Evening journal., 1898-01-22
A GIRLS INVENTION.
Sylvia Did Accidentally What
Others Could Not.
SHE STARTLED AUNT AND UNCLE

ED TO SOLVE A MECHANICAL
PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS LEFT
FOR A LITTLE MAIDEN TO DO IT
FOR THEM.
Sylvia was old enough to know that
she ought to resist the fascination that
was absorbing her best thoughts. She
studied her lessons-all except arithme-
tic which she loved-in a reluctant
sort OF way, and recited with a far-off
look in her eyes. Sometimes that look
came to her when she was talking with
her girl friends; and she would forget
what she had said a moment before.
call people by wrong names, return
wrong answers to questions, and act al
| together so strangely that some observ-
ing girl would break out in a laugh,
/ saying:
Sylvia, believe you are crazy!"
III Sylvia had been boy, her strange
reserve would have been readily un-
derstood by her family, and she would
never have been permitted to remain
/ so long undisturbed in the garret. But
| how could they suspect that a girl
would be afflicted with the family craze
for inventing something? This pas
| sion for studying mechanical devices
had survived through three genera
tions OF Ringgolds, and it had COST
them great deal of money, and much
sorrow and disappointment.
Sylvia knew the family story. Many
time she had heard about Grand
father Ringgold's pulley, which had
never been completed. Then, there was
her Uncle Alexander, spending money,
but gaining nothing; and finally, there
was her Cousin Dick, whom half the
| people in town called Crazy Dick
| Ringgold," because he walked the
streets trying to interest rich men in
| his impracticable patents.
The women of the Ringgold connec-
1 tion, one and all, had horror of pat
ents, because they had suffered so
many privations from the failure and
losses incident to them. No one knew
these things better than Sylvia.
How could she tell her mother, or her
Aunt Hester, or her father, or any one,
that her mind was on fire with the
spirit of invention, and that she was
trying now to solve the mystery of
grandfathers pulley?
But the day of discovery was at
hand. IT was house cleaning time, and
Aunt Hester, while in the garret, came
upon a remarkable mechanical contriv-
ance of springs, and wire, and cords,
and bits of wood, and brass, and STEEL
She did not have to look twice to know
what it meant She gave vent to her
feelings by a little scream of surprise
| and dismay, which brought Mrs Ring
| gold running up from the story below.
| 20, sisteri" cried Aunt Hester, trag-
| ically, pointing to the young girls
/ model. "Lookl Sylvia has the fatal
fever in her blood!-the curse of the
Ringgolds!"
/ After a while Sylvia came in from
school. She knew, in moment. that
something had disturbed the family Sc
renity, and intuitively guessed what il
/ washer model had been found.
The next day she was taken out tc
l the country, to see what a change Oi
l scene would do for her. Uncle Jerold
lived on a small farm that had former
ly been a part of Grandfather Ring
| COLDS estate. Sylvia had never visited
there before, and she found everything
very interesting. Her aunt took her out
for long ramble through the woods
and the two gathered Autumn leaves
and lichens, and bunches of bright RED
berries. In a secluded corner of the
woods Sylvia noticed a tall iron con
struction, which she thought resem-
bled the observatory in the park a.
home, and she asked what it was
"Oh" said Aunt Rebecca, with a lit
] tie sigh, that is your grandfather
| derrick. He had it erected that III
L might experiment with his pulley. Deal
mel If your grandfather had let in
, | venting alone we might all be rich!'
You see Aunt Rebecca knew nothing
! Of the young girls infatuation.
Sylvia tried hard to keep he
| Thoughts off the forbidden subject, bu
this was not easy, with the top o.
grandfather's derrick in full view from
Z | her window.
! 81 must examine it, the girl said Il
r herself one afternoon and she wen
I / out by herself into the woods and look
r ed at the derrick. It was just as he
i, grandfather had left it, years ago
? There was an open box supported b.
= four chains attached TO a lever, whicl
was intended to be lifted by spring
but the lifting had never been accom-
d pIished. because grandfather's pulle.
+ would not work" Sylvia fingered a
the spot. thinking and comparing wha
she saw with what she had read. VIII.
did not the spring work? She went on
4 to look at il the next day, and tn
n next.
e One afternoon Sylvia was engaged a
S her fascinating occupation out in tn
: woods. She had made a clearin
r around the derrick, adjusted the ma
chinery and supplied some pieces tina
were missing. She had stepped int
the liftingIbox, and, happening to pui
- hanging wire cord above her head
- she found herself suddenly hOisted.
- "Oh," she cried; I've found it; Iv
u found it,"
-" Up and up the box went. the oil
rope creaking, and scales of rust fror
the chain falling thick on Sylvia
head She was so happy that she ha
= no thought of fear. Up and up sh
y was carried, till she stepped out of tn
" little car onto the top floor Of the del
rick. And here, up in the air, Sylvi
stood for five or ten glorious minutes
saying to herself: 81 have complete
ne grandfather's invention.
r. faIvoflo,. will lho ,,rottd rf mo nour