The Washington times., 1934-07-21
Like Father-Like Son

HES Just Foolish
you're not a bad man." she
told her husband time and time
again. you're just foolish. You
work hard at your job in the day.
time-and then you spend half
the night puttering around that
gloomy shack in the rear.
what does it get you? Who
ever told you that you were an
inventor? I've known all the
Blanks since I married you, and
about the only thing they're able
to do is to wind watch. Where
you get your notions from is be-
yond me-"
Her husband would always gaze
at her with that same faraway
look. And he would inevitably
offer the same reply.
II work hard through the day,
Emma. Even you admit that. So
what's the harm if do putter
around my workshop at night?
It's my time, isn't it? And if !
love to be in the shack, inventing
things, what's wrong with that?
Trouble with you. Emma, is
that you have no faith in me.
I'm working on something now
that's going to make us all rich.
Just you wait and see. Success is
coming"
Whereupon Emma would en-
ploy the one line she used at least
five times a day.
"Sure," she would sniff. "Suc-
cess is coming. And SOS Christ
mas.
With Edward, things were diff
ferent. From the time he was
able to toddle, his dad had been
his idol. His mother might tell
him his dad was a doddering old
fool, but the kid was certain she
was only fooling. If the neigh
bors laughed about his fathers
inventions, the boy knew they
were merely jealous.
For hours and hours, the boy
would sit in the gloomy workshop,
watching Henry Blank with eager
eyes. Henry would handle his
gadgets very carefully, and looked
for all the world as though he
knew exactly what he was doing.
And then he'd stop suddenly and
wag a finger at his son,
Eddie" he'd say, there's not
many who think I'm worth a
hoot. But you'll be mighty proud
of your pop some day. A great
invention is gonna come out of
this shack. They'll all say I'm a
great man some day."
And the kid would nod.
"That's right, dad. They're all
gonna say it some day-but I
know it now. Go ahead. Don't
waste time talking to me. Keep
working on your invention"
The boy was about fourteen
when his mother died. He didn't
mourn too extensively because
events seemed to balance them
selves. The house was peaceful
and quiet now, and he could spend
all the time he wished in the
workshop with his dad.
Quits His Job
That proved to be a great deal
of time because Henry Blank very
soon took stock of the money he
had-and then quit his daytime
job. He didn't have too much
money, but he was going to take
a long chance and devote all his
time to his new invention. He
was going to succeed now. He
must. Not so much for himself.
but for his son.
For the next few years, father
and boy worked side by side. The
outside world saw little of them,
and the neighbors referred to
them as a queer pair. But they
paid no attention to anything ex-
cept their invention. It was as
though everything else was COM
pletely unimportant.
The big day finally arrived.
The invention was completed.
Henry Bank walked around with
his head in the clouds. He would
revolutionize the world with this
thing and his triumph was at
last at hand.
Then came the people to see
this startling novelty. Hard
headed and practical they took
one look at Henry Blanks inven-
tion and shook their heads very
firmly. They told him point
blank that they could not use his
patent. And then they went
away.
The years had been wasted. -.
The man began to brood. The
faith he had always had in him.
self had been completely shat
Happy Returns; comedy. Saturday:
Jean Arthur in "Most Precious Thing
| j.