The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-05-13
raising, at the mention of which Tom
pricked up his ears, but prudently kept

raising, at the mention of which Tom
pricked up his ears, but prudently kept
his mouth shut.
Uncle George had all the points about
the business at his tongues end, and
spoke in the most enthusiastic manner
about the freedom and happiness Of the
life, and said:
Although ] hsve enough, and more
than enough, money for my needs, /
cannot consent to live q life Of idleness
And as to my living in this city, 1
always feel as though Ihad a weight on
my chest-I can't get a good big lung
full of air, as can when am out with
the Sheep"
Why not go into the business in this
country, uncle7' said Tom. "There
are plenty of places here where think
man can do fully as well as he could
in Australia. If only had the means,
and knew the husines as well as you do,
| think should-I would embark in it
tomorrow. It'll rather a singular thing
| that you should. be here tonight, and
the subject of sheep raising should
come up, for it is something which /
have been very much interested in for
| the past two weeks, and / will tell you
| how il occurred"
And Tom told Uncle George how near
he had come to selling the ranch in
Texas, and how he and Bessie had al.
ready in imagination drawn largely on
the commission fraud, and all about it.
Uncle George laughed heartily, and
at the same time looked little thought
full. He told them, after visit of few
days, during which time he had a pre-
occupied way, and an air of general un.
| easiness, that business would keep MIN
away from him for a few weeks, but
that he should look upon their house as
his home until he found another, and
went his way, not, however, before tax
ing Bessie aside and saying to her:
Do you know, think it shame in
that Chicago man to fairly cheat Tom
out of his commission in that way, but
you can have the parlor carpet all the
same.Y
And he tucked the neatess crisp little
wad of green paper IN her hand that
had been there for many day. When
he was fairly gone, Bessie took look at
it, and was fairly ast6nished at the
amount.
Tom, in the meantime, had immersed
himself in another grand scheme. Some
of his numerous friends had incorpor.
ated the Cresus & Midas mining com.
pany, and Tom was endeavoring to- sell
some of the stock at bottom prices, y
receiving very large bonus therefore
/ in stock. When Tom believed in any.
thing himself, he had way of making
those he talked to concerning it believe
in it too, and as consequence his sales
of stock were very much larger than he
expected, and the amount of his OWL
certificates was something handsome
The income from. them, however, was
not large, as yet, as the shaft had moi
been sunk deep enough, and the reduc
tion works were not erected.
i About the time that the mill stock
was all sold, and Tom was wondering
where next he should employ his talents
Uncle George, without q word of warn
ing, put in an appearance at the house
and during the course of the first even
ing he said to Tom:
By the way, Tom, did your Chicago
man ever come back and buy tina
ranch3''
1t had been SO long Since Tom hae
thought of the ranch that he had to col
lect his thoughts before he could answer
Not yet."
i "Well,n gaid Uncle George, if tn,
gentleman from Texas is still in town
you can go to him and say that yol
know of a party who is willing to Civ,
him-say half of what your Chicagt
man was to pay, and cash down. I'm
sorry your commission will not be q
large as you had first hoped, but still i
will amount to something.
Tom was in dazed sort of condition
but, all the same, found the Texas gen
tleman, made him the offer, which wa
accepted on the spot, and went hom
that night to report to Uncle George.
Very, good" said Uncle George
"Pll take it myself. The fact of tn
] business is, when | went away from her
\ went down in Texas to look at tn
Brazos River ranch, and a good deal t
/ my surprise found it very nearly as
represented, and it has all the element
of very nice sheep farm about it, an
in the course of year or two we ca
make jolly nice place of it. / say We
you know for I am not going ther
alone; and think, Tom, there is th
making of splendid sheep farmer
you. According to your own story
you have not amounted to much 8
anything else, and you know that "
are all created to fill some special mi
sion, and the only inference to draw
that sheep farming is yours, for 20
have tried about everything else"
Tom was delighted, of course, an
wherever he was, Bessie was satisfied
be. All this was five years ago, and II
day Tom Cornthwait is one of the MOI