The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-05-28

"Oh.- thank you. That Is just like
you. You are always so good He Is
so wretchedly poor" l cried, all in n
breath.
communicated this possibility to
Wagner when next we met. He al
ways brought my clothes home. lie
considered that cmphatically a gentle
mans occupation. Certainly, miss,
i liked that ar gentleman's appearance,
mis- he averred.
f A ny or so afterward / saw Fred.
That inventive friend of yours is a
fraud; he can't cobble worth cent"
he declared. al wasted dollar and n
half on him looked over those idees'
OF his. That swing works crooked.
Pshawi Never heard of a colored inven-
".Wgoncr may be the earliest de-
velopment of the type"
Possibly. You're welcome to your
That was nm uncomfortable period
when Fred and l were forever having n
difference, first about one thing. then
about another. Iie says now that this
fretted him rs much rs it did me, but
never dreamed that this was the case.
Mr.. Barnwell was always on hand to
console me II ! chose; he almost liter
ally devoted himself 10 my amusement
and happiness. / liked him. would
have liked him still better had ] not
bcen distihcuy aware that lie wanted
me to like him In very different way
from that of my calm and friendly re.
gard 'fi ti'r
From time to time asked him about
the pHttcn' Of Wagoncr's on which hr
haA lusA 4. Ii u Il. i
his hands and laughed, and laughed
and rubbed his hands. He hal been to
Washington. lie had seen his patent
lawyer friend. He hoped 10 be able to
sell the g lcetlc idee." For how muchP
Oh, well, say for twenty, thirty, forty
dollars. My face fell. l had fabulous
notions Of the value of these things.
"Oh, vel, for fifty dollars, perhaps" I"
rs though to console me for my disap-
pointment. l had an impression that
he would make up any deficiency from
his own pocket. He was thoroughly
benevolent mani ..
l tried hard to like him-or rather to
love him-in those days. Sometimes
thought Ihad succeeded-when l had
not seen Fred for some time, for in
stance; when he had been driving o.
riding all over the country with that
alarmlngly pretty cousin of his. But 8
half hour--ten minutes-with FIT.
would be enough to undermine all my
resolutions about making sensible,
respectable marriage. Fred and had
been engaged once. No. no. If ever
married il could be no one but Fred,
provoking, aggravating. unjust, but
dear.
hardly l expected that we ever would
make up our quarrel. Rut we did, un-
expectedly, as all the beautiful. best
things in lite Happen. Fred was ride
ulously poor; but nevertheless, on on
reconciliation, we made up car minds
to be married out of hand. Our kins-
folk and acquaintance were informed
Of our Intentions, and the time named
for the event. ,,n.I
When l saw Mr. Barnwcll for the first
time after my engagement was an
nOunccd, he shook hands with me, his
lace rs though cast in iron. in the like
ness of his wOnted smile. and deathly,
CHASTITY pale. shall never forget that
look.
The next day he was found dead in
his bed. Aftcrward poison was sug-
gested-that he had taken his own life
but at the time 1t was believed he had
died Of heart disease.
Whichever theory may have been
true, there can be no doubt that his
death was fastened by his pecuniary
entanglements. His affairs were found
to be in very embarrassed condition.
It came out that he was deeply in debt.
lie owned farm and house in town.
1t would he necessary 10 sell thesei n
order to satisfy his creditors; and this
done. there would only be three or four
Thousand dollars left, to revert to his
brother and sole heir. Fortunately this
brother was above want; the dead man
himself remained the center of public
pity. These developments were most
unexpected. 1t had been supposed Mr..
Barnwell was very wealthy man.
Had he lived he must have begun life
ut the very foot of the ladder again.
Judge 1.eighton-Fred's father-was
employed in settling tho estate Thus 7
learned of good many details that
would otherwise have escaped me. One
day Fred startled me by saying, Il
Lad no idea that Bnrnwell was an in
vcn,Or."
Nor had l."
1t seems he was de had taken out
patent for an invention, which had be
gun 10 pay moderately well Five lnin
dIed dollars had hcen paid in alread,
on IL before his death"
Indeed! Oh. Fred, tell me what it is
like"
.'I.ikeP Never saw such girl for in
ventions and inventors. Likep Some
thing like this" And he described 1t
to me. Nif --'
That afternoon 1 went to see the
WagOners. lou was placidly ironing.
mi 1, ha sr a In a nj
extreme leisure. Wagner was cob
bling; inventive genius was not above
the himdrum necessity OF earning its
bread. Wagner anticipated presently
my own Introduction Ofthe object ofmy
visit.
did you happen to have heerd any
remarks passed about that ar leetle
paten' of mine that MIR. Barnwell war
a-seein' to for me, missy"
"Nothine very satisfactory. ] wish
you would describe that model to me,
Wagner; l will inquire particularly
about it." t. ...I
Whereupon Wagner described it
minutely. His description tailed pre-
cisely with that already given me by
Fred. drew a long breath. Mr.. Barn
well must have been hard pushed to
have stopped TO defraud this poor simple
eOuL
"I wish Mr.. Barnwell had a-lived to
see my interests through, miss. l allays
liked his appearances"
You may be sure that Fred and saw
his interests through. l told him
nothing Of his prospects, however. until
l had made sure that his paten' could
be identified. Then announced to him
that in a small way his fortune was
made.
It Is my impression that this success
will piove the cornerstone of very
gratifying career. Wagner has more
time now in which to perfect his
paten's. He has also more ready money
TO put them into proper shape. Among
other things. he has improved the Hail
Columbia chariot. I.ast Christmas it
produced the widest excitement In
Port Royal, emptying the pockets OF
their change of all the small boys in
town, TO the placid delight of Lou, and
TO the pecuniary profit of her husband.
Has per's BdsGr.
Hat dealers who have been in the
business fifty years. say they find less
difficulty In fitinc the heads of farm-