The Fortunes of Oliver Horn [24]
the subject under discussion. "The motor will be ready in a few weeks--as soon as the new batteries are finished. Then, my dear, you won't have to curtail your expenses as you have done." His voice was full of hope now, a smile lighting his face as he thought of all the pleasure and comfort his success would bring her.
"But you said that same thing when you were working on the steam-valve, for which you put that very mortgage on the farm, and now that's all gone and--"
"The failure of the steam-valve, as I have always told you, was due to my own carelessness, Sallie. I should have patented it sooner. They are making enormous sums on it, I hear, and are using my cut- off, and I think dishonestly. But the motor has been protected at every new step that I have taken. My first patent of August 13, 1856, supersedes all others, and cannot be shaken. Now, my dear, don't worry about it--you have never known me to fail, and I won't now. Besides, you forget my successes, Sallie--the turbine water-wheel and the others. It will all come, right."
"It will never come right." She had risen from her seat, and was standing over, him, both hands on his shoulders, her eyes looking down into his, her voice trembling. "Oh, Richard, Richard! Give up this life of dreams you are living, and go back to your law-office. You always succeeded in the law. This new career of yours is ruining us. I can economize, dear, just as I have always done," she added, with another sudden change of tone, bending over him and slipping her hand caressingly into his. "I will do everything to help you. I did not mean to be cross a moment ago. I was worried about Oliver's talk. I have been silent so long--I must speak. Don't be angry, dear, but you must keep the farm. I will go myself and see about the mortgage at the bank--we cannot--we must not; go on this way-- we will have nothing left."
He patted her arm again in his gentle way--not to calm her fears, he knew so well that she was wrong, but to quiet the nerves that he thought unstrung.
"But I need this extra money for some improvements which I--"
"Yes, I know you THINK so, but you don't, Richard, you don't?" For Heaven's sake, throw the motor out into the street, and be done with it. It will ruin us all if things go on as they have done."
The inventor raised his eyes quickly. He had never seen her so disturbed in all their married life. She had never spoken in this way before.
"Don't excite yourself, Sallie," he said, gravely, and with a certain air of authority in his manner. "You'll bring on one of your headaches--it will all come right. Come, my dear, let us go into the house. People are passing, and will wonder."
She followed him back into the drawing-room, his hand still held fast in hers.
"Promise me one thing," she said, stopping at the door and looking up into his eyes, "and I won't say another word. Please do nothing more about the farm unless you let me know. Let me think first how I can help. It will all come out right, as you say, but it will be because we will make it come right, dear." She drew his face down toward her with one hand and kissed him tenderly on his cheek. Then she bade him good-night and resumed her seat by the window, to watch for Oliver's return.
Try as she would, she could not banish her fears. The news of Richard's intention to pay off the loan by selling the farm had sent a shudder through her heart such as she had never before experienced, for that which she had dreaded had come to pass. Loyal as she had always been to her husband, and proud as she was of his genius and accomplishments, and sympathetic as they were in all else that their lives touched upon, her keen, penetrating mind had long since divined the principal fault that lay at the bottom of her husband's genius. She saw that the weak point in his make-up was not his inventive quality, but his inability to realize any practical results from his inventions when perfected. She saw, too, with equal certainty how rapidly their already slender means were being daily depleted in costly
"But you said that same thing when you were working on the steam-valve, for which you put that very mortgage on the farm, and now that's all gone and--"
"The failure of the steam-valve, as I have always told you, was due to my own carelessness, Sallie. I should have patented it sooner. They are making enormous sums on it, I hear, and are using my cut- off, and I think dishonestly. But the motor has been protected at every new step that I have taken. My first patent of August 13, 1856, supersedes all others, and cannot be shaken. Now, my dear, don't worry about it--you have never known me to fail, and I won't now. Besides, you forget my successes, Sallie--the turbine water-wheel and the others. It will all come, right."
"It will never come right." She had risen from her seat, and was standing over, him, both hands on his shoulders, her eyes looking down into his, her voice trembling. "Oh, Richard, Richard! Give up this life of dreams you are living, and go back to your law-office. You always succeeded in the law. This new career of yours is ruining us. I can economize, dear, just as I have always done," she added, with another sudden change of tone, bending over him and slipping her hand caressingly into his. "I will do everything to help you. I did not mean to be cross a moment ago. I was worried about Oliver's talk. I have been silent so long--I must speak. Don't be angry, dear, but you must keep the farm. I will go myself and see about the mortgage at the bank--we cannot--we must not; go on this way-- we will have nothing left."
He patted her arm again in his gentle way--not to calm her fears, he knew so well that she was wrong, but to quiet the nerves that he thought unstrung.
"But I need this extra money for some improvements which I--"
"Yes, I know you THINK so, but you don't, Richard, you don't?" For Heaven's sake, throw the motor out into the street, and be done with it. It will ruin us all if things go on as they have done."
The inventor raised his eyes quickly. He had never seen her so disturbed in all their married life. She had never spoken in this way before.
"Don't excite yourself, Sallie," he said, gravely, and with a certain air of authority in his manner. "You'll bring on one of your headaches--it will all come right. Come, my dear, let us go into the house. People are passing, and will wonder."
She followed him back into the drawing-room, his hand still held fast in hers.
"Promise me one thing," she said, stopping at the door and looking up into his eyes, "and I won't say another word. Please do nothing more about the farm unless you let me know. Let me think first how I can help. It will all come out right, as you say, but it will be because we will make it come right, dear." She drew his face down toward her with one hand and kissed him tenderly on his cheek. Then she bade him good-night and resumed her seat by the window, to watch for Oliver's return.
Try as she would, she could not banish her fears. The news of Richard's intention to pay off the loan by selling the farm had sent a shudder through her heart such as she had never before experienced, for that which she had dreaded had come to pass. Loyal as she had always been to her husband, and proud as she was of his genius and accomplishments, and sympathetic as they were in all else that their lives touched upon, her keen, penetrating mind had long since divined the principal fault that lay at the bottom of her husband's genius. She saw that the weak point in his make-up was not his inventive quality, but his inability to realize any practical results from his inventions when perfected. She saw, too, with equal certainty how rapidly their already slender means were being daily depleted in costly