Mower County transcript., 1892-05-18

the whole nelghpornooa grearly WIN
their lively coloring. It was as If some
pretty maiden with rosy cheeks and ripper
rosy lips were looking down into that
forlorn retreat and warming every old,
faded soul within every shabby tenement
with bright "reminiscences Of days when.
life was in its perfume and its flower.
Such was the aspect Of Padiham's
abode. His shop lurked in the basement.
It was with much curiosity and inter
est in Padiham that stepped down into
the basement. Padiham was in his shop
at work. No mistaking him. A stunted,
iron gray man, not misshapen, but only
shut together, like one barreled opera
glass.
He took no notice of me and continued
his work.
Iheld my station near the door. did
not wish to spoil his job by the jar of an
interruption. Besides, thought it as
we'll to let him speak first. was pre-
pared for an odd man; he might make
the advances, if he pleased.
Padiham went on fling in grim, in
telligent way. I glanced about the shop.
There We're models all about of ma
chimes, some known, some strange to
me; disconnected portions of inventions
lying side by side, and wanting only
bolt or screw to be organized and ready
to rush at pumping, or lifting, or drag
ging, or busy duty of some useful kind.
There was store, too, of interesting rub
bish-members of futile models that
could not do busy duty of their kind for
some slight error, and worth careful
study as warnings, for failure with me-
chanics is the schoolmaster of success.
Drawings of engines hung all about the
walls. As the guardian genius Of the
spot, there was a portrait of that wise,
benignant face of my friend of this morn
ing, that great engineer who had direct
ed me hither.
Apart in a duszy corner, by the chin.
ney and forge, hung two water color
drawings in neat gilt frames. They were
perhaps little incongruous with the
scenery of the gnome's cavern. I did not,
of course, expect to find here portrait
of truculent bruiser or leering bar
maid. Beery journeymen keep such low
art hanging before them to seduce them
from any ambition to become master
hands and beguile them back of beer.
Padiham would of course need drawings
of models and machines, and enjoy them;
but I did not look for art proper in this
shop. There, however, in the dim back
ground, hung the two cheerful draw
ings, in their neat frames. They re-
newed and repeated the feeling which
the gay roses in the upper windows had
given me. My fancy supplied link
between the drawings and the flowers.
They infused pleasant element of re-
6nement into the workaday atmosphere
of the shop.
One Of these drawings-1 could. just
family distinguish their subject, and
not the snl, greater or less, of their
handlng-was view of an old brick
many gabled manor house on lawn
dotted with stately oaks Its companion
and the light hardly permitted me to
decipher it-seemed to be a group of
people seated on the grass and a horse
bending over them, I glanced at these
objects as my eye made the tour of the
shop, but my head was filed with Shorts
Cutoff and this grim dwarf before me.
Presently Padiham laid down his file
and took up pair of pincers from the
confusion on his bench. He gave a bit
of wire twist, and as he did so looked
at me as he said: ''Now then, young
man, what are you staring at? Do you
want anything with me: Say so, if you
do. If not, don't stand idling here, but
go about your business"
II want you to do job for me-"
Suppose say don't want to do it?'
'*Then I'll try to find better man."
"Umph? whereu you look for him?'
''1n the first shop where there's one
that knows enough to give good words
to stranger"
''Well, say what your job is.''
"You're ready to do it then?''
''pm not ready towaste any more time
in talk"
t'Nor I. want some working models
of new patent Cutoff"
II won't undertake any tomfoolery."
s'f you can make tomfoolery out of
this, you're cleverer man than am"
''That may not be much to say. I've
had SO many shams brought to me in
the way of Cutoffs that I shall not spend
time on yours unless it looks right at
first glance"
t'Youl see with half an eye that this
means something"
''Show me your drawings; that will
settle it,
I produced the working drawings.
Padiham studied them few moments.
I volunteered no explanation.
Presently he looked up, and fixed me
with his square eyebrows, while he ex-
amined me from head to foot again.
''Did you invent this?' said he.
"No."
''Umph! Thought not. Too tall. Who
didY'
"Mr. Short"
"Don't mister the man that thought
out this His whole name want, with
out handles. He don't need them.'
"George Short"
..George- that's my name too. sup
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