Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1889 — THE INVENTOR’S ROMANCE [ARTICLE]

THE INVENTOR’S ROMANCE

My father was the master mechanic In the railroad shop at Summervil.e. Our home was unpretentious, though comfortable. My brothers and I were impressed with the idea that the height of man’s ambition was attained when he became master mechanic Having been graduated from school at 14, I was ambitious to enter the Summerville academy, where the higher branches were taught and young men were prepared for college. I was quite a favorite with the principal of the village school, and he recommended m? to Mr. Kimball, who was the principal of the academy, and who wanted a boy around the place to made himself generally useful, foi which the lad would tret tuition free. I was soon installed as general utility at the academy. Charley Rawson and I formed the primary Katin class, and we quickly became fast friends. While at the academy I had been a welcome ghest at Charley Rawson’s. His uncle ana aunt, with whom he lived,were indulgent, and Jennie and he and I might turn the house upside down for all they cared Constantly tnrown in Jennie’s company, the result was that I fell head over heels in love, and after I had gone to work 1 hung around the place evenings like s specter, in the hope of encountering her. We were good friends and with my first week’s wages I bought her a box of per fumery—three little bottles of different flavors nestling in blue silk lining. Some months atter I had left school Charley informed me that his uncle had decided to send him to Princeton, from which institution, by the way, he wae graduated in time. He then entered the iw office of Pearson & Co., in Philadelphia, became a successful lawyer, got married, and was recently selected county judge at Summerville.

i ue wees ’ouowing unaney s departure .Jennie was bundled off to a young ladies seminary near the Quaker city, to get pol ished in French, music and painting. Be fore her departure we bad a long interview on the river bank, where we had so often romped and played. Jennie prom ised that she would write me a long letter every fortnight. For a whole year she wrote regularly, and as the time rolled by letters seemed to grow in affectionate assurances. At the end of that time Jennie came home to spend vacation. I called on Lor, and was received with the same artless, uunffeeted greeting of a vear before. The aunt became alarmed and conclud*. ed it was about time to step in and prevent a mesalliance. Instead of Jennie the aristocratic old dame received me in the parlor one evening, and in a mild but firm toue intimated that my absence from the llawson mansion in the future would be highly appreciated. I took the hint, but I met Jennie before she returned to school. Between her sobs site told me that both her uncle and aunt had reminded her that she was a young lady now; that she should look among her own circle for young gentleman acquaintances, and, further, that unless she cut off all communication with me they would cut her off with a dollar. As a dutiful ward she hud promised to obey. We exchanged little mementoes at pnrting, and I returned to the lathe. My promotion was rapid and 1 soon perfected a locomotive invention that brought me large financial returns. , ILwirf? made a profitable investment of my suddenly acquired fortune 1 determined to visit Summerville. 1 put up at the best hostelry, which w;:.s not a very pretentious establishment. I called on my old friends at the machine shpp and one of them, who always knew about the movements of everybody in the village, I invited to come to my hotel as I wanted to see liim particularly. After hearing all the gossip about the folks we knew I ventured the.query whether he ever saw Miss Rawson. I was'delighted to hear that she was still unmarried; not surprised that she was the belle of tho town; not very sorry to hear that her uncle and aunt were dead. He assured meialso that Jennie lived in the old mansion, accompanied onlv by a couple of servants, and that she devoted much of her time to caring for the ludf dozen poor families of the place. Of course, all the beaus had consigned her to the shelf among the old maids'. I had determined to see her, and now I should discover whether memory of me had aught to do with her celibacy. I would not buy her love by telling lie* of my good fortune, and if she accepted me it must be as Tom Harrington, the poor mechanic. The next evening found me on the familiar doorstep. A strange servant ushered me into the parlor and took my card to Miss Rawson. I had not long to wait when there swept into the parlor my little Jennie, who, had indeed, developed into a peerless woman. I was embarrassed only for a second, for with both hands held out she greeted me in her old, simple style; “Why, Mr. Harrington, I am delighted to see you.” I could only seize her plump little hands in-mine and kiss them. After some commonplace chat Jennie demurely remarked that she had hardly expected the honor of a visit from me. I could only stammer out in a incoherent sort of way; “Miss Rawson, since the day we parted you have never been absent from my thoughts. But I realize the gulf that separates us, and tried hard to forget. It was no use, the passion grew with years, and the longing to see you so possessed me of late that I could not resist the impulse to ceme to Summerville. Only upon my arrival here (lid I learn that you were your own mistress; that you were still unwedded, and I hoped to learn that your heart was still your own.” “It is not my own, Mr. Harrington. I lost it years ago, and so have refused many tempting offers of marriage. It js locked up in a little box and I have lost the key.” “Perhaps,” I hesitatingly suggested. ‘‘l might be able to open the mysterious box.” “We shall see,” replied Jennie; and leaving the room for a moment she quickly returned with a package, which she carefully unfolded, arid presently revealed the silk-lined perfumery dox that I had so proudly presented to her on the strength of my first week’s earnings. “Jennie, are vou willing to risk the criticism of village gossips and accept your old lover of the machine shop 7” % “I am, Tom, and will gladly share mv wealth with you.” “I have tested you, Jennie, and your heart has the true ring. You have accepted me without a dollar. But I have not been idle all these years. I have a comfortable fortune equal to ytur own to share with you.” BOBGHTTM 866(118 relished Oj XQOSt All domestic animals, but its full value can enly be obtained by grinding or boiltng. The roots of fruit trees are mostly near the surface, and a top dressing ol manure therefore soonest reaches them. A cutting of grape-vine of the previous year’s growth, will readily grow if two or three eyes are on the portion under ground. The fact that dairying is rapidly increasing in the WesWiows that farmers are giving more attention to restoring lost fertility. Keeping cows requires more labor for the same amount of land than growing grain, with improved labor-saving machinery to harvest the latter.