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 and Hugh, finding himself unembarrassed by the pres- ence of the half-wit, sometimes spent hours trying to explain the workings of some intricate part of the pro- posed machine. Hugh made each part crudely out of great pieces of board and Allie reproduced the part in miniature. Intelligence began to come into the eyes of the man who all his life had whittled meaningless wooden chains, baskets formed out of peach stones, and ships intended to float in bottles. Love and under- standing began a little to do for him what words could not have done. One day when a part Hugh had fash- ioned would not work the half-wit himself made the model of a part that worked perfectly. When Hugh incorporated it in the machine, he was so happy that he could not sit still, and walked up and down cooing with delight. When the model of the machine appeared in the jeweler's window, a fever of excitement took hold of the minds of the people. Every one declared himself either for or against it. Something like a revolution took place. Parties were formed. Men who had no interest in the success of the invention, and in the na- ture of things could not have, were ready to fight any one who dared to doubt its success. Among the farmers who drove into town to see the new wonder were many who said the machine would not, could not, work. " It isn't practical," they said. Going off by themselves and forming groups, they whispered warn- ings. A hundred objections sprang to their lips. " See all the little wheels and cogs the thing has," they said. " You see it won't work. You take now in a field where there are stones and old tree roots, maybe, sticking in the ground. There you'll see. Fools 'll