The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 103, 24 September 1914, Page 6

The Storyteller.

THE TAVISDALE MILL. (By Harold Bindloss). It was a liot August afternoon when Tavisdale and Agatha Leslie sat in the shadow of a big cedar on the Steel Works secretary'* smooth-cropped lawn. The girl looked very fresh and dainty in her long white dress; but Tavisdale, who wore plain blue serge, soemsd somewhat out of place at a garden party. He was a big, and unusually silent man, wita a mechanic's ingrained hands, and a thoughtful face, that had grown pallid from long night watches beside tireless machines. He was there partly because the sesretary, who disregarded his wife's protests, had insisted upon it, and for another reason that concerned himself.

"It is, in one way, a proof of your courage, as well as kindness, to sit hero and talk with me," he said, with a halfironical smile, as he glanced at the fashionable assembly.

Agatha Leslie understood him, though she would not, of course, admit it. Sue had given up wondering why this man, who was certainly not of her set, interested her as he did. '"Why J" she asked.

Tavisdale Laughed. ''l am, of course, what I believe is called an outsider; and a little while ago the gates of your world would never have been opened to me. I don't even know that I would liave cared to enter them." ".And now?"

"In one way it is amusing to step inside the pale. It is only a few months since several of these people, who have tried with no great tact to patroniso me, passed me every day without a glance. Still, thero is a good deal in your life that appeals to one—its quiet orderliness —your opportunities of enjoying art and music—among other things."

''You seem to know as much about them as we do," said the girl, who had realised that fact some time ago. "Haven't you equal opportunities now you have invented the Tavisdale mill?" The man smiled dryly. "My patent brought me—we'll say a tenth part of what it should have done. I wa3 a trifle confiding, and left the royalty question open." "Wasn't that foolish of you?" 'lt certainly was. Still, you see, I didn't worry about the money the mill might bring me then. It was the result of years of such self-denial as you could probably never understand, and I loved the tiling itself, and only wanted to see it go. The directors took advantage of the fact. il'erhaps one couldn't blame them."

Ho sat silent awhile, and the girl noticed the slight hardening of his face. "Now," she said, "you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor?" "Yes," said Tavisdale, simply, and fixed his eyes, which were very steady, full upon her. 'As I said, your life has —a good deal to offer me. I have grown very daring lately, even bold enough ro long for the apparently unattainable." Agatha Leslie smiled, though there was a trace of color in her face. "Ah!" she said, "perhaps nothing is really unattainable, if one is bold enough."

TJicn she rose and left him as the Steel Works secretary, immaculately groomed, came up. He sat down beside Tavisdale.

"We. are going to have one of the directors down in a couple of weeks, and f expect him to bring two cr three leading engineers to see your mill," he said. "We shall probably give a luncheon, and make it a kind of function. You mentioned a fre.sii improvement. How have you been getting on with it?" "I almost think it will be ready then," said Tavisdale, with a curious little smile which had once or twice since he made a certain hard bargain with him caused the secretary a vagus unci ;{-

In the meanwhile, tiro of Miss Leslie's acquaintances were discussing her, and one of them glanced at Tavisdale as she said: ''One naturally expects something eccentric from Agataha, but it is a trilie difficult to see why she encourages that man."

The other- girl laughed a little. "1 rather like Tavisdale myself, lie is refreshingly genuine, and there is sottio-thi-.g which suggests reserved fores about him which appeals to me, as I think it does to Agatha. After all, he is quite presentable, and she hasn't a penny, while men who invent things do get rich occasionally."

"That," said her companion, "vvouht certainly not appeal to Agatha. She could fiave had lieggie Naseby, and 1 believe two others, who never need worry about inventing machines." Then she laughed. "As a matter of fact, lieggie is ijui'e incapable of doing it, or anything el.-e. except play tennis anil dress himself tastefully."

They strolled away talking of somebody else, while Tavisdale excused himself prcMiiily, and spent that cveniuj in the clanging mill. Then he went back lo his comfortless rooms, and sat up half the night poring over a sheaf of drawings. A little glint crept into his eye, whui at U-t he laid them down.

-'flic thing will go," he said. -The director* will buy it, too; but it will be on my terms this time.''

Then he sat still for half an hour with an unlightcd 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 lie would not spend alone.

Jt was two or three weeks later when In' led a ninall hut very select company into the clanging mill. A big l.ossemer converter, roaring tiimnltuouhly, hurled up a vast coliuiM ol flame JHiiud thou,

and in front toiling men, giant peunding hammers and long rows of grinding rolls filled the big, open-sided shed. There was a smell of burning grease and incandescent iron, rails glowing blood-red clanged along the iron floors, and the frock-coated director and eminent engineers, with the few daintily dressed women among the other strangers, looked curiously out of place there. They stopped before a row of ponderous iron rolls, ranged in a series, after the fashion of giant clothes mangles, with a big silent engine at the head of them, an& the chairman of directors turned to the rest.

