Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-02-22
8.

1 SeNS ~ viii all Ills cIlcTSlcS. liiefc
were several little improvements he
onght to make about his own premi-
ses ; but what was the object in fitting.
up so much, when it wasn't at all like
iy he should always live there.
The third day brought the lonccd
Tor letter. John placed it in his breast
pocket, and hastened toward home
Ills heart was light, and he almost ram
for part Of the distance. There WAS !,
very large thicket by the road and
INTO this Boyden turned to read the i'm
| portant mlssive. First he pulled ont a
large circular, which he merely CLAN
ced at. His countenance fell a little
as he perceived that it treated of gold
watches, but he pulled out the letter
accompanying, and ran over the con-
tents OF that as soon as he could deci-
pher it. 1t was all fattery, stating.
| that from the tenor Of his letter thew
felt sure that he was the very man
they wanted in that section. to intro
duce the new hunting-case gold watcl,
they were importing i'm vast quantities
from Switzerland concluding, that
they would do anything to favor him,
ana hoped to receive an order from
him for at least one case, which he
could hardly fail to sell in any town in
in single day.
John glanced over the circular to
flnd what was meant by case. and
what they cost. He read" Put nm
III cases of six each, and sent by Ex-
press, prepaid, to any part OF the
country, on receipt of price-$l5O. 90
per case Every watch will sell for
from S75 to $l00,-oftcn for more than
that ~ >
Here was blow for the Young
mans hopes. notwithstanding the
immense profits, it would require con-
siderable of capital on which to com
mence. He read the whole sheet over
carefully, and his heart beat with sat
isiaction as he realized that such a
time piece never had been heard of in
that section. There were certificates
from many eminent men appended,
whom he had never heard Of, to be sure.
but OF what matter was that /? They
had used the watches, and found them
all that human ambition could crave
lie thought over the matter. The par
ties had expressed desire to assist
hlm--perhaps they would deviate-
from their established terms to do so.
| lie wrote to them, representing his
inability to purchase an entire set.
and asking for some arrangement by
which he could commence on q small
capital-adding that he intended To
put the business through" and save
a handsome sum from the large mar
gin for profit. lie did not stop to re-
fleet upon the probabilities of the case.
or to analyze the proposition, as man
less credulous than himself would have
been pretty sure to have done. He
was only allured by the golden pros
poets which gave such unbounded pro-
mise.
In a few days came an answer from
the proprietors. 1t was not their way
OF doing business, they wrote, but as
he seemed about the right kind of an
agent, they would break a package
for his especial benefit, and he could
send for such number as he wished
at the same price per watch as though
he had taken package. His heart
leaped with delight at the generosity.
He conld raise twenty-five, and per-
haps fifty dollars, and then he would
be on the high road to success He
said nothing of his plans, for he was
determined to astonish his friends gen-
orally when he had made the first real
speculation. With the little money he
had saved from his daily toll and
which was needed for more than one
urgent use,-and such amount as he
borrowed, the price Of single watch
was obtained, and forwarded.
True to the appointed day came am
innocent little box through the mail,
to his address. Putting it in his pock-
ct, he started for home. His feet new
er seemed so light before He sprang
along the road with an agility which
surprised all who saw him. Turning
into the thicket, as before, he broke
open the mysterious package. There
it lay-a shining, pretty thing He
took it out carefully, and after admi-
ring the elegance of its general APP
pearance, despite some little flaws in
the finish, he put it back carefully.
He would say nothing to Susan of this,
but would go to an adjoining town,
and sell it for a hundred and
twenty-five if possiblc-e enough to buy
the balance of the set.
The following day he made false
pretence-the first which he had ever
felt it necessary to use with his wife
and set OFT for town. 1t was good
eight miles, bnt he reached it by noon,
and after taking lunch he dropped
into jewellers establishment.
"fll sec what he says about it,"
thought John, land maybe he'll give
me fair price for it. If he does l
think III take it, for what is twenty.
five or thirty dollars to me now?
Sure enough. here was vital qucs-
tion He was addressed by smi-
ling, good naturcd sort Of man, to
whom he gave the watch with a per-
ceptible pride of manner.
About what would you call that
timc-piece worth ?" he asked.
The man glanced it over, and some-
thing Of a smile appeared upon his
features.
"Whcre did you get this ?" he ask
! ed, cycling John curiously. i1
Me? oh, Pm agent for 'em in this
vicinity !" he said, somewhat proudly,
and rather mistaking the feeling
which prompted the question.
"Ah! Indeedi" and the jeweller
regarded him again. :" How doyou sell
/ them ?"
"Wall, hadn't really set price, -
stammered John, to whom trading was
rather new business. only got
this one yesterday. i suppose it's
worth about hundred dollars I"
Is it possibles"
/ "What would you call it worth
see you have some good deal
/ like it here" indicating some in a case