Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-24

ne would De perfectly WliluB w huNehVo
this money, and wait for payment until
the legacy should be received by the
church. The young minister was no less
anxious to 90 south than was the editor
to secure his church. If the money
should be obtained from some other
quarter, the present incumbent would
depart, and the editor would thus lose
his opportunity, for he could not afford
to give up his paper until he had found a
purchaser, and the vacant pulpit would
suon be filled by some n else. In this
case, too, Horace would lose his great
chance of settling In life; aud Belle and
l could not marry. 1t this momentous
train of events should happen to start at
the wrong end all would be woe for us.
II 1t should start at the other end-thst
is our end-all would be Joy.
So far as we could see, there was only
one way of starting 1t properly. Among
the various bents of Horace's mind was
one for mechanics, and he had made an
invention which seemed to possess real
merit. This was a ~''heel-turner, or
machine for turning the heels Of stock.
ings. 1 never understood its mechanism,
not being apt at such things, and all l
know about 1t is that 1t was intended to
ave a great deal of trouble to knitters
who are not proficient in stunning the
heel" Of socks and stockings.
The knitter knit down to the heel,
then ahe put her work into the machine,
set 1t in motion, and when the heel was
turned, took 1t out and went on with her
knitting. II Horace could dispose of
this valuable invention, even at the low
est price at which he would be willing to
sell 1t, he could buy the country newspa-
per; the editor could lend the money to
lid preacher aud let him go south, with
the e~x-editor as his successor; and Hor'
ace being settled, the best of all things
could happen to Belle and myself.
As might well be supposed, Horace,
who was a nervous man, was In q fever of
excitement in regard to this affair. He
now thought of nothing but the sale of
his heel-turner. If he could dispose of
1t, ever for enough to make the first cash
payment demanded by the editor, he
could enter into possession, and had no
doubt Of his ability to make the small
periodic payments which would complete
the purchase. If he could not sell his
invention nothing could be done. Bor-
rowing was out of the question even If he
could have found anyone who would lend
him the money, for Horace was not g
borrowing man.
l was almost as much excited as
Horace, for / considered the case more
important to me than to him. If In any
way l could have raised the money l
| rrn,,1l naAlnro Lo,Aol n ,ox,o, - L,r
the hee%l-turner, ever If l should do
nothing with it but stow 1t way in q cor
ner. 1t would have been cheap at any
price. But, although the income from
my practice was sufficient for my ordi.
nary needs, it would be utterly impossi-
BILE to raise a sum large enough to buy
the right to the heel-turner, and to set
in motion that machinery which should
turn the heel, so to speak, of my exist
ence.
Horace had made every effort possible
to find a purchaser, and we all began to
be In despait. l was very much de-.
pressed, for if this affair should fall
through Horace would be more unset
tied than ever, and Belle might make up
her mind to cling to him through life, as
many a girl gives up true love and q
happy home to twine herself in dutiful
spirals about some unfortunate relative
whose Jagged trunk and branches seem
to need the protection of her sheltering
leaves. With my feelings very plainly
indicated on my countenance, l was
walking down the main street OF the
village when in front of the large
house belonging to our lawyer, 1 saw
John Broadly. John was a poor man,
and a very Industrious one, who was
held In high repute by everybody in the
place. This good fellow had had his
troubles, but we all hoped they were
uoon coming to an end. He was at pres
emit toiling day after day and week after
week In the grounds of the lawyer, earn
estly engaged in working out a divorces"
that is to cay, he was digging and plant.
ing and doing anything else that might
be required, until he had In this way
paid the costs of a legal separation from
his wife When l first came to the vii.
lage l found Mrs. Broadly a very pecu.
liar invalid with a complication of dis.
easeg, which not only taxed my abilities
but reused my ambition. For nearly
two years / attended her daily, and
sometimes nightly, and supplied, besides,
a good deal of costly medicine, and al,
though Door, John was not able, BY
means of her many other requirements
to pay me a cent. l felt rewarded by my
great success, for | entirely cured Mrs
Broadly, and thereby greatly raised my
reputation In the place. But, alasl il
might have been better for John if hi,
wife had never recovered. When she
got well she made things so hot for hin
and conducted herself generally In such
way that everybody considered John jus
, tilted when he determined to apply for
, divorse. This he had obtained, and nov
he was laboring hard, with spade anc
w~heelbarrow, to pay for it.
well, john" said /, show are 20,
getting on?"
"Pretry well, DOCTOR" answered he
coming down to the front fence, ''in
} couple of weeks more I'll bs done here ant
then I'm square with Mr.. Forbes. II
seems a little queerish that l should frs
pay him for getting rid of my wife, be
fore l pay you for giving her back to m,
out of the very claws of death, for i
looked that way to everybody. But
when you're married and settled, doctor
! and have grounds to be fixed up, and
garden to be made, I'll come and worl
5 for you just as I'm a doin' here. ",
, had hard times, and have lost a good dea
of money by workin' where l was nevel
paid, but unless my legs and arms Civ
out, doctor, I'll sac you don't lose any
I thing by me.
ttI'm afraid I shslI NOT want n oas5o,