The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-03-24

l
was irritated because he had been
stupidity ignorant of what was going
| on.
The day when commencement on
the contract must be made drew near.
| One morning Mr.. Winslow while per
fecting his plans to make sure Of the
smallest details had all his formula
spread out before him on a table. The
weather ,Jas cold and blustery, and a
fire Of logs blazed on a hearth near
which he had drawn his table for
warmth. Opening the door to leave
the room for moment he met a
brisk current of air. When he return
ed his papers had disappeared from
the table. Terrified, he looked about
for them on the floor. Then in the
fireplace he noticed several bits of half
burned paper. Taking one Of them
out, he found 1t to be a part of his
formula. Everything had been burned.
In one week he must begin work or
forfeit his contract. II it was forfeit
ed he would lose not only the splendid
profit he had expected, but thousands
upon thousands that he had expended
In preparation would be almost a total
loss-a loss that would bankrupt him.
There was but one thing to do-he
must reconstruct his plans. There was
no time to make new ones. The old
ones must be set down from memory.
He was no longer young. Indeed, he
had reached an age where memory Is
grown defective. He hurried mes
sage to the telegraph Office asking for
an extension of time. No reply came
till the next day, when he was wired
that it would be impossible to grant
his application.
When Elsie saw her father come In
at the front door that evening she
thought he was some broken down old
man she had never seen before. TAX
ing him in her arms, she supported
him to the library, where he sank into
a chair, while she knelt beside him
with her arms about his neck. She
knew what had happened to his pa
pers and inferred that his application
for an extension had been refused.
Father" she said, "Ive something
to tell you. Listen. l wrote Ned Ken
nedy of this misfortune. This after
noon | received reply. which said:
"T can reconstruct the formula"
1t seemed to Elsie that an electric
shock had been infused into her IA
theirs frame. With bound he sprang
from his chair.
"Can hep he exclaimed.
There was no room for wounded
pride, no words of regret at being
obliged to humble himself by asking
favor of the man he had discharged
from his service.
"Where is he? Can you get him
nowY
Elsie sprang away to telephone, In
a few minutes was In communication
with her lover, and in twenty minutes
more he was with them.
elsie says began her father.
81 knoW it." interrupted Elsie, rub
bing her hands gleefully.
81 have a good deal of the work
did" said Kennedy, ''in my room,
where I worked nights, odds and ends
Of figuring. These will assist my men,
ory, and | am sure | can recall the
whole formula"
Mr.. Winslow stood looking at the
young man in a dazed way for few
moments, then caught him In his
arms and hugged him.
you can. You can! / knew you
can! That memory of yours! It's Won
derful! When can va begin"
"I'll go to my room and begin at
once"
mo, no; not there. Bring any f1gur-
ing you may have here. Stay right
here till the work Is finished"
Ned was followed to the door by
Elsie, where several minutes were lost
in a cllnging embrace, prolonged in
the knowledge that from that time
forward they had the upper hand.
Then the lover ran all the way to his
room, snatched up roll of papers he
had collected with this very purpose
in view and ran all the way back. He
found Elsie and her father about to sit
down to dinner and joined them. Mr..
WinSlow was absorbed in the matter
cept to interrupt Ned and Elsie occa
siOnally, who kept up constant CAB
bic, the old man asking If Ned thought
he could supply this detail and that
detail, and Ned always assured him
that he could, though with regard to
some Of them he was not altogether
certain.
After dinner Ned was given a desk
in the library, with plenty Of station
ary. Mr.. Winston insisted on helping
him, but Ned declared that he could
get on better alone So at 8 O'Clock
Elsie insisted on her father going to
bed to recupGatc from the strain he
had been under and carried him off
upstairs. AS soon as she had tucked
him in bed she went down to her
lover
There are youthful idiosyncrasies,
one Of which was Illustrated by the
young couple One would suppose
that they would both appreciate the
necessity OF Ned at once getting at a
work Of such vital importance to all
concerned What did they do? Sat
In the same chair in each others arms
till . o'clock in the morning. And
what did they say? Let those who
have spent hours under the same cir
cumstanccS tcll-if they can remem-
her. At . a. m Elsie went to bed, and
Ned worked till breakfast was an
nounced
Nevertheless within two or three
days the formula was reconstructed.
| Ned married EIyie and is now at the
! head Of the Wrslrw comnqnv.