The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-01-21

under the punches of sage and thor
oughwort aud fern that dangled from
the rafters, drying and breathing their
fragrant lives away, and came back
with a blanket from his bed. His
father and mother looked on with Gu
riosity that was quickly changed to
amazement when, spreading the blanket
upon the floor, he opened the canvas
bag and poured out full fifty pounds of
silver half dollars. The old man gasped
and dropped his jaw, and his wife
turned pale and grasped her chair.
" What in the worldl' said he.
81 hope YOU Invent been doing any
thing wrong" said she.
mo, mother" replied Ezra, lifting
a handful of the money and dropping it
through his tigers with musical jingle,
"I'll put it away in the bag, and then
tell you all about it,"
"And I'll be getting the victuals on
the table SOS to get supper out of the
way. Your father has been waiting on
his supper for quite SPELL" said Mrs.
Holly, with flush on her cheek, be-
sides what came from standing over the
hot stove.
Wall, unload" said Mr.. Holly, look
ing toward Ezra, when they were seated
at the round cherry table.
&" 1t was this way" began Ezra. GIVE
been irving for some time to make my
loom work better, and at last | fixed
something TO my mind. That was what
has kept me down to the mill evenings,
because had to make all of my expert
ments after hours. So one day when |
had the coutrivance attached to my
loom and it was going it good, Mr., Lu-
Their came along and stopped to see
what | was doing. What's thal?' said
he in careless way. Then he stopped
as though somebody had twitched a
! string, and he said, What's that? in
quite another tone. Then, after he had
watched it awhile and fingered it some,
he asked whose getting up it was, and
when told him it was something of
nv own contriving, he said, 1T beats
the Dutchl A young fellow like you to
hit upon the very thingl 1t is simple
as A b G, and ! wonder how l missed
| it, when I've lain awake nights and
says he, will you take thousand dol
lars for your invention, cash DOWN.
Yes, sir says | in hurry, for | was
afraid he might change his mind.
Sure?' says he. Yes, SIR says |.
You shall have the money tomorrow.
How'll you have it?' says be. In sill
yer half-dolars,' says |. SO | signed
an agreement on the spot, and to-day
he sent to the Steepleton bank and paid
me over the money. Then he asked
what l was going to do with it, and |
said was going to build house for
my father and mother. Then he said
he would make me present of build
ing-spot up above the academy, over
by the lot where the boys play baseball
if l thought that would suit, and | am
going to see Mr.. Gray about taking the
job of building tomorrow"
When the story was done Mrs. Holly
had an errand to the pantry, and came
back wiping her eyes on her apron.
" Your marin is so satisfied here don't
know IS we could get her away" the
old man was saying with a chuckle.
" But since don't 90 about myself, it
is dissatisfaction living here, it is so
lonesome for me-"
Before the pink and white blossoms
had turned to fruit, smoke curled from
the chimney of the new house, and bet
ter days had dawned for the Holys.
The patent proved of great value,
and in time made Mr.. Luther mil
lionaire; but filial love and duty are
worth million times more than money.
And though great fortune came to Ezra
in after days from other inventions,
there was never one that yielded him
so richly as the one he sold for thou
sand dollars. Frames Lee Pratt, IN
NeW York Observer.