"Mr. Tavisdale's invention is, I think, going to revolutionise this trade," he said. "As most of you know, this steel was hitherto passed backwards and forwards between the rolls in straight lengths, at a considerable expense in labor, while now it will run through them, aa a rod does, continuously. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to say that we hold all rights in the invention." He smiled at the others genially, and Tavisdale, who smiled too, in a somewhat curious fashion, glanced at Agatha Leslie.

"I am glad you arc here," he said, softly, "You were the first to be gracious to mo when, not out of any kindness, these people took mo up."

Agatha Leslie said nothing, but a very faint trace of color crept into her face. Sho understood what he had left unsaid, and knew he meant that he was glad she was there to see his triumph. Tnen a mass of steel, glowing incandescent, was shot from a truck, and the big engine panted when he raised his hand. The ponderous rolls spun, and, seizing Jie glowing mass, kneaded flame from it as they drew it in between them and cast it out again, longer and narrower than it had been. This happened several times, and then the rolls took hold and kept it, while a hissing band of metal, that changed from white to red-hot, swung from ono to another, lengthening nil the time. It writhed across the iron floors in apparently living folds, a great fiery serpent, without head or tail, and then rushed into the jaws of a machine that devoured it. Nobody had touched it after the first few passes with a guiding tool. The Tavisdale mill did everything.

"It's unique," said an eminent engineer. "I suppose an ordinary mill would not turn out as much with a dozen men and boys. Perhaps the most ingenious thing is this automatic swivel guide, that practically does the guiding." The secretary looked at Tavisdale. "It is rather curious; I don't seem to have heard of it before. Were those guides made in our fitting shop?" "In Sheffield," said Tavisdale, dryly. "At my expense." Then, while tho great men expressed their approval, he glanced at Agatha Leslie, and saw comprehension in her cyeo, Thy "- at least, of the reward he had toiled for, and the girl felt a little thrill, run through her, for it seemed that she had her share in the man's achievement. Sho was glad that she had been gracious to him when he first, in his own reserved fashion, which was rather proud than diffident, passed the grudgingly-opened gates of her own world. She had seen tliat ho was a man with a gift then, and now the comments of those famous in his profession had proved her belief in him warranted. Sho had also, a little Inter, seen .something else, and knew why he attended functions which could have no charm 7or him. Xor did that displease her. She had had admirers who could dance and play tennis well, but they, for the most part, could do nothing e'se; while this man could handle the giant forces of lire and steam and shoulder his way upward, willi the world and all its prejudice'; against him.

"'[ should like to watch the rolls a little nearer," she said.

Tavisdale nodded. -Well!" he said, simply. "I know yuu are not afraid."

Once more the engine pounded, and the hissing, white-hot steel leapt from the rolls. It swung out behind the two who stood nearest, while the rest drew hack, a great glowing band that clanged horribly and struck red sparks from the resounding iron lloors, and the girl fell, her heart beat a tiille faster as S'ie realised that they were alone within the engirdling of the fiery steel. Still, she showed no sign of it as she watched the man, with confidence in her big, calm eyes. They were very like his own ju.it then, grave and steady, eyes that would not waver when they lookcl n crisis in the face. Then tiiero was a sudden strident ringing, a crash, and a shower oj sparks, and one end of the. glowing band held wast, while the slack of it closed in on them. So far as Agatha could see, there was only a little pivoted roller to prevent them being Eawn in two. She also saw tho man who drove the big cngiin suddenly grasp a lever and then glance at Tavisdale, who made a littie sign. Somebody behind them, shouted in alarm, there was a clatter of running workmen's feet, and the secretary's voice came through the roar of the grinding rolls. Tavisdale (lashed a glance at his companion, and his voice, which she beard faintly, had a curious ring. "If I pull the engine up I'm going lo have trouble. How much do you trust me?" he taid.

It was only for a moment she met his eyes, but she know all he meant. There was in them the vague contempt of the toiler for tlio class she sprang from, u class immune from the hazards the rank and file must run; the distrust which Shad;, however, made an exception of her; and tlte demand for an equal courage in the woman lie had chosen as Ids mate. She knew that lie had chosen her, and she would match her strength with his, pride of station with pride of manhood. She Hung her head up with a little hiuph, that reached him through the rumbling of the mill. ''Are you afraid to put nip to the

teat?" she said. Tavisdale said nothing, but he eigned again to the engineer, while the dark blood crept into his face, and the girl caught her breath as the great machine pounded faster, and the fleisy band ran in on them. Sho never quite forgot that moment, for all her confidence in tiie man. Then there was another harsh, crackling, and a blaze of sparks; and the band, relaxing once more, coiled wide behind them on the floors. They stood within its blood-red loops unharmed, until the last of it vanished with a crash. Then very quietly Tavisdale turned to her.

