Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-07-11
SPRlGGSS INVENTIONS.

"Spriggs is to work now on something
fur weavin' silk, they say" remarked
Jim Bates, as ne cut a fresh quid of to.
bacco. "That's the tenth machine he's
invented that / can think of, to say moth.
IN of the cyclometer and hoss-ralle that
didn't work, an the wagon jack most of
us was fools enough to lend him money
on. l hain't had any faith in inventions
since then, can tell you,n
"Twas that trick of flying up an hit
ting you in the faco as soon as it got out
of order killed that reflected the store
keeper. "iIe'd ought to BEN made to
pay damages fur putting the thiny on
market. An that powder-and-sh rat.
trap that fired off into Charlie Smiths leg
when he forgot it and went into the
but'ry in the dark was Jest as bad. They
can talk about 'Spriggs's inventiveness,
it's my opinion man that'll spend his
time fur twenty years putterin' over
things that never bring him in :; cent
amt any more or less than crank"
"That's so," assented several in the
crowd, recollections of the various times
when they, too, had been victims of
"Spriggss inventiveness, lending en-
phasis to their words. But old, blear-
eyed Jerry Tolles, seated in the farthest
corner of the store, reused up to shake
his head with confidence that all the
defective wagon jacks and rat traps in
the world could not unsettle. He be-
lieved in the inventions. He always had
believed in them since the days when he
was hired man for John Spriggs's father,
and John himself played truant from
school to stay all day in the shop and
study out wonderful contrivances of
wood and wire. He had been hit in the
face with the wagon jack, and cut with
the can-opener, and "kicked" with the
new kind of gun; he had given ten dol
lars for Johns rat-trap, and used the
alarm clock till it burst; but his faith in
their final success never wavered. "The
boy'll mount to somcthin' yit," he NUT
tered, feeling In his pocket for the old
clay pipe. "He'll make his way in the
world"
''If he does twill be Polly that pints it
out for him. grunted Jim Bates.
Polly was John Sprigg's daughter, and,
in the vernacuiar of the village, chad
common sen.e fur her an him BOTH"
Scrogsvillc was proud of Polly. Not
only was she the handsomest girl around,
the smartest and the best cook, but she
was city educated. At least she had
spent six months at the home of her un-
Gle in New York, and that amounted to
the some thing There had been fabulous
stories of Polly's success in society dur.ng
that stay in the metropolis; and though
some of the more skeptical in Scrogsville
affected disbelief en- the subject of her
being introduced to the Mayor and par
ticipa.ing in the Charity ball, it was the
recollection of the season in New York,
even more than her black eyes and stirring
ways, that inspired the neighbors with
pride an admiration.
''If it wasn't for her fathers being
what he is, and every dollar she earns
going to help him along, 1 wouldn't say
a word against Charities taking such a
fancy to her. declared Mrs. Smith that
evening, when her husband recounted
the conversation at the store. s'But
whoever marries her will have to mary
him, too; an, the way things are" and
the good woman ended her sentence with
a sigh, and firmly resolved not to have
Polly stay at her house again, even if she
never had any sewing done. Mrs. Smith
was not the only careful mother who had
deemed it prudent to resort to this ex-
treme measure; and it is highly probably
she would have held to the resolu-
tion had it rot been for the unexpected
arrival, one washing-day afternoon,
few weeks later, of Mrs. Latham and
Mrs. Latham's little girl. Mrs. Latham
was Mrs. Smiths cousin, and lived in the
city. Her husband was foreman in
shop, and Mrs. Smith had planned to have
baked chicken and cream pies, and the
front parlor open every day, when they
came to visit her. No wonder that now,
with both visitors to entertain-Daniel
coming on later train-and cake and
biscuit to be baked for tea, Mrs. Smith
forgot her fear lest "Charlie should make
4 fool of himself" and sent down for
Polly Spriggs. Though 1 don't know
what you'll think of my wanting you to
do housework, she said, anxiously, upon
that young lady's arrival, land if you're
going to take it amiss, just tell me; but
with that child, who's enough to try the
patience of saint, unless she changed
from what she was last time, and her
mother so easy she'd let her burn the
house down without saying u word,
don't see what.I can do
Polly had taken off her hat.
~ had as soon do housework as to
sew," she replied, cheerfully. "And it's
only two o'clock now; plenty of time to
put things in order and have something
baked fol- tea. You stay in the other