"Some folks in a carriage are having an accident right out by our
front-door!"
"What kind of an accident?" inquired Johnny.
"Is it a runaway?" inquired Belle.
"No, it isn't a runaway, for they can't get the wagon to move: at any
rate, I heard a man say the wheel wouldn't turn around."
"Let's go and see," said Alec.
So they all went out at the front-door to see what was the matter.
They found a carryall and a span of horses standing near the sidewalk.
A lady and a little girl were in the carryall. Two gentlemen were
examining one of the wheels, and several boys stood near looking on.
"I don't know what ails it," said one of the men; "but the wheel won't
turn around, that's sure. I think we'll have to go and ask a blacksmith
to come and see to it."
Johnny and Alec went out on the sidewalk, while Belle and Sue stood on
the doorstep.
"I guess it's a hot wheel," said Johnny to Alec.
"What did you say?" asked one of the gentlemen, turning around quickly.
"I said perhaps it is a hot wheel," replied Johnny.
"Oh, no!" said the gentleman, looking rather perplexed: "the wheel is
not hot at all."
"No," said Johnny, "it isn't hot now; but perhaps it has been hot, and
that caused the wheel to get welded to the axle so that it wouldn't
turn; and after it wouldn't turn, there was no friction, and so the
wheel cooled."
"I shouldn't wonder if he is right," said the other gentleman: "that
often happens to car-wheels on a fast train, and we have been driving
pretty fast, you know."
"Well, young man," said the other gentleman, "since you know so much
about wheels, can you tell me why this wheel should act so, while the
others are all right?"
"I presume it wasn't greased so well as the others," replied Johnny.
Just then a man who was passing by stopped to see what was the matter:
he was a mechanic coming home from the rifle-factory, which closed at
five o'clock. He asked a few questions, looked at the wheel, and said,
"Oh! that's a hot wheel: you'll have to prop the carriage up, and pound
it off from the axle. You've been doing a little blacksmithing as you
came along. I presume the wheel and the axle are pretty neatly welded
together, but yet not so much so but that a little artificial
blacksmithing will set it all right again."
Then there was considerable stirring about: the carriage was propped up
under the directions of the mechanic, and, after a good deal of
hammering, the wheel was pronounced all right. Johnny brought out an
oil-can; and, after the wheel was well oiled, the gentleman thanked
everybody around, and offered to pay all who had helped, including
Johnny. But every one refused to take any pay, except two or three boys
who had hindered more than they had helped.
"That was a pretty good illustration of the effect of friction," said
Alec.
"Yes," replied Johnny. "Now let us go in and make the gas."
"I sha'n't be able to stop any longer now, thank you," said Alec, "as my
father told me to be home by half-past five. But I'll get a pipe and
fix it myself, if I can find a piece of the right kind of coal, and that
will save your pipe until another time."
"Sawdust, or almost any thing that will burn well, will answer to fill
it with," said Johnny.
"I am ever so much obliged for your illustrated lecture," said Alec.
"I've learned a good deal, and I wish you would come over to our house
some day before long. I can't perform many experiments yet, but we'll
have a good time somehow. I mean to begin to perform experiments, and
study up about these things. I am two years older than you are, but I
don't know half as much as you do."
"You know ever so much more than I do about history," said Johnny, "and
Dick knows more about carpentry, and Fred about printing."
"And that's the way it is with grown-up folks," said Belle: "one takes
to one thing, and another to another; and so, between them all, the
different kinds of work in the world get done."
"As for me," said Sue, "I like to have a good time most any way."
After their visitors were gone, Johnny went in to ask his mother about
Felix.
"Why, my dear," replied Mrs. Le Bras, "your aunt Mary is in very poor
health, and is going to Europe on a three months' trip with your uncle
Louis. Your uncle thinks she will be much better if she does not have
the care of Felix; and yet she is unwilling to leave him behind, unless
we will let him come here. Of course, we could not refuse; although it
will be a great care for me, and a worry to you; but we are well, and
aunt Mary is ill."
Johnny tried not to cry, but the tears rolled down his cheeks in spite
of all his efforts to restrain them.
"There won't be any peace and quiet and comfort in the house after Felix
comes," he said; "and to stay a whole three months'--But then, if aunt
Mary is sick"--
"Perhaps he has improved since we saw him," replied Mrs. Le Bras: "if
not, your father says he shall be made to mind and behave himself. Since
his father and mother will not be here, he will be obliged to obey your
father and me, and we shall be decided with him."
"When will he come?"
"In about two weeks."
"I shall try to enjoy myself as well as I can before he comes, because I
know it won't be very pleasant after he gets here."
Mrs. Le Bras said nothing, because she was afraid Johnny was about
right. As Johnny went up to the laboratory to put up his pipe and the
other articles, he looked very sober and thoughtful: he was already
planning how he could escape from Felix's racket and nonsense.