The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-05-01

MIS-. w dSpllcE WIS sew NY III ollc WI
her of the back room on a gaudy patch
work quilt. In an opposite corner was a
cobblcr's bench. The husband and wife
were in direct contrast to each other.
She was pretty young mulatto woman,
with soft gazelle eyes and Il half-asleep
air He was rs wide awake looking as
his companion was inert, of a light cgtt
ar laH color. which he would have char
! acterized himself as bright" eyes strik-
ingly large and ohscrvant: hair almost
straight. He was all action. with Il hearty
desire to please i'll every gesture.
Mr.. Barnwell rubbed his hands togeth-
er i'll his hearty way. 80 you sit and
sew while your husband works, he re-
marked to Mrs. Wagner.
She replied. Yes. sir dreamily.
Wagner added, "Yes, indeed. miss. =
with quadruple animation. ''lt is GER
tamIy very agreeable for gentleman to
have his occupation, and for a lady to
have hers, and for they both to carry
them on together
Mrs. Wagner produced q hair ring she
had been plating. This was another of
her industries. - 1t is really very nice.
Lou" | said: at which praise she smiled
and sighed. and east down her gazelle
eyes prettily.
Wagner had already remarked to both
his visitors: I'VE would be extremely
proud if you would set down. Oh. GER
tainly. It's all in Il lifetime. as the say
in is After brief period, apparently
designed for the purpose of taking breath.
he proceeded to exhibit his " lcetle idees. =
First of all an article which looked like
a mouse-trap, but which he explained was
paten' designed to lift heavy weights.
He moved little, bits of wire about, and
explained to me the different points of
the contrivance. 1t seemed tn me ex-
trcmely ingenious, and | told him so.
"Oh, yes miss, it's very nice affair.
There nothing exac'ly like it. Certain
lv, miss and sir. Look at this here other
leetle notion, sir. It's swing 1t S
a-worked back ards and r'ards by Jest
| a-pressin' this here board with the foot.
never see nothin' like this. Certainly.
sir. ! am allays a-thinllin' out these lee
tie things. Work is dull CHANGING at
his empty cobbler's bench.
Now here's the wagon you thought
so much Of miss. I've put an entire new
| crank into it to make it turn more easy
and convenient like. Don't look at it
too close, miss. It's put together real
rough. But I'm not nothin' Of a carpen-
ter, nor yet wheelwright. And So
finishing off with his usual little nervous
laugh.
was cheered to see that Mr.. Barnwell
was giving the subject his close atten-
| ton. But. alas. he said to me presently.
in the undertonc he knew so well how to
manage, They have some things like
that on the railroads already-Gke it to Il
I, indicating the mouse trap. He like
wise criticised the construction of the
wagon. Springs crooked he objected.
Next We were shown a go-cart which
was propelled by windmill. 1T will
he very nice on windy days" | declared.
To which Wagner addcnded: ''Oh, Ger
tainly, MISS chcerily, and put it aside.
1T occurred to me it was IA cur Gus no.
ton. I'm always a-thinkin' up these
here curious notions when | have spare
hour or 50. But here's somethin' else
ladies and gentlemen, so to speak-some-
thin for the Fourth of July for the
youngsters.
"Another wagon Lou and Mr.. Barn
we'll and | all laughed together. s. Oh,
certainly. Yes. miss. You see, sir. one
boy sits in front, and presses this here
spring with his foot. like my other paten
and off we air. And another youngster
sits behind, and presses this here, and
that sets these here bells a-rinyin' and
these here flags a-tlyin'. Hail, Columby.
miss
Decidedly. Why, Wagner this is
splendid"
"Oh, certainly. Yes, indeed. That's
so. miss"
Mr.. Barnwell had walked up to the one
window to examine yet another paten'
more infinitely. The inventor and ex-
hibitor followed him. Mr.. Barnwell
asked number OF questions in his easy.
cheerful way. 1t ended in Wagoner's
wrapping the paten up in Il piece of
paper and in Mr.. Barnwells putting it
in his pocket. "We'll see what we can
do-we'll see what we can do Mr..
Barnwell said. as he caught my eye. as
who should say, Isn't it about time to
go?"
"Well?' | queried, when we We're out
Of earShot.
Poor soul, poor soul. Nothing very
practical about him. | have brought
away rather ingenious little conceit. |
will take it up to Washington with me
when 20 there next week, and show it
to a friend OF mine there, 4 patent law
yer. Wagner may make a few dollars
| off it..
"Oh, thank you. That is just ike
you. You are always SO good. lie is
SO wretchedly poor | cried, all in a
breath.
communicated this possibility to
| Wagner when next we met. He always
brought my clothes home. lie consider
ed that cmphatically IL gcntleman's occu-
patton. Certainly, miss. | liked that
ar gentleman's appearances, MISS he
! averred.
y day or so aiterward saw Fred
That inventive friend Of yours is u
| fraud: he can't cohble worth Il cent he
| declared. Il wasted dollar and 4 half
on him: looked over those idees' of his.
That swing works crooked. Pshaw,
| Never heard of a c"ored inventor yet
Wagner may be the earliest dcvcl-
opment Of the type.
POSSIBLY. Your re welcome to your
| theory
That was an uncomfortable period,
when Fred and were forever having a
difference. first about one thing, then
about another He says now that this
| frettcd him as much as it did me- but |
never dreamed that this was the case.
|