A Young Inventor's Pluck; or, The Mystery of the Willington Legacy

how blue

entered the door of his modest home and gave his s

the matter up at t

works are going

open in affright, for she knew only too well wh

we have quit on the

will the shu

e foreman, you know--and he said he thought

ack, it's an aw

gton's face gr

in idle, even if I could afford to, which

N

ay us for the last

y n

y off every man in full, and that th

t get any mon

l difficulty, and only want to gain time. Mont didn't have a word to say about it

her eyes in a

nt day," she sai

t all the way home. How much have w

And Deb brought forth the

Jack, as he removed his hat and sat down. "M

ll

om that, three dollars and a half won't keep us

trong, industrious and ingenious machinist, of a quiet nature, and at his demise left his wife and two

ut seven years of age and Deb five, and, of course, could

sewing, and also opened a school for little children, an

cate, and grew weaker slowly but surely, until, eight years later, she quietly let slip the garm

world. It was true that there were distant relatives upon their mother's side, but they had al

on the homestead fell due, and as it could not be

ime, and, as a consequence, when all the costs were paid, only one hundred

no place to go. Wh

Deb, and another obtained for Jack

t, Deb sobbed and clung to him, until he declared tha

se. With this amount they rented three rooms for six dollars a month, and De

one another, that, excepting for their recent bereavement, which still hung as

urn of mind, not given overmuch to fun making, and his sister's bright and cheerful way was

nt that did not cost much money, and which gave Deb keen enjoyment. Sometimes, when he got the chance, he would do odd jobs at his bench on the sly, and t

uite a neat sum, but a month of severe illness for Deb had now reduced them to their original capital of one hundred dollars, which was d

y. He took a lively interest in his work, and the doing of jobs

nts in machinery, hoping at some time to invent t

y completed, and this had been considerably praised by Mr.

he bank," observed Jack as the two were eating the neat supper Deb

ed his sister. "But do as you think best. Only, Jack, dear,

fe and fork and was resting his c

ought to be thankful for what we have got, especially

ea, "you are so handy with the tools, why don't yo

ened more than it

've often thought of it. But I hated to

now----"

o tempt another." He gave a sorry l

t along--n

, repair lawn mowers and bicycles, and mend all sorts of things

t to start?" asked Deb

small work. I have most of the tools, and would only need a la

morning, go down to the bank and draw out seventy-five dollars. Th

, bu

p with whatever comes--bad luck as w

"I think I can rent a shop for ten dollars a month, or, maybe, if I pay a little more, I

't have to go so far for dinner, and I coul

matter made the young machinist feel as if perhaps the shut-down was not such a bad thing, af

, Jack had breakfast late. It was soon over, and then

thousand persons--in fact, it was by far the principal factory in the place--and

the owner of the tool works, who presided over both places. He was

noticed a large crowd collect

they want to withdraw some of their sav

om the interior of the bank, and it

d the young machin

ed payment," was

ck, in horror. "Y

the crowd cried out l

up for good! No money for th