St. Landry democrat., 1882-07-01

asleep on his lap, and the mastiff was
just outside the open door, basking in
the sunshine as playful as kitten. The
sun was shining brightly through the
window, and hot fire was burning in
the cook stove.
Mart looked around him for a while,
thinking that it was not such bad
world, after all. and, ascertaining that
the maStitf was chained, he laid Freddie
on the lounge and went out to the barn
yard. With the aid OF Susie he man
aged to get pretty well through by noon,
only forgetting to turn the calves away
from the COWS; but then that was not so
bad, and he cOnsoled himself with the
knowledge that he would have no milk
ing to do that afternoon.
At six o'clock he was very tired, but
had most of the work done, and sat
down to read a few chapters in his
book. He had read but a few lines,
and was becoming more and more dis
gusted with farming, both on paper and
in reality, when there was a sudden
rafting of the mastitf's chain, loud
barking, and then all was quiet. "a 4
'tHow do you eNpectthe dog to capt
ure any horse thieves unless he is un-
tied?' asked Susie.
: VIII you be kind enough to let him
loose, dear?'' said Mart, with some en-
bafrassment He doesn't SEEM to
know me yet" I'm sg H@
Susie started toward the door, and
reached it just ntime t o open it in an
ssWer to knocksfrom the outside. The
party proved tobe thesodest DAVIS boy,
who handal aletterto Mart and bid
ding them good-eyening, withdrew and
disappeared into the darkness.
Mart very deliberately deposited his
Earning Made Easy on the table,
and proceeded to open the envelope,
which was directed to "mr. Martin
hammond, esquir, private.''
Mart read the letter and handed it
over to Susie, who also worried through
its contents, which read as follows:
Mr.. hammond sir my wife is Sick Nv our
trade and wants to bac out we will give you
yore money bac and move yo. bac TO Town if
You will give up everything Will call on you
termorror fur an anSer,
"yoursandsoforth JAMES HENRY DAVIS"
"Well, Susie?' said Mart.
"Well?' said Susie.
"What do YOU think OF the letter?''
"Rather awkward.n answered Susie.
80, don't care for that; the propo-
sition?n
80, that's it?" said Susie. s'Do you
want to sell out?''
Mart was silent moment, and then
said
Suppose we could get, say, five hun
dred dollars for our bargain; what would
you say to that?''
"What would you do with the
money?' inquired Susie.
Turn it all over to you, and let you
buy q suburban residence if you wished
to-
and give up farming?:''
II should say sell, then, even for less
than five hundred, or one hundred,
dollars, rather than stay here
g It's a go, then" said Mart. ''pro-
vided the Oldest Davis boy will take the
mastitf off my hands"
Mr. James Henry Davis called the
next day, and after some sharp dicker-
ing on both sides, it was decided that
the Davises should pay the Hamnonds
two hundred dollars for their bargain,
and that the Davises should move the
latter back to the city free of charge,
and that the Oldest Davis boy was to
take the mastiff and return the watch
and the pocket revolver and the three
dollars. All these agreements were car
ried out to the letter. and Mart and
Susie and Freddie, after having been
farmers for the space of three days and
four hours, found themselves in the
city once more, two hundred dollars
ahead in money, and several hundred
in experience.
Mart made the oldest Davis boy
present Of the larming Made Easy"
and everything was settled in a satislac-
tory manner. Susie selected beautiful
suburban property, which was bought
at a bargain, which made them a nice
little home.
Mart gets excited sometimes, and
commences to tell about the farm he /
used to manage, but always Gains down
when Susie comes into the room, or
Freddie asks any questions about the
big mastitf. /