Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-01-24

Tue plTuS, lnat >cnarmlng garden spot
! and the dainty hostess, fitted aboui
descantfng upon the luscious Is strawber
Eries Of her own raising, and the fresh
crisp vegetables from a little patch all
within her own keeping. Never had
! Verne Purcell spePppt7 so pleasant an
evening. 49, y y,
# led to others quite as enjoyable.
That little garden andit bird denizens
became cherished SPOT to Verne Pur-
cell. Much passed in his mind of
i which his two new friends had no con.
ception. he was fighting battle all
by himself, and unselfshness and sac
rifice won in the strong mental 'strug-
gle. he underwent. Secretly he had
been working on the missing mocha
nism of the inventors machine. He
never spoke of it to Marsh nor to Jam
Ice, for he designed vast surprise for
the former, and as to Janice-he was
In a constant daze Of delight when in
her company.
He found her alone in the garden
one afternoon when he called. There
were traces of tears in her eyes and
she looked sorroWful and anxious.
Deity he drew from Janice that she
was worried about her father.
"He is growing thin and distracted
over his troubles" she finally acknowl-
edged to Verne. HE often rises at
day break and shuts himself into his
workshop and scarcely rests to, eat
until nightfall. Father says, there is
one little piece Of mechanism that will
put the finishing touch to the ma
chine"
"And he cannot find it?'' suggested
Verne.
HE insists he dreams 1t, but then
when he works he cannot reproduce It.
He keeps the blueprint on the work.
shop table all the time, hoping the:
missing link will come. to his mind. Oh.
! hope he viii not fail to. complete the
machine 's-.
"He shall complete st.- alrdentiy,
breathedsNerne to himself. aud thss was
SO attentive and sympathetic alf that
evening that when he left and Janice
returned to- her room, she rat ut its
open window In the dark, fhtnkint. Of
him: aud: fellsinto slumbe Si6iina ava !.
= Janice .eWoke with astaftsas abe no
ticed light In the workshpn Strain
'ing her gaze, she recoSniS4d someone.
bending over the work table where the
'blusprtnt lay.a She gave 4. great gasp.
Y was Verne Purcell: IS:
The light vas sxtinSqishs4 and
Verne stole across the epFden ansd dis
appeared. The heart 81 janics Yank.
Why this ciandoshne and mysterious
visits Was Verne P1fcc4lf not Whit shs
seemedt Was esbent on stealing her
fsther's inSenttoni The Arsts impulse
Of Janices'was to arousesshf father
and: tell him OF the inetdenti. Then her,
faith In Verne overcame her suspicious.
She was preparing breakfast the
next morning when her father came
rushing Into the room a, 4 frantic
sstAte 5ol excitement ~ y rs. fs;
snufek1iss he shouted, aoh. J6ni1e.
my child lahave sntc hava
been half mad with despair and dis
couragement. Now I am lifted to the.
very heights. have found the con-
meeting link-think Of ton the blue
print! \ must have drawn 1t when
half dazed. the echo Of my dreamv"
He and his model lett the house IAN
hour latsr. j. ,Janice visited the work
shop. A deep sthoughtfulness settled
down over her an she ex9minef the
DluepFiat and picked: uDse pencil from
She Received brief note i hon ,,,' yssn.
thatssfternoon. please tell, Mr., Marsh
that / am called AWAY from the city
for day or two," 1t ran, and the day
following, there came a telegram to
Janice from her father: sModel ac-
cepted. Money paid and royalties dur
Ing life Of patent"
The heart Of Janice futtered strange
'ly as Verne Purcell put In an appear
ance two evenings later. She handed
him the telegram she had received
from her father.
'Grand! Glorious!' exuberated
Verne, and Slightly started. 'sWhat is
this?" he inquired.
"The pencil you dropped in my TO
theirs workshop the night you placed
on the blueprint the connecting sug-
gestion of the machine. Why this
great sacrifice?'
''You ask!" said Verne, with emo
ton, "when 1t means the lifelong hap
piness Of your dear father Miss
Marsh-Janice, you share my SECRET
he must never know : It.weuld crush
his pride, his ambition. His was the
Invention nrst. II is.Just that I|shbuid
step aside" ~ ~ no,s
*t A. .poble| cried janice, lsvith.,
shining eyes, "0h. my friend r." so.,.
She placed her trembling hands With.
in his own, and Verne Purcell knew
.thsts there W4S a'iiss,s,&sGrd.f ia store fof
him, her undying love, for the asking
14fkeueg4 :S.alsss&anapf..F lsax.3las61.,.: !.