a man entered.
my felish'tashuns. chenille par'ner f
my jhoysh an shorrowsh.' he ad-
dressed the woman in drunken irony.
"Wha've y got t eat?"
Nothing"
"An' why not, faithful Penel'pe? I'll
have you know I'm hungry. Woman,
I'm hungry! Why notT"
mo money" answered the woman
listlessly, hopelessly.
mo money? That reminsh me.
Where'sh that Bob? oh, there y'are, y
little devil. You got my money"
How'd l get any money!" demand
ed the boy sullenly.
NRan If cbtaal if-it,ch oil ono fmQo
"Ain't a beggar, amt a thief" said
the boy doggedly.
In a sudden unexpected movement
the drunken man lurched toward the
boy and with one hand seized him by
the collar and with the other picked
up a stout stick. For a time Bob sub
mitted to the beating in q stole silence,
horrible in such a mite Of humanity,
devoting his energies to the unsuc-
cessful effort to dodge the descending
stick until a blow of unusual force
fell upon his shoulder. Then his dirty
face was distorted with pain and hate.
His clinched lips parted in the shrill
scream Of a wounded tiger cub. Quick
as a thought he seized the hand that
grasped the stick and buried his teeth
in the flesh until they met the bone.
Uttering a howl, the drunken brute
dropped to the floor, rolling in agony.
The boy darted through the door. pull
ed up a loose board in the hall and
drew out the sum total of his worldly
wealth-a single dime. Then his flight
was resumed
He did not cease running until the
tumbledown tenement district was far
behind him. Then he set his face to-
ward the downtown business section.
A portly gentleman Of good natured
aspect came toward him. The boy
boldly accosted him.
"Say, mister, where can I buy some
papers"
"T've no money for you," answered
the gentleman impatiently.
"Don't want any money. Got all I
want" the boy said sturdily.
The gentleman laughed. That's more
than 1 have. my youthful Croesus.