"Thank you!" he said. "I do not think any man or woman has ever shown so much faith in me before. Still there was no danger—l had guarded against such an emergency. Before the hem of your dress was singed I would have wrecked the mill."

Then the other clustered about them with questions and congratulationa on their escape, and Agatha Leslie stood silent, a little paler than usual, but with a gleam in her eyes, while Tavisdale explained how he had provided against any disaster resulting from a premature cooling of the steel. The eminent engineers once more nodded approvingly. ''The plant," they said, "is at least aa efficient in operation as it is bold in conception." Tho director, however, looked at Miss Leslie with, a smile. "There arc," he said, "women who might envjj your nerve." Tavisdale now said nothing at ill. He stooped down, and quietly did something to a standard with a pivoted wheel on it that roao from an opening in the iron floor; but when, some twenty minutes later, he sat face to face with the man who ruled that great concern, he spoke a few very plain words tersely, and the secretary found it difficult to check a little gasp of astonishment and anger. "But we bought up your patent, and all its rights!" he said.

"You did," said Tavisdale, grimly. ''That is, one of them. I know now that there are people in Sheffield who would have given me four times as much as you did, and you are naturally aware of it. There arc, however, two patents, and the ono you did not buy can be used without the other, while you cab easily estimate what it will save you on every ton of stuff you roll. I have boon asked to sell it to the Sheffield people. Although it does not affect the question, I may point out that, if you had given me a reasonable share on the profits of my invention, I might have been content with the plant as it is, and not have worried over it until tko second notion occurred to me."

The director mado a little sign. "In tho first place," so said, quietly, "might one ask what you expect to get for it!"

"That is my idea," and Tavisdale smiled as lie laid a paper on the table; but thera was consternation and disgust in the secretary's face as he glanced at it.

"It is a preposterous demand," ho said, and raised his brows ironically. "You evidently consider it necessary to put it in writing."

"I almost think it wiser," said Tarisdale, with a dry smile. "You may, perhaps, remember there was a half delinite assurance made me on another occasion that, if circumstances permitted, 1 should have a royalty. They apparently didn't, thougli 1 have put the. trade in your hands. Perhaps it is a trifle curious that I should want a share of the prosperity I am offering you, but that is, after all, not quite the question. It is whether lamtogo on with my negotiations with the Shciliehl

There was a moment's silence, and then tho director glanced at the secretary, with a little twinkle in his keen old eves.

"I don't think wo shall gain anything by trying to break Mr. Tavisdale down,'' lie said. "it would, in fact, lie better to give him what he asks." Tavisdale nodded. "I should," he said, "have asked another shilling a ton to-morrow."

They decided it during the next ton minutes, i>ml Tavisdale went out with an agreement in Ms pocket, and overtook Agatha Leslie and the rest of the party being shown tlio great blast furnaces hy one of the managers, liy-and bye, though neither of them knew exactly haw it came about, they found themselves some, little distancy behind their companion*, and Tavisdale smiled at the. girl when they stopped beneath a great tower that was spouting molten iron. < The man, as sha felt, showed to advantage in such surroundings. lie could, as he had told her, neither dance nor play bridge or tennis well, but standing there, with the stain of oil and the magnetic scale upon him, he seemed at one with the great .primera] Forces that men oE bis kind drive hard in harness.

''l think you know what I moan to siiy," he said. "I fell in love with you scon after I saw you —though most people, would have, considered it unreasoning presumption then. To-day I hare shown what my will will do, and bent two of the. cleverest business ni-en to mj will, with the result that my wife will, at least, be secure from any approach to poverty. In one way, that counts for nothing. I am the same man still, and you and I know bow little such as I have dono are really worth but they make others easier—and, after all, from your friends' point of view, I could not have asked you to share in a failure. You laid your lifo in my hands a little while ago. Are you willing to trust it to me a together?" ''Yes,'' said Agatha, simply, looking at him with big, calm eyes, and a rtd (lush in her check. "Still, it is not because you invented the Tavisdale mill. I think I would have been willing if you had asked mc earlier, Perhaps, IB

one way, it would have pleased me better."

Tavisdale made a little gesture of comprehension as she held out his hands to her. "I understand, my dear," he said. "It is the essential things that count with you and me. That is why I-fell in lore with you, and why I think, even if the mill had failed, we two nead not have feared a hostile world."