American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-09-28

derStani that. And with my economy
and management we can live on eighty
dollars. | don't mind working ant
pinching if we can only,,keep our ground
are not slippin. back all the while''
Gradually the bills were all settled
the empress cloth was ut last paid for, tho
financial wounds made by Mr.. Twtchell's
inventions We're healed over and forgot
ten; and Mrs. Twitchell might have beer
a moderately happy woman. but there
was one thing she could not forget; hel
husband had been away for weeks, she
knew not where, and engaged she knew
not how.
Il would never let him rest till found
ont" said Mrs. PrOudfoot. as much pro-
vokcd by Mr.. Twitchell's obstinacy as the
wife was.
One evening Mr.. Twitchcll announced
his intention of taking second ride
through the country. Mrs. Twitchell
almost lost her breath at the announce
ment. She felt like tearing her hair, or.
better still, Mr.. Twitcbcll's.
| MIR. Twitchell, are you insane -
| Il think not, he answered.
'.Then what do you mean?''
II can explain more satisfactorily when
l rcturn.''
''Mr. Twitchcll, you certainly are the
most provoking man | ever knew-the
most unrcasonable-thc most exasperat-
ing. You are enough to drive any wo-
man frantic.''
''Well just get my things put up, please,
and have me an early breakfast
81 won't put up your things. and Pm
not going to run myself breathless to get
your breakfast
| 1t was Monday morning: Mrs. Twitch-
ell was examining the pockets of her
husbands linen coat, previous to putting
| it in the wash. She came upon an en-
velOpe, addressed in dainty feminine
| chirography to ST. Twitchell, ESQ. - it
contained a sheet of fine paper. Mr.. II.
Twitchell's wife opened it: she glanced
ut the signature-''Nettie.'' Her eyes
ran back to the "Dear T. with which
the letter opened, and hungrily they de-
voured it to the end:
"DEAR T: 1t seems like an eternity since
our last fond meeting. Do you remember the
farewell as Vou Kissed NV ewes and Inns .fbis
Net has completely ensnared me-? am dying to
see you You must not let this month OF sunshine,
birds and flowers, pass without making me visit.
cannot send you a long letter, but write these
few lines that you may not miss the customary
large party Tonight do not wish it, but mother
insists. would gladly give all shall enjoy this
evening for one look into your dear eyes. Come
soon, to your loving NETrIE.
''This explains the mystery! He's
gone to this wicked girl. Oh. wish
knew where to find them. I'd go and
shoot them both. The wretches, the vii
lain. He hasn't kissed my eyes since be-
fore Sissy was born"
One sitting morning, the twenty-sev-
enth of August, Mr.. Twitchell appeared
at the door. And he was in a very cheer
full mood. 'sHalloO, Sissy :" he cried
and he cracked his whip about her ears
enthusiastically, but with some degree of
awkwardness. which the child showed her
perception of by lodging. swell, Mandy,
I've got back. Come baby and kiss your
papa"
The wife had planned, when her rec
reant husband should come into the
house, to hold the Nettie letter before
his eyes, to hiss in his ear, ''Wretch!
villain! perjurer! fiend!" and to bid
ruined family to themselves. But
the letter was locked in a bureau-drawer
up stairs /; the children were climbing
over papa; she couldn't very well tear
them from his knee. Mr.. Twitchell look
ed so happy, so innocent of having done
any wrong, so unconscious of the i'm
pending storm the injured wife was for
the time being disarmed.
Your bread smells good let me have
something to eat, fOr Pm as hungry as a
wolf"
II can't leave my baking to get an ex-
ira meal: it's only about an hour till din
ner-time. Indeed there's nothing i'm the
house to eat until this bread is baked.
Your children have lived on bread for two
months: l suppose you've been enjoying
the fat of the land.''
''And you and Sissy and Baby,o he
cried, snatching up the little one and kiss
ing the notified face, ''shall hencefOrth
have the fat of the land. The good-fOr-
nothing old fellow has made some money
at last, and a good pile of it too and that
by one of his worthless Inventions"
''What do you mean?" asked the in
jured wife.
Il mean that I've got money and notes
to the amount of fifty-seven thousand dol
lars. which I've collected in these eight
weeks. You're rich woman, Mrs.
Twitchell. That's yours, my little wO-
wan. to buy you a home. There are
twenty of them: did you ever count mon
ey before in that way-five hundred dol
lars in a breath 20
.'I'll tell you all about it when l get
something to eat. Pm hungry: won't
that ten thousand dollars buy me a din
ner?''
Mr.. Twitchell had sufficiently appeased
his hunger to enter upon his story, which
he did somewhat after this fashion:
''You know when | went away last
summer on that FOOLS GRAND, as you
called it, Mandy. went in a buggy? By
a simple continuance. which l had in
vented. L could detach that vehicle at an
instant's notice from the horse. With a
motion of the thumb and finger can free
the hOrse.''
:" We'll, now, can see the sense OF that
invention
''Well, drove off with a plan in my
head, and at the first wagOn-shop be
gan to put it in operation. l stopped on
the pretext of getting my horse shOd.
The wagOn-maker stood watching me as
| rehitched the horse to the buggy.
Why, what kind of a continuance have
you got thereT he asked, and came out to
the carriage. a very simple continuance
of my own invention said, for detach-
ing the carriage from the hOrses;' and
went on to explain it to him. It's so
simple that any smith can easily manufac-
ture it and adapt it to any vehicle. -
''Why We're you so imprudent as to
tell him about it? He might go and get
it patented"
II had already secured my patent on it,
''But he could go to work and use your
invention without paying for it. whereas
you might have sold him right
Il knew he could use it, and that's Just
the thing found he had done on my visit
to him this summer. l had an officer with
me. and we compromised with the car
riage-maker for an infringement of my
patent to the tune of five hundred dollars.
There were only three men. out of the
whole number l saw on the first round,
who had not infringed my patent, and
those three wanted to buy the right; so
just went round and gathered i'm the
greenbacks by the handful. And this isn't
the last of it: / shall go ON making
money by this patent for years to come"
Its splendid! said Mrs. Twitchell
and in her admiration OF her husbands
cleverness, and her pleasure in the gold
en-paved path opened before her, she
almost lost sight of his guilt. She brought
him a plate of hot biscuit, and asked to