The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-06-06
from the Galaxy.
THE HARLEY PATENT.
CONTINUED


of the day on which we have seen
him leave home, was his want of self
| knowledge. He believed in himself
implicitly, but he did not know him
self at all. He had his enthusiasm
and his idea with these he was hurl-
j ing himself against the world. He
had been happy in his past life: he
| had from childhood an assurance
that he should accomplish something
beyond the common. He had accom-
plished it; he was about to be re-
warded, and he was well content.
His past domestic life likewise had
been full of happiness. Perhaps he
didn't require home pleasures quite
i as much as some men; perhaps his
enjoyment in his boy had been less
| keen than that of other fathers, for
was absorbed and studious, he
thought of what he was to do in the
future for his wife and child rather
than of what they did in the present
| for him. He acted out his own ma
ture relentlessly, and his happiness
lay in being allowed to do SO unques-
| toned.
5. He left home with two letters of
introduction. The first of these which
he presented after his arrival in
Washington, was to Professor Pro
chaska. This Professor Prochaska
was a quite eminent sauant, and
critical man of the world. He lis
tened with attention to Harley for half
an hour. OF course any bore might
have made the polite professor listen;
but he did more than listen; he at
tended to what he heard, and having
heard, invited the young inventor to
dine with him the following week In
truth, Harley was just one to force
his way and escape being overlooked.
He made a kind of reliero against
conventional appearance. His awk
wardness was unembarrassed; his
self-con6dence was emphatic. His
personnel with his tall, ungainly,
hair slender figure, his long yellow
and fine Greek features, was strik-
ing. He had shrill, vibrant voice
that would say its say in short,
nervous phrases, which had the sound
of sharp, stdcc0to notes on a tense
string; and it was vain to attempt to
enforce silence when he was not in
clined to be still. Yoa might be con-
scious of his awkward legs and arms,
but he was conscious only of his idea.
He went-to the professors dinner
with no more embarrassment than he
had shuffied out to Ruth's breakfast
table; yet the professor dinners
were among the events of scien-
tifc society. There were but six
guests that day, and when they rose
from the table, about ten o'clock,
they adjourned to the drawing room
and were received by the professors
daughter.
Miss Prochaska was by birth
Russian. She was woman of twenty
six or eight, and affected matronly
manner. She was large, blonde, and
stately; her hand and arm were well
moulded and patrician. She had pre-
sided over her fathers establishment
for ten years and had profted by her
observations. Her manners were
easy and elegant, her tact something
artistic. She had talent which she
never exhibited; she had heart, I'M
doubtedly, for her health was quite
perfect-but she was never guilty OF
sentiment. Finally, her manners were
| free. while her dignity was unim-
peachable. She took liberties with
men, but they never took liberties
with her. Her rooms were the rem
| devious of the elite. In them entire
freedom prevailed. All might do as
they liked; talk, write, read, lounge, j
| look on. The eptree to these rooms
was somewhat difficult TO obtain. To
| be tolerated there, one must be In
some manner remarkable.
Professor Prochaska said in
! slightly Indifferent way on entering
the room, !" Aurora. this is Gilbert
Harley speaking with foreign ac-
cent, and referring to the note of in,
PRODUCTION for the name, which he
| found himself unable TO recollect.
Miss Prochaska smiled graciously,
motioned Gilbert to a seat, which he
did not take. and set apart ten min
utes in which to sift him. IF he had
been reserved, gentlemanly or slight
ly agreeable, she would. when the ten
minutes had expired, have smiled
more graciously than before. and af-
| forwards said with yawn:
Papa, a bore! Don't have him
| here again!
But Gilbert was rude and fluent.
absorbed in himself, quite mat
tentive to her. She looked at his
odd figure aud Greek face; when
the ten minutes were up. she felt that
she had not quite sifted him. She
rose, however, apparently unconscious
] that she was. interrupting one of his
sentences. just touched his arm with
her handsome hand, on the third
finger of which she wore an emerald
that reached to the knuckle, and said,
in perfectly pure English, :. Come in
at twelve tomorrow. Then she
swept back her train of purple MORE
and passed on.