The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-18
Chapter 81
A TANGLED WEB

We heard someone unlock the door
Of the carriage house under US. Like
two criminals We slipped over to the
bands used as hinges made no noise
went out under the hay, and fastened
the door behind us.
Crawling along the dusty passage
way. Violet choked up with the heat
and lack of air and sneezed violently,
She covered her face with her apron,
and looked at me half frightened,
wholly excited, as we emerged, dis
heveled and covered with hayseed,
from our exploration.
How long do you suppose he's had
that" she asked.
] shook my head. I wanted to cry
suddenly. it was all so very pathetic.
James had a natural inclination to-
wards machinery He was never hap
pier than when he had tools in his
hands. | believe he loved to have the
farm machines break down so he could
repair them. To be sure, he occasion
ally experimental trying to improve
them. and sometimes the results were
disastrous.
DO you suppose he knows about it
machinery and things like that ?" the
girl asked "Of course he always
wanted to be an inventor He used to
talk about it lots when we were chill
dren. And do you remember the carts
he made from spools, and the funny
engine that worked when he pulled a
string?"
l nodded James had saved up the
empty spools for months-in fact, for
couple of years. Out of them he
constructed some. sort of thing-for
it had no naRe-with string and rub
Der bands. IT was so arranged that
by pulling out a cord wrapped around
large spool, he could make the whole
combination run-it produced nothing
but motion and useless motion at that,
the spools whiled around and knots
Of string danced in the air, and the
whole thing was very ingenious. James
used to play with it whenever he had
time for it, always with broad grin
of delight over his face as he watched
it's crazy antics.
And Violet and | liked to see it
but Jim growled over the time wasted
making it. and finally Esther picked it
up as trash and threw it in the fire.
Poor James! He had great ambi
tions in those days-and | wondered
how completely this constant suppress
sion was affecting him!
We shook the hay from our hair and
clothes and went back to the house
For weeks afterwards watched James
as closely as | could. One wakeful
night heard. or thought I heard, him
slip out the kitchen door. And one
day Violet came to me and said she
had told James we had discovered his
work room"
I'VE didn't go to Lena's last night
as we said," she told me. 1--WE went
out there and he showed me the things
he was making. He wants a real work
room and a gasoline engine some day
He's going to do all sorts of fine
things. Wouldn't it be wonderful ii
he did become an inventor? You
know. he made a clock and it runs
cut of parts of two old alarm clocks. -
She ratified on enthusiastically.
IF l only could tell Mother or Fa-
ther-if only they would help she
said. Really, James should have gone
to college. It's wicked to send me-
I'll never be anything"
Her eyes grew round and wistful at
cnce. | knew she was thinking of Bud
Bud in the city. in daily contact
with Pete, and doing-she had nc
idea what
Then something happened that took
Cur ideas from Bud and every other
problem. We were doing the bed
rooms one morning, when a perfect
explosion of oaths from the kitchen
made us look at each other white-faced
with fright. Jim's voice came roaring
up to us-Jim was in one of his muir
derOus RACES. James voice came tC
us, too and Esther's in pleading
tones.
IF Esther is being a peace maker
something has happened" said And
both of us ran down the stairs.
Wasting your time on such trash
Jim was saying You - -"
A string of oats followed.
Hush. Jim, the neighbors--"
To with the neighbours" lin
shouted. do you think I can keep
still when ] find my son-who ought
to be of some use-is wasting his
time when he ought to be WORKING
II never took time from my work
| did it"
None Of that" Jim drowned him
cut. Stealine my tOOlS-yOu did steal
,s,n Ss>IunnI