The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-12-14

prietors took every precaution against
publicity.
Let it suffice, then, that the hotel is
prominent and a fashionable one, To-
Gated somewhere between the Battery
and the Bronx, and that Hawkins and
sat at a table in the restaurant on
that particular evening and Toasted.
The inventor had called at my office
and dragged me away to dine with him,
rather to my surprise, for believed
him to be somewhere in the south with
his wife
You see, after a certain explosion in
their home, q month or two of recon-
struction had been necessary; and |
opine that Mrs. Hawkins had thought
best to remove her husband while the
repairs were being made. If he had
been there it is dollars to doughnuts
he would have invented a new brick
layer or novel plastering: machine
end wrecked the whole place anew.
1t was in reply to my query as to
his presence in New York that Hawk
ms said:
well, you know, Griggs, it i'm
pressed me as very foolish from the
f1rst-that idea of NY wife's of getting
out OF town while the place was being
REBUILT
She may have had her reasons,
Hawkins suggested.
POSSIBLY, although ,Tail to see what
they were. When a mans own home
&c h,,il 4
on the spot, to see that everything is
done right. Now, how, for instance,
could I, away down in Georgia, know
that those workmen were properly fit
ting up my new workshop"
Workshop" I gasped. Are you
having another one built?'
"Certainly," snapped Hawkins Il
didn't mention it to Mrs. Hawkins, for
she seems foolishly set against my con-
tinuing my scientific labors But I fixed
II on the sly with the architect It's all
finished noW-has been for week and
over-power and everything else"
"Hawkins,' l said, sadly, ARE you
going right CT with your experiment.
ing?"
of course am" replied the inven :
or, rather warmly. cts altogether
beyond your poor little brain, Griggs,
but scientific work is the very breath
of my life! l can't be happy without
it; I'm not going to try. Why, all those
seven weeks down south one idea
simply roarel in my head. l had to
come home and perfect it--and I did.
I've been in New York nearly three
weeks, working on it," concluded
Hawkins, complacently.
And you've managed to perfect an
other accursed-'' began.
Just then I ceased speaking and
watched Hawkins His ears had
pricked up like horses. I, too, lis
tened and heard what seemed to be a
heavy automobile outdoors; at any
rate, it was the characteristic chugg-
chugg- chugg of a touring car, and now
adays a commonplace sound enough.
But it affected Hawkins deeply. An
ecstatic smile overspread his face, and
he drew in his breath with a long,
happy:
"A -a-a- a-a-an!
'Been buying a new auto, Hawk
'ns?" l asked, carelessly.
Auto be hanged!' replied the in
ventor, energetically. DO you mag
Inc that an automobile is making that
noise? I guess not! That's my new
invention, Griggs!!"
What" / cried Here? In this
hotel?"
Fright here in this hotel-right I'M
der our feet" said Hawkins, proud
ly THAT noise comes from the Hawk
ms Gasowashine!"
I think I stared open-mouthed ct
Hawkins for a moment or two: know
that l leaned back and shook with as
violent mirth as might be permitted
in SO solemnly proper a resort.
well, does that impress you as par
ticularly humorous?" demanded Hawk
ms, angrily.
"Hawkins,' l said, why don't you
start in and write nonsense verse?
There's fortune waiting for your?
II must say, Griggs,' rejoined the
inventor, sourly, that you have very
little comprehension of the advertis-
ing value of good name. Who under
the sun would ever remember the
Hawkins Gosolene Washing Machine,'
if they saw it in a magazine? But
THE Gasowashine!'
'4Of course. It's the one perfect con-
trivance for washing and drying dishes;
and let me tell you the basic princi-
pie of that machine breathes genius
if l do say it. Why, Griggs, just think!
You can pile in 300 or 400 dishes,
simply start the motor, and then sit
down while the clean, dry dishes are
piled neatly on the table,
And they're really using it here?" L:
1T works?'' asked, wonderingly.
"Well, they're going to use it," said
Hawkins, rising. Il have consented to
allow them to try my model 1t ar
rived here just before we did,
Hawkins, have we been sitting
right over that thing all this time?"
Don't try to be comic, Griggs," said
Tho inventor hriSk1v ssT'm pOinb.