The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-06-14
HIS INVENTION.
by r. l.. VINCENT.

People said that Jack Gibson never
would amount TO anything. lie had
been told this very often when boy,
and 90 as he grew older and settled
down In life the same evil prediction
followed him, until he almost came to
believe it himself.
"Always u-tinkerin' around an
never doin' nothin to amount 10 moth
IMP
This was the well-nigh universal
comment on Jack. Perhaps if YOU had
seen him on the streets you would
have echoed it. His bowed Lead, the
quiet, meditativc air with which he
ploddcd Oh, his continual study over
some new scheme which always
seemed to vanish into nothingncss,
were calculated to produce the impress
sion that lie was not u man to do well
in the world.
said Jack settled down in life, and
so he did-settled clear down. He
married loving, submissive woman
who, though sle did all she could to
make him happy, never inspired his
ambition either social or otherwise;
and save for this devoted wife and
the numerous little toddlers who in
due time we,e sent to bless their hum
BILE home and make life more of a
struggle, jack Gibson had no part in
society. by few fellow workmcn
whom hc met at the shop he was
known, and that was about all the ac-
quaintancc he had with the world.
A good deal of the time the shop
was "shut down." aud by far the
greater part of jacks days were spent
in a dingy little building in tho rear
of the house he lived in, diguified by
the name Of his workshop. Here hc
"tinkered around day in and day
out, no ono knowing or caring at
what.
/ shouldn't say emo one." either;
for Jacks wife had way Of finding
out what ho was doing. Every new
project which his brain evolved he
laid before her, with glowing pictures
Of what would como Of il.
"Oh, jack" the little woman would
sigh, al am afraid it'll never amount
70 anything"
"But don't see how it can fail"
he would persist; aud then would fol.
low more minute description of the
wonderful machine, after which Sarah
might give now and then half.
hearted assent to her husbands asser-
tions.
But while Jack went OH "tinkerin" "
slowly but very surely tho household
store was being laid waste, and the
little woman had harder and harder
work to make both ends meet. Her
small stock of supplies disappeared
before the ravages of the hungry boys
and girls, just as such stores have
wasted away many aud many q time
before. The shops had been shut
down for weeks, and there was nc
prospect of their opening very soon.
Times were hard and wages low, &C
that whatever Jack had succeeded il
putting away for rainy day had gone
the way of all poor mems money, and
winter stared them in the face. The
few small jobs which came to jacks
shop did littlo 10 help them stem thu
tide, and his efforts to secure worl
elsewhere seemed fruitlcss.
The anxious wifc knew that Jacl
appreciated the situation. Let hi
faults be what they might, she coult
not accuse him Of neglect. She noticed
~ winter camc nearer and thcir tabl,
became moro and more scantlly sup
piled that Jacks face grew paler ant
the troubled look never left It now
He worked later than ever and dit
moi sleep we'll. Hc looked Upon th
little ones more temderly ~ he saw
Them tucked away IN their humble bod
all unmindful Of tho want that hovere,
ovsr thsm; aud she fsncled that III