The Detroit times., 1914-06-04
The Ambition of
Mark Truitt

Simon noted the unconscious use
OF the pronoun. Marks, ye mean!
Yes. ma'am. Did We know him, back
there in the city,"
She nodded, not trusting herself 10
speak. and turned her face from the
moonlight She seemed TO be strug-
Cling again with rising sob.
Simon found himself peering, close
~ and Internationally, into her eyes.
He stepped hastily back and heard
himself speaking with boldness he
did not recognize.
"Mebby IL was. fur him We were
But / hadn't oughter ask that. Mebby
it's fur we he's ben grievin'?"
1T couldn't be that.
"I've wondered. Often I've come
on him when he thought he was
alone. jest settin and lookin' at
nothin'--an' grievin'. know"
simop's face, too. sought the shadow.
81 know"
at might be because Of me but not
net for me-"
mot because he wants We. We
mean? But IL could be that. 'Tain't
likely he'd find two such women as
We. even I'm the city, An faint likely
he'd trouble SO much. II there wasn't
"a woman in II. wish we could give
him what he needs"
what he needs is to have his life
made over from the beginning. He
can't have that"
IF he's jest wantin' some one,
there's way he could have It."
you don't understand" she said
YEARLY
NO. | don't understand That's
the trouble. I'd like TO help him, TO
give him what he needs. But I don't
know how There nothin' can give
HIM" \
He turned his face away from her.
looking up at the furnace, big and
mendcing outlined against the sky.
There was silence among the mills.
From the old village behind them
came faint vague sounds OF life:
distant tinkle OF laughter, crying
child, p neighing horse From the
new town beyond the mills came no
sound but single voice In song, a
wild eery chant that had been brought
from another land The song was
finished. Kazia and Simon stirred.
as though they had been waiting for
It's close TO bring their strange en-
counter to an end
What's that"
Both started From somewhere
near them had come sudden muf.
fed cackle OF mirthless uncanny
laughter.
Sounds 3 II 1t come from the fur
mace. There hadn't oughter be any
body round here. But guess it's
Just the Waterman I'm the power
y OF toll . 4
like that"
But even as he spoke they saw the
figure OF man crawling from behind
the furnace. He scrambled TO his feet
and began to run, with an awkward
hC billing gait, up the tracks toward
the bridge. The moonlight fell full
on his face.
"Piotr,"
AS tie cry, in a voice he knew,
reached him, the man stopped sud.
denly, stared wildly about and saw
the two figures advancing on him. He
raised his hands In a frantic gesture
"Kazia! CO back-go back!"
She did not heed his warning.
"Piotr! What are you doing?"
Go back" he screamed you'll
be killed It's dynamite!'
impended. Kazia heard low moan
beside her, saw Simon run, as fast as
his age-stiffened limbs allowed to-
ward the furnace, as II be thought to
avert the imminent destruction.
You mustn't" she cried. Come
back'
II the old man heard. he did not
obey. She fled after him, in instinc.
i've purpose to drag him back out OF
danger.
They reached Piotr, passed him.
lie stood bewildered, glancing uncer.
ta'G'y toward the refuge Of the woods.
Then. with low whimpering cry, he,
too, Joined in that moonlight race. He
could not have overtaken her, had
she not tripped and fallen over a
SWITCH. He flung himself upon her,
moaning shudderingly.
'Kazla, | didn't want to hurt YOU"
Simon sped on.
That was what Mark Truitt, crouch
ing where he had last fallen, saw just
before the explosion came. There
was hoarse deafening roar. The
great furnace seemed TO reel, then
topped and fell.
They found him weakly trying to
remove the debris from a place near
the edge Of the ruin. They drew him
aside and a hundred strong hands
took up his task. Soon they found the
dead Piotr and under him Kazia, still
breathing II was not until day
break that they came to Sin on
kazia was carried to thu village
and laid In Doctor Hedges own
house. All through the night and in
the morning. until the great surgeon