Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-06-02
Al BORN INVENTOR
b HARRY sTILLwELL EDWARDS.
lCobyright. isJ, by The Century company.
All rights reserved
CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER l.
lFanky Gunner replaced her rapidly
coding iron before the Goals in the
grkt fireplace Of her log cabin, took up
a ftesh one, spit upon its smooth sur
facI, and satisfied that the abrupt
"test" that saluted her ear indicated
the right temperature faced her visitor
acibss the ironing board.
mo. don't reck'n rs how it's pos
scrtul thet airy aiiuther sech boy do
livt on the face of the yarth rs our Bill.
Tht parson says ~ how he es er borned
in, n,ientor-whatever thet may BE-, witch
melbe you knows. / don't-an ter let
'ini sperriment all he wants ter. Er
nah named Franklelin, he says,
wouldn't er nev'r diskivered Ermeriky
'celtin thet he war er sperrimenter. an
ef columbus hadn't er sperrimented
folts wouldn't er known 10 this day
whit chain lighmin's made outer Let
I'm sprriment, says he, an let i'm
spetriment. says |, an sperriment he
do.
I've hearn tell rs how Bills power
fullhandy 'bout the house with tools" "
said Cis'ly Toomor Dipping her althca
mob in the tiny tin box of snuff and
restoring it To her mouth. she returned
TN, Ibox to the pocket Of her faded cali
CO gown. that was innocent of hoop.
unJ JerSkirt or hustle, and drooped her
shoulders forward comfortably as she
hf1d her yellow, pinched face. "Sim
sayt ~ how he made or wooden leg fur
Jeokge Loomus mule wat ther railroad
rur hcd over
.tanky Gunner lnghed until her 800
pot hds of avoirtlupois quivered vigor-
ouSly
Fact, Cis'ly. Jedgc war erbout ter
xii! ther critter wen Bill walks up an
lfl his han, 80. 'Ef God he'd er wanted
the mule killed. says he, he'd ef let
thcl train kill il dead. With thet ther
jedke he laughed 'Mebbe yer kin mex
i'm or wooden leg, says e. L kin.
sayl Bill. IN right thar judge lowed
h. hight have thor critter an welcome.
Well. sho 'nough. Bill tended thet mule,
an while he war er-tendin nv i'm he
wal all time inwentin or leg, and bime-
by Le rot thcr critter propped up an
the thingenmajig stropped ON ter i'm.
Well, never seed scch er sight en all
my1born days. Eft had n ben fur sor-
ryit fur ther critter. I'd or busted wide
LnI far
the! critters stump, an or crutch thet
carlht il somcrs under ther shoulder.
an her strops run all over hit. >"
Nanky Gunner, iens' see thet mule
fol ! git back ter Putnum
'lLor' bless We, chile, hits done dcaa
tool long tr talk erbout Nanky set
he1 iron with clang upon its ring and
belim Ia sprinkle another cotton shirt.
"Yl so, Franklelin--thet's wat Bill
calld 'im-Franklelin war used ter
walc ther erik down yonder ter thcrc
parltyer. an once thcr erik riz powerful,
an Eranklelin he tried ter swim across
likl hc used ter TO ther railroad run
ned over I'M. an thet's why he's dead
- !ausc somehow he cpuldn Z Work
the ar peg leg edzactly right, III they
do Iay aS how e rolled over an over tell
biu,eby he war drowned an lef Or lyin
on is back it'll nuthin er showin but
the ar peg leg er pintin mp at ther sky.
Oui Bill war mighty sorrowful, but
e Jlus lowed ef u he'd er shod thet
wo. |dcn foot hit would or BEN difrunt. 2"
Cine of those silences common 10
cou btry conversations followed the de
scribtion Of poor Franklin's death, and
thel Nanky Gunner's thought rose TO
the surface.
wouldn't begin ter name ther
thi,)gs our Bill have invented Ther
var an houc is mighty nigh full nv