Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-01

II.
lions in his easy, cheerful way. It ended In
Wsgoner's wrapping the paten' up In piece of
paper, and In Mr.. Barnwelrs putting It In his
what we can d." MT Barnwen said, as he
caught my eye. as who should say, Isn't it
about time to go?"
shot.
Poor soul! poor soul! Nothing very practical
about him j have brought away rather inge-
NOUS little conceit. Will take 1t up to Wash
show it TO a friend Of mine there. a patent
lawyer. Wagner may make few dollars OF
it,"
"Oh, thank you. That is Just like you. You
are always so good! He Is so wretchedly poorrr
l cried, all In a breath.
communicated this possibility to Wagner
clothes home. He considered that emphatically
gentleman'S occupation. Certainly miss. I
liked that ar gentleman's appearances, miss, he
day or so afterward saw Fred THAT in
yentive friend or yours is a fraud; he can't cob
Die worth cent he declared. 81 wasted a dol
lar and half on him; looked over those ideas
OF his That swing works crooked. Pshaw!
Never heard OF cOlored inventor yet"
WAGNER may be the earliest development of
the type"
POSSIBLY. You're welcome to your theory. y
That was an uncomfortable period, when Fred
and were forever having difference first
about one thing, then about another. he says
now that this fretted him as much as it did me
but | never dreamed that this was the case.
Mr.. Barnwell was always On hand to console
me II choose: he almost literally devoted him.
him. would have liked him still better had not
been distinctly aware that he wanted me to Ike
him In very different way from that of my
calm and friendly regard
From time to time asked him about the pat
en- of Wagoner's on which he had laid hands
He invariably rubbed his hands and laughed,
and laughed and rubbed his hands. He had
been to Washington. He had seen his patent
lawyer friend. He hoped to be able to sell the
''leetle idee." For how much? oh, WELL say
for twenty, thirty, forty dollars. My face fell.
things. ''Oh, well, for fifty dollars, perhaps ~
as though to console me for my disappointment.
had an impression that he would make up any
deficiency from his own pocket. He was such
thoroughly benevolent man.
tried hard to like him-Or rather to love him
in those days sometimes l thought / had
time, for instance when he had been driving or
riding all over the country with that alarming
ly pretty cousin Of his. But half hour-ten
minutes-with Fred would be enough to under
mine all my resolutions about making SenS-
bic, respectable marriage. Fred and had been
engaged once No, no. Ii l erer' married 1t
could be no one but Fred, provoking, aggravat-
hardly expected that we would ever make
up our quarrel But we did, Unexpectedly, as
all the beautiful. best things In life happen.
On our reconciliation, we made up our minds to
be married out OF hand. Our kinsfolk aud ac-
quaintance were informed of our Intentions and
the time named for the event.
When / saw Mr.. Barnwell for the first time
after my engagement was announced, he shook
hands with me, his face as though cast In
iron. In the likeness OF his wonted SMILE and
deathly, CHASTITY pale. l shall never forget that
look.
The next day he was found dead In his bed
AfterWard poison was suggested-that he had
taken his own life: but at the time il was he
heyed he had died Of heart disease
whichever theory may have been true, there
can De no doubt that his death was fastened
ny his spec pecuniary entanglements. His affairs
ton. 1t came out that he was deeply In debt.
lie owned farm and a house In town. II
would De necessary to sell these In order to
only be three or four thousand dollars left to
revert 10 his brother and sole heir. Fortunately
this brother was above want; the dead man
nlmSel1 remained the center of public pity
These developments were most unexpected. 1t
had been supposed Mr.. Barnwell was q yery
wealthy man. Had he lived, he must have be-
Judge Leighton-Fred's father-Was en-
ployed In settling the estate. Thus learned
OF a good many details that would otherwise
nave escaped me. One day Fred startled me by
inventor" '~' I'LL
"Nor had l."
1T seems he was. He had taken out patent
Tor an invention which had begun to pay mod
erately We'll Five hundred dollars had been
paid In already on 1t before his death"
.se on. Fred, tell me what it is like"
L1ke9 Never saw such a girl for inventions
and Inventors Like? Something like thiso
And he described Ii to me.
That afternoon / went to see the Wagoners.
Lou was placidly ironing, with the air OF doing
so In moment OF extreme leisure WAGNER
was cODbltng. Inventive genius was not above
Inc humdrum necessity Of earning its bread
wagner anticipated presently my own intro
duct10n OF the object OF my visit.
DID you happen to have heered any remarks
passed about that ar leetle paten' OF mine that
MI. BarnWell war a-seetn' to for me- miss?n
"NOth1ng very satisfactory. / wish you would
describe that model 10 me. Wagner will in
qutre particularly about it."
Whereupon Wagner described it infinitely.
His description tailed precisely with that al
ready given me by Feed. drew long breath.
Mr.. Barnwell must have been hard pushed To
have stopped to defraud this poor simple soul.
Il wish Mr.. Barnwell had a-lfved to see NV
interests through, miss. 1 allays liked his an
pearanceS." f
You may be sure that Fred and 1 saw his in
terests through. told him nothing OF his pros
poets, however, until l had made sure that his
paten' could be identified. Then announced
10 him that In small way his fortune was
made. ""0
1t Is my impression that this SUCCESS will
prove the Orner-StOne OF very gratifying Ca
reer. Wagner has more time now in which Ia
perfect his patenS. He has also more ready
money to put them into proper shape AmonS
other things, he has improved his Hail COlum
bia Chariot. Last Christmas it produced the
widest excitement In Port Royal emptying the
pockets OF their change OF all the small bows in
town, TO TIE placid delight Of Lou, and to the