The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-07-17

was her gratitude, that half an hour
later, when they had exhausted the sub.
jsct OF city life the neighbors and piec.
ing bed-quilts, she surprised her cousin
by waxing eloquent over Polly, Polly's
father and Polly's wrongs. It took near
ly an hour to tell the story, allowing
for the Interruptions occasioned by lit
tie Effie. who was OF an inquiring dis
position; but Mrs. Latham was inter.
ested, and listened delightedly.
"And wouldn't it be a surprise to every
body if her fathers inventions did turn
out to be worth something. after all?'
she exclaimed. Things like that have
happened. read OF man of that kind
getting twenty-five thousand dollars for
a patent once"
'He won't" declared Mrs. Smith,
shortly. 1--WE used to think about it at
first (look out, child, don't drop that
vase); but there's be- more than doz-
en- come to look at his inventions, diff
ferent times, and they all agreed they
want worth the stuff that was put in
them"
Il suppose they ought to know" re-
luctantly admitted Daniels wife.
c'Etfie, dear, don't cut holes in the sofa.
I'm afraid Cousin Ann won't like it.
And Daniel says that there isn't one
| thing out of a thousand like that that
pays. But always think of what might
happen. And you know there is a
chance"
Mrs. Smith tiptoed to the kitchen
door,
"Polly's good girl to work, If moth
ing else," she declared, coming back
we'll pleased with the look of the creamy
custard and nicelybrowned biscuit.
she's as quick as fash of lightning"
Eyes, and so handsome" chirruped
Mrs. Latham. IF she was only as rich
, as some of the girls that"
"Nd-md-ah' it was a wild shrek of
terror and pain. Fife, in her endeavor
to find out where the smoke went, had
stood too close to the open fireplace,
| and her thin muslin apron was in a
blaze.
Help! Save her! Water! Where's
the water? Oh, my baby, my baby!''
shrieked the frantic mother, at that in
slant hardly less insane than the child,
who was running wildly about the
room. Mrs. Smith rushed into the
kitchen, screaming as she went: Fire!
Help! Fire! She's burning to death!'
"Who?" gasped Polly, dropping her
armful of wood with crash. The next
instant, before Mrs. Smith had time to
realize her purpose, she had rushed into
the other room, caught the frantic child,
and wrapped her in her wooden dress
| skirt. 1t was only for one minute. In
the next, Mrs. Smith had deluged them
with water, Polly was ruefully regard
ing her burned hands, and the fire was
out But that minute made the in
ventor's daughter the heroine of Scrogs-
Vile. -.
They talked about it at the store, and
the sewing society, and on their way to
! church. The, weekly paper devoted half
| column to description of the incl
dent, and the H. S. S. Association pre-
sented her with a copy OF Lies Misera-
bles' as testimonial of her valor and
courage. AS for Etfie's father-"I'm not
a rich man. the big, broad -shouldered
, mechanic declared. when his wife, with
! the tears running down her cheeks, told
him the story-"but some way or other
I'll try to make up 70 that girl for what
she's done for us. If there's any thing
in her fathers inventing that any
amount of my work IAN fix into paying
him ordinary day wages for the time he
spent on it, I'll find it. And what s
| more, he won't have to reckon with any
thing but the gross proceeds. The ex-
penses I'll pay out of my own pocket"
And that was how the investigation
commenced. From the first, Serogs-
vile people did not put much faith in it.
1t was a. very thorough one. All John
Spriggs' inventions, brought from gar
ret, store-room and barn, were exam
ined, taken to pieces, studied, put to-
gether again, turned this way and that,
and experimental with in every posi-
BILE combination. But the more Mr..
Latham worked the less hopeful he be-
came. And after week of patient labor
he was forced to agree with the others
who had tried, that ''the inventions
want worth the stuff they were made
Of" He came into the Spriggses' kitch-
en- that day, looking rather crestfallen.
"No; there's nothing in them," he
said, in answer to Polly's inquiring
glance. Nothing that l can find, and
I used to call myself a. good hand at that
sort of thing. 1t can't be helped. But
wish'I hadn't said any thing about it
now"
John Spriggs looked up from his
work with reassuring smile. He had
been the least interested of any one in
the investigation. ''Oh, you needn't
be-" he responded cheerfully. st was
very kind of you, very kind of you; but
it's hardly to be expected you'll find
any thing of consequence in those old
contrivances of mine. Now, this weav-
ing machine when I get the idea
worked out, Mr.. Latham, l wouldf t
take twenty-five thousand dollars for
the patent"
Daniel rubbed his head. II s'p'ose
not, sir. You-you won't mind accept
ing a little money from me, Miss
Polly, for tho time you couldn't work on
account of your hands? But I'm sorry
what are you doing?"
Polly was christening jar of pickles
She turned around. 1T is a cover IA
ther fixed for me because it was such
hard work to unscrew the others. You
press on this spring, you see, and it
slips right off It's ever so much easier
than the old way. Why, what's the
matter?"
She was hardly prepared for the ex-
| element with which Mr.. Latham
sprang to his feet. my land! my
land!" he exclaimed. Here you and
your father have been puttering along
for months, not knowing from one day
to another where the next mead was to
come from, and right here using an in
vention worth whole fortune in itself
Heavens and earth! want there any
body to tell you about it?"
Mr.. Spriggs laid down the wrench he
had been using. ''Do you mean the can
cover?'' he asked, calmly. II did think
of it, but it wouldn't be &cod for any
thing you wanted to keep air tight.
YOU" s.4.' .;-fEt !. /,
"Air tight?" interrupted the me.
|