Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-16
FIRST EPISODE.
FATE"
CHAPTER I.
"Ths Casting of the Ingot."

Stand by!
A group Of men surrounding mon
,trous pot Of molten metal heard the
warning shout. Each took up his ap-
pointed position, skilled hand
touched lever, and the huge crucible
tilted slowly on its axis, discharing
torrent of fluid steel into the waiting
mold. So piercing was the vomit OF
fame, so intense the heat, that it
seemed as though the flesh must
shrivel and the eyes melt il any hui
man being remained in close proxim-
ity, yet the man who had uttered the
order, and was evidently superintend-
ing the operations, peered camly into
the depths OF the shimmering mass in
the mold after the crucible was empty
and had swung back on its pivot.
He was young, not more than thirty,
tall, sinewy, splendidly built, with a
face in which tenacity OF purpose and
strength Of will blended with an al
most feminine tenderness. Though
clad in the rough and soiled clothing
necessarily affected by the employees
Of the Plainhcld Steel company, he
had the bearing of born leader Of
men. When he spoke the words
came with decision and good humor,
He might have been genial car
niarshalling his cohorts. At times he
would be content with regal ges-
ture; thus, he merely signed now to
a quartet OF begrimed satellites, who
wheeled away the mold to another
section of the factory.
Wiping the perspiration from his
forehead with the back Of one hand
with the other he caught the shoulder
Of an understood, pallid, intellectual
looking mechanic who had been in
charge of an electric winch during the
casting.
There goes another block Of good
American steel to blow men like you
and me into smithereens in Europe,
Bill" he said.
Right you are" came the answer
ing growl. why do we workingmen
stand for it! tell you, we're . lot Of
fools"
The shrek OF factory whistle an
nouncing the hour of noon and
the instant rush of all hands for
their lunch pals, cut short the i'm
minent flood Of radical sentiments,
because Bill Thompson was the rec
ognized mouthpiece of the labor
world in Plainheld, whereas the stall
wart, cherry-faced young man who
had unwittingly given him his cue
was its leader in most matters per-
tanning to hard work, lighthearted
badinage and every rough game
demanding physical fitness.
But there was a serious side to
John Buttons character. Though his
experience of. life hitherto had sup
piled but little reason for belief in
anything outside the crude facts OF
existence, in his unoccupied hours
he was by way Of being reader, .
thinker, almost a student of men and
things. By chance this element in
his nature was brought TO the sur
face before the laughing, jollying
crowd of which he formed note
worthy unit had ended the meal they
were consuming in the open air Of
the factory yard.
A billsticker came in, clearly by
permission of the management and
pasted a heavy type poster on q wall
near the gate. 1t read:
HIT THE SAWDUST TRAIL
WITH
REV. THOMAS BRANDON,
WHO IS WORKING NIGHT
AND DAY
TO BEAT THE DEVIL
CONE AND HEAR THE RE-
VIVALIST TELL ABOUT
PRACTICAL RELIGION
IN THE BIG TENT.
ELM AND LOCUST SITS.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GODl
This bizarre appeal flared its mes
sage to the motely gathering. Its
effect varied. Some Of the men
laughed, some criticised, few frank
ly swore. Finally one tousle- haircds
Hercules smote an empty box with
sledge-hammet fist,
up you get Johnw he beloved.
Sling US some hot stuff Guess you
can put as much pep into an GRAFTON
Is any Rev. Branton."
Now, Burton was a bornspeaker,
and there was nothing he liked bet
ter than holding forth to his mates
on any topic which he had really
mastered. oddly enough, those
words, practical religion" vibrated
some chord deep-seated in his soul.
He mounted the box at once and be-
gan fluent harangue on the foregoing
Of a steel ingot in an American fac
tory, with its probable internal out
come in the killing and manning Of
men, and, it might be, OF women
and children in some beleaguered
city or stricken battlefield of far
away Europe.
At the outset he was lightly humor-
Qua At the expense Of the emperors
and kings in those old world lands Of
which he really knew so little. But
soon his tone grew grave and impas-
stoned; his audience was mute and
spellbound when a turning of elbows
on the part OF several OF the men
standing near the gate drew his
glance to three people who had just
entered the factory yard.
The most striking personality
among them was undoubtedly young
Moman--a petite, self-possessed young
person, dressed in the height OF fash
ion, who carried herself with that air
81 distinction which seems 10 be the
birthrieht Of every American girl
whose purse permits her to disprove
the old adagc that Beauty unadorned
: u adorned the most"
With her was sniartly dressed. de.
bonair young man. whom Burton rec
'ognized a. Mr.. Reeves, the manager
Of the company. The benevolent fea-
lures and clerical attire Of a second
and older man suggested that same