The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-06-26
though. .,...
II know what TO do with .
+ bill.s fo s 81 s
il either. But soon's l can
ia load wa must drive mn IN

se, .e's to be a horse auction"
pen. knew what that meant, for his
father knew all about horses, and was
all the while buying and selling them.
So it was not long before the wagon was
empty, and Ben. and his father made
their way to where the horses were to be
sold.
"There's good many Of 'em," Ben.'s
father said, "but the whole lot isn't
worth much, guess there isn't any
thing here want"
Not many people were bidding for the
horses, and they were indeed poor
looking lot; but pretty soon gray
horse was led out that limped badly, and
was as thin as if he had been fed on
wind. One man bid dollar for him,
and another bid two, and there was a
good deal Of fun made about it; but
Ben.'s father had very quietly slipped
down from the wagon, and taken very
careful look at the horse.
For all that, Ben. was a little sur
prised when the auctioneer's hammer
fell, and he shouted:
"Soldl for five dollars, to- What's
your name, misterW
"Ben. Whittlesey."
Ben.'s father said that. But 1t wasn't
his name. His name was Robert.
'Ben.," said his father, when he came
back to the wagon, "hand me that five
dollar bill. IfI can get that horse home,
I'll cure him in fortnight. There's no
great thing the matter with him."
There was trouble enough in making
the poor lame animal limp so many
miles, and they got home after dark; but
that was just as we'll, for nobody saw the
new horse, or had a chance to laugh at
him or his owner.
"It's the pigs horse" said Ben.
Ben.'s father was as good as his word
about curing the lameness, and plenty
of oats and hay, and no work, and good
care, did the rest. The man who sold
the gray for five dollars would not have
known him at the end Of two weeks.
1t was Just two weeks after that that
Ben.'s father drove the pigs horse to
town and back in a buggy, and with a
nice new harness on. He stopped at the
blacksmith's shop on his way home, and
Mr.. Corrigan, the blacksmith, seemed to
take great fancy to the gray.
Gust the nag l want, Mr.. Whittle.
sey; only I've no ready cash to pay fol
him."
IL don't sell on credit, you know
said Mr.. Whittlesey. Anything t
tradew
"Nothing that I knowof. Unless YOU
care to take that vacant lot of mine
next to the tavern. 'Tisn't doing me
any good. Thad to take it for debt
and I've paid taxes on it these tnret
years."
"Will you swap evenT'
eyes, might as WE'LL"
| There was more talk, of course, before
the trade was completed, but it came
out all right in the end. Before the mex
.. day at noon Mr.. Corrigan owned tn,
pigs horse; but the deed of the towr
lot was made out in the name of Ben
Whittlesey, and not Of the pig.
"Father," said Ben. at the tea table
"mayn't | let that pig out into the road
every dayp
"No, Ben; all the pigs in the village
can't root up another cent like that"
"He did it."
| "Well, Ben., he did and he didn't.
| Do you know how 1 got the town lot fol
YOUR
| "Why, yes. Don'tIw
"Not quite. You saw him turn ur
the cent, and knew what to do with it
he didn't" saff
i Eyes, father"
| "And Squire Burchard saw the cent
and knew what to do with it; you
didn't" .....
| eyes, father" .r.
| "And the lady saw your puppy, and
knew what to do with it; you didn't
nor Ieither. And I saw the gray horse
and knew what to do with him; the rest
| didn't"
"But don't know what to do with
the pigs town lot." Mw
! mo, nor Mr.. Corrigan didn't, nor
either; but the man from town that's
just bought the old tavern is going to
build it over new, and wants to buy that
lot to build on, Ben, my boy, there
isn't much in this world that's worth
Having unless somebody comes along
that knows what to do with it."
"Ben. |" suddenly exclaimed his moth.
er, as she looked out of the window
"there's that pig out in the garden"
Jump, Ben" said his father. "If he
gets into your patch Of musk-melons
he'll know exactly what to do with
them"
Before Ben. got the pig out Of the gar
den, the pig learned that Ben. knew ex
actly what to do with big stick