Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-06

with proud satisfaction to the very steps Of
the car. After all, the new invention mus,
be Zig thing, and he told all the other boy:
tat his father had gone TO the city TO get o
pattern and gave occasional glowing ac-
counts OF the way the little engine over
there in the shop could make the steam fly,
aai the probable millions that would accrue
to the family because Of it 1t was not often
that Tim got chance 20 boast, and he did
not fail to improve mis- opportunities.
Il was nearly noon before John Dempster
could get the ear Of the great patent lawyer
whom he had come to see. He waited Ia
tiently in the outer Office, pathetic figure
in the thread-bare coat, with sunken eyes,
/ and lines about his mouth that told of
patience long-tried, and hope deferred; a
| gentle, shy man, who hal stake1 everything
/ upon the one great venture OF life.
| Il wished" he said, when his turn had
come, TO apply for patent for an engine
have invented. 1t cannot fail TO be sue
cess. There is a great saving of steam
Tell me about it, interrupted the lawyer
With great simplicity and much uncon-
scious elOquence. Demp,ter explained it
workings. Any one who had seen his trem-
bling hands, or watched the fire in his eye,
would have understood how the idea of il,
The successful lawyer heard him carefully
to the enl Then he left his chair and
walkel to the window and back again 1t
was not easy to alb man so frail as this
one, who looked at you with such confident
eyes.
Il am sorry" he began; lit was strong
thought for a man ike you to wor,; out, but
an engine similar, just the same. in fact, III
oil ,faI,
ago
He was long time saying IT, bur the man
who listened was longer IN realizing the full
force cf the words.
DO you mean" he stammered. wiping the
great beads Of perspirat:on from his fore
heal; that some one has been before me.
that all my work is to 60 for nothing! Why,
have mortgaged my house-it was for the
children he cont nued brokenly for the
moment, and then paused realizing in a dull
way the absolute uselessness of any further
words.
1t was all over-the glory of the long
dream-the fine dresses, the carriage the
piano for Delight. the college education for
Tim, had vanished into thin air Hi, face,
as he turned toward the door. was as the
face Of the dead, He moved like a man
abandoned to despair. The great lawyer,
moved TO pity, put his hand on his shoulder.
The distance was very wide between his
palpabie success and this mans abject
failure. But the touch of human nature
which makes the whole world kin moved
him to say:
This must be a great disappoin' ment to
you, my friend; the same thing often hap
pens; invention is a poor business We law
yers get rich out Of it; sometimes Il manu-
facturer does; the inventor almost never.
IL you had brain enough to think this thing
out, and skill enough to put your model to-
gether, you can turn your brain and skill
into money faster by steady, daily work"
1t was good advice and well meant, but il
fell on deaf ears.
Slowly, like "A man besst with a night
mare, John Dempster descended the stairs
strangely enough no coln.sd them a he
A,.nt down, and he never forgot tho num-
ber
Fer time he wandered up and DOWN the
streets. unconscious Of hunger, unconscious
If keen wind that was blowing from the
north. and of sky dark with threatening
storm. He only knew that he was tired, un-
eur ably tired, IT seemed-and he had told De-
light that he should waik-home
His thoughts came slowly 1t was some
time before he could decide in what direction
home lay. Then he turned his steps thither,
his thoughts taking more vivid shape as
he went on. Strange visions came be-
tween him and the crowd of homeward-
hurrying people that jostled him as he
passed The picture that had been before
him on the tram Of Delight richly clothed
and radiant, her yellow hair shining
IN the sun AMI her cheeks aglow with health,
had faded; AMI in its place a slight appeal
ing figure and wan face from which the
light and glow had fled recedel even as he
approached.
Il could not help it. he would mutter dep
recatingly; Il could not help il; meant it
for the best"
Once cry rang out on the ara child's
cry, as it stumbled and fell. John Dempster
started Us if he had been struck ats Tim,"
he whispered to himself, crying for shoes, |
or is it for bread. Forgive me, forgive me,
Tim--l did not mean to be selfish.
The air grew steadily colder; the few
snowhakes that had been floating idly here
and there, Is if IN doubt whether to fall or
not, had multiplied until the air was dense I
with them. he. left the city now, and was /
trudging YEARLY along the country road.
More than once his heart sank within him 4
and mighty temptation rose like iiend in I
his path and SAID to him: why face the &
JeerlnS neighbOrs AMI the hungry chilIreni I
W by not lie down in the whIrling drift and +
Sleep" Well he knew that on such bitter {
night lie should never wake again. But III I
the distance he seemed each time to see the /
long bright hair of a child blown by the Z
wind, and blue eyes full of a trust that even .
his crushed anu beaten manhood could not /
beIay. Once even, near the railroad /
bridge, 10 thought he heard her voice pierre
ins the nis.lt and storm: Father, father
and the VII swept by in wilder gust, and
he did not hear it again. The bridge was
about Il mils from home. Dangerous "a the
ca oSsing was on such a night, its nearness
brought IA little revival OF courage a he
toward it
DellGh: meanwhile IN the little kitchen at
home had busted herself all day. As night
drew near she heaped extra wood upon the
fire, drew the supper table nearer, and bid
ding Tim see that the supper did not burn,
put On hood and cloak drew a pair of old
oveI her shoes to prevent her feet
from slipping In the snow, and set out to
meet her father. She walked rapidly {
tHrough the village street. her fresh young
blood coursing through her veins, and defy
Ing al every breath the cold and storm She
turned soon upoh the track and wondered
little that she failed to see hei fathers tall
figure in the distance. but Il shall meet him
soon she thought and pushed on.
Tie shadows gathered gray and dense
about her, the fakes cut sharply against her
cheek; she strained her ewes anxiously and
in vain INTO the distance She was not
tmid child but the isolation of the night
and the storm b-carne oppressive. IL never
Ia her to turn back Had not her
father told her to come ami meet him.
Presently the heavy framework of the
long bridge doomed dark and weird before
her; the only pathway was two plants close
together running between the iron rails SIZE
neSitated before stepping upon them Would
il not be letter 10 wait here until
10 came. She looked abo-t for
Is she paused scemsd TO chill the blood IN
ler veins There was momentsry
ull. the cloud, parting let the moon shine
through and showed her a stopping figure,
torn beaten and bent, staggering and IN
,ertaln steps along the slippery and narrow
pathway Now and then be stumbled,
seemed to lose his footing. fall recover him
elf, and struggled on Delights heart grew
cS within her She could not doubt that it
Vas her father, and that, dizzy and eI-
lau>tei. a single ms ,tep would plunge him
iorty feet To the frozen surface OF the river
pelCw. Then a great fear grew upon her
sha, Il the southern bound train coming w
behind him SHOULD lind him unable 10 see OF
Know.
Ter hands When she uncovered them size
sw. Inst al II Slowly-nloving figure
heap living hall upon the planks,
lalt upon oae ~ the -imterS # the bridge.
She No longer hesitstei with fes: swift an
lent them wInEs-she ran u his
i lie acun>cIoES for a time 4 cold ~
torn with a strength b n Il DESPERATION
lie >eizel the unconscious man by th- arm
ll~a - The 81 ulders and began TO pull For
moment -ha rhpf-hc her ,-rnu-th world .