Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-07-03
EBENSBIRG. Pa WEDNESDAY, JULY 3 1851

mans intuition, cautioned and demonstrated
very tenderly. But the effect was ILL., There
after Hugh added moodiness and fretfulness
to these missteps; indeed, he quite lost his
old gayety and openness, sitting thoughtful
and glum the livelong evening, telling moth
ing of his plans to Susy only breaking from
his withdrawal now and then by seizing bit
of paper and making diagrams with nervous
quickness. For the time, Susy's home bliss
was quite destroyed. The life of the freside
was gone. When ooW he come out of this
study, with his machine complete ?" she wo'd
often ask with the emphasis of weary waiting
% His machine compete"-that was the form
in which her thoughts found expression for
the fond and admiring wife never doubted that
sooner or later Hugh would triumph over any
and every difficulty. Had he not made mar
vellous inventions, an0 was he not getting 20 be
almost great man; known and noticed so
far? La this way Susy comforted herself in
her loneliness; and, when Hugh was morose
and fretful, would be very quiet and gentle,
saying to herself, Dear Hugh how hard he
must be thinking, and how tiresome it must
I be. ought to be very patient, [ am sure.
I, only a simple little wife, with nothing to
think of but the kitchen and garden and
Hugh's clothes [ ought to be proud Of such
husband-and am ~
Then Susy would steal her arm around his
neck and kiss him; upon which Hugh would
seem to break from a dream, aud ask,
1" What do you want, Susy:"
" Nothing-I was only stealing i7s =
and Susy would return to her accustomed seat
am st as blushing!y as though these were the
days of her maiden life
As months came and went, Susy felt that
the village pcogle seemed to change in their
demeanor toward her. Sometimes she caught
them looking pityingly at her. as though she
were under a sorrow 10 which they sympathiz-
ed. At first it surprised her, but when she
remembered that Hugh had neglected his work
very much of late, she saw that this interest
sprung from fear that they might come to
poverty" as the New England phrase hath
it Now it was ali clear. Il was pleasant
TO be cared for by ones neighbors bat then
she knew Of several hundred dollars hidden
in 4 safe place by her own hands, with Huch's
consent. Long before that was spent the ma
chine would be done and perhaps piles of
money would come Of it.
Hugh neglected bis work entirely And
now he would rise from bed at twelve o'clock,
ana 90 out. returning just at dawn, and say
ing never word. Susy ventpred to ask him
where he went. what he went for; but
Hugh darted such strange, wild glance as
quite frightened her. She wouldn's trouble
him any more with her womanish curiosity.
Poor Hugh He must be working very hard
How absent-minded he was Why. he would
almost always hold the newspaper upside down.
reading or seeming 10 read, for hours; and,
when she ventured to demonstrate, would an
swer her, oh, SO sharply
Sometimes he would 90 to the little coffee
mill, and turn the crank round and round,
hundreds of times, though the mill was quite
empty. gazing steadily at it all the time
| Once Susy got handful of coffee, freshly
! Drowned over the kitchen fire, and, looking
laughingly in his free, dropped it in while he
was turning. Hugh smiled-the first time
for many week-and then motioning her
mysteriously to sit down, went softly TO the
pantry, took the eream-ewer and sugar bowl,
and coming on tiptOe to the mill gestured her
to grind while he poured cream aud sugar al
ternately in with the coffee.
- How queer Hugh seems ~ thought SusY
- I hope he won't be very long" One
piercing thought at this instant darted across
her mind but it was driven back as soon as
formed; FOR was not Hugh in all his Affairs,
excepting this one, even more methodical than
other men? And were not all great men
eccentric when under the pressure OF great
plans
His adventure with the coffee mill quite
changed Hugh's bearing toward his wife. He
seemed disposed to take her into his conf
dence In the afternoon of that very same
day. he reused himself from his revery, and
beckonIng Susy to come to him, lifted one
finger solemnly and said, in a most impressive
and mysterious manner:
I've finished it. Tonight"
Susy was or the tiptoe of expectation for
whole year had gone since the beginning of
these nocturnal departures, and she longed
for the clearing of the mystery, as well as for
the return of the old home life. At length
the hour of midnight came, and they went
out A long walk brought them to a cliff of
| moderate height and ordinary appearance. a
crevice of which proved to be the entrance to
cave Entering this and carefully closing
the crevice behind them, making total dark