Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-08-26
Lost for Love

After incredible years of failure |
and nights of agony, had |
stumbled upon the secret of balancing 1
khese levers; my MINDLESS motor-clock |
woul3 dck on forever. At first was !
crazy wanted 20 rush out and call |
Rhe world to see; then came the crush |
ang recollection that 1t had yet to be
placed on the market. A step on the |
stairs, too, reminded me that owed |
nearly 6 80 to Lamont, the young
Frenchman IN the room over mine.
Lamont-no one in the house seemed
10 understand him; even Meta her
self had whispered to me once that she
shivered at the look in his eyes at times.
And yet he had interested himself so
an my scheme, and those small loans
OF his had really kept me from starva-
ton. Yes; he was going past-some-
thing made me open my door.
'"Shl Herel" whispered. There it
stands. Lamont. hope shall be able
to pay you all back with"
"Eh? Nevers" Afterward 1t came
back to me that he whitened curiously
as he walked across and bent incredu-
lousy over it. Jealous3-or was It too
much for him to grasp that L might
soon be rich and talked about9 When
he turned, It was with an expression
that took away half my thrill. You're
quite certain?" he asked. ''What are
you going to do?"
.'Do2" I was still holding out my
hand "Take out provisional rights at
once-to-morrow Certain? / gave it
ten days, and then, If it failed me
again. meant to grind 1t to powder.
no one has touched it for 12-you hear
r It nowi"
.sAnd what else are you going to do2"
he persisted, staring past.
why, marry Netta-if she'll have
mel" The whisper was out before
knew it.
."Ah, 1 thought it," he Emiled-yet
he looked i'll. 'T thought as much.
But you'll make sure; your motor-clock
IS not in the shops yet; you-I mean,
there are accounts to be settled before
you could even think ot-of that.
Wel,"-he was at the door now
YOU'RE to be admired-is that the
word? Were you should say not
a syllable to anyone yet. You never
know; suppose your model was to dis
appear"
"Nonaensel" I gasped, a little coldly.
EFT could profit nobody unless they had
my table of calculations as well. This
double spring you see"
But he had gone. Kneeling,beside my
precious model. 1 had forgotten the
queer incident in moment. The IN
broken swing of that pendulum was
like new life to dying man-Heaven
alone knew what Wild dreams I had
been rearing up in those past three
years. To go foreverl Why, everyone
knew that the great Prof. SabraschlSy
after a lifetime spent in graphing with
the theory, had finally committed sui
eide in despair; and here Why,
had not whispered yet of my success
TO Meta. She, unlike the rest, haC
never seemed to think me mad
~ouldn't her tired brown eyes shine
when she realized that my persisten'
experiments had really reached grea-
finality! just to Netta-I must; n,
need for diIfidence now. Nine o'clocl
soon she would be carrying mp suppe
for those whom she and her fathe
boarded. Those eternal stairsl Poo
Netta-it had often made Jumps in m,
throat. Very soon now, was think
ing, as listened at the door, 1 woul,
take her away from the hard life.
What was that? Her fathers dee
voice-and then something queerly Xix
a sob. Scarcely knowing why, tiT
toed down, holding my breath. Thei
parlor door was aJar-partly an invalid
Baldwin himself, knew, spent most c
bis time lolling by the fire there with
cigar-and just then Meta came on
She had hand to her forehead, an
looked dazed.
Metal" called, involuntarily. Sh
started, waved me back, and passed o.
But Baldwin had heard.
THAT you, Mr.. Marcel? Quite
stranger! Come in, dol Well, and no
goes the great scheme2 Still elusive
Poohl Give it and yourself rest"
! heEtated. Generally his intensel
practical nature and good-humore
sneers kept me at distance, but N
head was in a whirl that night, and
seemed TO recolIect for the first tin
that he was really Netta's father.
go mp there" ! said, sand you WI
find my scheme an assured fact. N
I'm not mad. In three months fro
now, Mr. Baldwin. you may be able
PuICAd6C OuC OA 1AdICCA y AuOIOI-CAOth
It win cost you q guinea That's all. !"
Heavensl".h he gasped. His cigar h
dropped-also his jaw. 'How-howev
much would you take for the patent?
''Ten thousand pounds down, and
dorin royalty on every clock sold"
1eaned across, afraid to hesitate no
.fBut mind, this is in strictest con
lAence, because fits very possible aga
that when / leave here may ask y
stg let ne take Netta=as my wi