The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-05-20

Ali we'll my taD, II int pai'Ht itlCbes
you the money IL costs you, IN congratu-
late ypu."
Luke was. accustomed to his fathers In
cfeduity, but 10 night it seemed to aft CT
him painfully
"Yon must have faifh 10 ne, father" he
rad, endeayoriug 10 -p.ak calmly. "for
have made up my mind n II 70 eel he pat
ent, tut - work 1t m}sslf, 10 do which |
must throw up my pfeseut cierk-hip, aud
start al office on my own account. 1t may
involve living on very little Tor awhile, b1t
IL must pay IN the cDd"
Luke's face WAS full Of the exatation
which proceeds from the sense OF great ex-
citemeDt-the .ook OF the man VINO Origi
mates, whether artist, poet or inventor.
Gwen, with worshipping eyes kneit be-id.
him. and drew his arm round her shoulder.
You will trust IN little woman, and
put up with being on sbort-connon- for a
bit?" said Luke, smiling down AT her.
Reuben's Thin lips were pressed tOgeth er
as he sat and grimly watched the pair. a
last he stood up, pushed hi- chair back,
aud addressed them with de aiberate, chii-
ling contempt.
"Luke, you're foot! Your wife's never
been anything else, 80 needn't say the
same OF her. But or man who has one
grain OF sense to throw up good place for
the sake Of pushing rubbis y invention,
that's what | call the act of fool, and | Ia
ashamed TO have such a fool for my sou.
Ii you think Tin Roing to spend my little
saving. to keep you out of the workhouse,
while you're waiting for a fortune that's to
be made out of a tram car, you're d fool
| for that, too. As soon as ever you cant
pay up, | wash my hands Of you, and quit
the house. ! shant mis- you; there's
nothing your silly wife does for me | can't
| do better for myself"
Luke WAS in too excited a state to bear
this quietly, and answered with violence
which Gwen sought in vsin to soo,he
| There was terrible scene, and a: the end
Of few minutes, the fail ediice of home
peace, which she had labored at so long
and patiently, lay shattered before her.
The hardest time OF her married life fol-
lowed, for Luke, in state of irrltated deter.
minat on to succeed, was sorely tried by
tie dilatoriness and procrastir alton OF ev
srybody whose approval aud cooperation
were necessary to the bringing our Of his
| invention, and Reuben WAS more cross
grained then ever 1t fell to Gwens share
to cheer and inspirt her husband, to bear
the freshly kindled fire OF her fathsr-in.
laws vituperation, and to make her dimn-
| ished allowance cover the most necessary
expenses.
AT last the tram car given public trial,
and from that day the tide slowly turned.
Nobody hurried TO take up the invention,
but still the capital to form company was
gradually subscribed, and Luke felt his
way grow clear and easy before him. A
steady demsnd sprang up for the Sparrow
| tram Cars, and the dividends rapidly rose.
| Luke was made much DOW, and on all sides
manufacturers and spectators sent him or
ders for specified inventions, offering him
large sums if he could meet their require.
ments. Some of the requests were absurd,
but many presented problems possible of
solution, and the demand for his produc-
tons preceding the supply, Luke's work
was freed from the anxieties of the man
who invents ilrst and finds hi, market sf
terwards-if he can.
At home, it seemed at first as if his sue
cess would widen rather than heal the
breach belweeu his father and himself, for
Reuben grew more silent aud moody as his
| son went up in the word. Duiing the
| days of anxious poverty, while assalling
| Gwen with ceaseless repToaches, be had
| exercised much ingenuity in secretly sup
plying the wants of the househould; but
now that the privations of the young
upl, we're at al end he chose to believe
that they wished bin dead aid gone, and
wnen Gwen told tim one day that Luke in
tended to take larger house, the old man
broke out bitterly! They Were getting too
grand for him, he said The furniture
which he and his old woman had bought
when they We're married, aud which be had
brought with him to his sons, wasn't good
enough for fine new house, and he'd bet
ter betake himself somewhere else with IT,
''Don't say that father" said Gwen;
wherever we go, your rooms shall have the
old things in them"
"Of course, The old things are good
enough for the old!" retorted Reuben uu-
reasonably. You'll stow me away in the
back rooms, and get new friends To suit
your new furniture. No, no. I'll get Il
room somewhere, and have woman in to
lock alter me- I'm use to neglect"
"But father" said Gwen, patiently pass
ing over a charge she had heard over and
over again, II want you more than ever
uow You see, Luke wants me t. be I'll to
talk to the gentlemen who come to see
him, so | thought you d teach me out of the
books SO as may know something. Luke
hasn't time. and | don't feel as | could get
on without help. Besides, | can't bear to
think of your living away from US now"
" cure tslkiug nonsense" said Reuben,
shortly and sharply. I've not been SO
kind TO you that you need set yourself
against the parting"
'You are rare good to Peter, and when
we were in bad way, you stood by Us IA
Their That's what ! remember. | know
well enough your savings are deal smaller
for what you did for us.
The old man uttered an impatient "P0oh
pooh. !" and, rising from his chair tidseted
I about the room. Theu he sat down again
and silently watched Owens needle AS it
| flew in and out of the work upon her knee,
sD'ye realy mean you'd like to learn O
me?" he asked at last, doubtiuliy, ''after
all the hard things I've said to your"
IL couldn't have gone on doing Tor you
so long" said Gwen, encouraged by the
gentleness of his tone, elf hadn't known
that you thought kinder-more kindly O
me than ever you said. You didn't mean
it just now, when you said that you were
| used to neglect
ono, lass" said Reuben taking e hand.
stI'd no call to mean such an untruth a.
that. You're good gal; III teach you
What you like
After this ii was surprising how well
Reuben got on with his daughter in law.
| Her intelligence delighted him, and he was
| never tired of Boosting of the progress
| she made in history, arithmetic, grammar,
aud geography Not but what he often
spoke snappishly, but the old constant
| friction was at an end, apdpaSt resentment
quietly forgotten.
at seems to me Peter and Gwen are
runni one another close" said Luke.
looking up from his papers with smile
one evening.
.'Bles, you, MOI" declared Reuben.
"Peters sharp little lad, but he's no.
where beside his mother. She's one in a
thousand, tell you-one In thousand -
-CdsSeWS Family Magazine,
|
The Experiment Station is now at work
on the examination of fertilizers, as provid-