The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-08-07

| every cultivated Held was as free from
stones as this same farm was free from
profit FOR the first five years after the
old man died.
"Old Abram Dodge had great faith
IN hard work and his wifcs common
sense. These two things he said had
made his life success; and when one
day, while in the field, he was told that
his wife had died suddenly while about
her usual work, he left the plough
standing where it was, and never went
back to 1t, but in less than year he
was laid ut rest beside his wife, his
| iifcwOrk ended.
"Wcll, Abram left one son, John,
who was the possrSsor of many fine
| fancicS. and IN education considerably
| better than that possessed by any other
young man in the neighborhood, and
| TO this son he left thc.f farm and abou.
ten thousand dollars I'm cash Besides
| these, the old man left the son a good
| example, but John Dodge WAS so
| pleased with the farm and tho cash
| that he forgot all about this last men
| toned bcQuest.
| John believed in display. and began
| TO show II. He tore down the old barn
and built two lurDer ones. ana spent
nearly two thousand dollars in modcru-
| iGing the house.
"Ihc farm had always been known
| as the Dodge Place but this liGn't
sound quite fancy enough to suit
Johns ideas 50 he gave it the name of
Twin Farm, on account of the new
| barns being alike and the elm trees
! resembling each other. He said pretty
loudly and pretty often that he'd show
the folks around there that there was
money in scientific farming-a :rct
believe In myself, when accompanied
by little common sense.
HE hired n large force OF mon. ana
bought about every kind OF a machine
intended for farm use he could hear OF.
He went in for fancy stock. too-.Spcnt
small fortune for small herd Of cat
tie Of n rcputed famous breed that
never amounted to much except to at
tract quite number Of visitors to look
at them. His horses were all high
priced: three of them he buastad could
trot inside Of two twenty: AMI every
thing else about the place showed the
owners love of making u spread
'John never had much head for fig-
ures, and so when his accounts hegan
to get & little mixed he engaged n
young lady bookkccper from tho city
to take charge of them. She WAS
smart and pretty. and John ;old quite
number, contidcntially. ;ha; if she
proved to be the woman he took hor to
he, she might become mistress of the
farm some time.
WELL things ran along for about five
years, when one fine morning John
Dodge awoke to the fact that his cash
had all been invested in fancy stock
and scientific farming apparatus and
worse still. that his affairs in general
We're hopclessly involved.
There was but one thing lett for
him to do. He knew that by disposing
of the farm he could probably save two
OK three thousand dollars from the
wreck; and his self-conccit. which was
prominent trait in his chara cter.
tpaplqaf lie Ha Gould r. engage IN some bust
ness iE the city. and soon become rich
enough to buy half the town in which
he had been born, and where thus far
he had been failure.
Another thing. also he decided II
do. The young bookkeepcr had proved
to be all he had supposed her t0 be. 4
woman worthy TO be the wife OF even
John Dodge. and he determined 10 IN
Tighten her III regard to this fact. and
ask her to assist and share in his future
brilliant career. He had never spoken
to her upon this subject. but he took 1t
for granted that he would receive
favorable answer, as he coGSiu"rrH
himself Il priZ" of considerable magni-
tudc in the matrimonial market. lie
entered the little office where ;hc pr.
sided, and after his pleasant greeting
had been returned he said:
..Wcll Miss Colburn. I'm thinking
very strongly of selling the farm
Indeed" replied the boookkteper.
Yes he continued. i begin - think
can make more money in the COM
mcrclal world. have made my plans,
and have now come to you To assist me
in carrying them out. Will lou do so?'
~ have always been faithful. !
think. to your interests. and shall con.
tInuc to be- was the bookkccpcr's an
Swer.
Thus cncOura gcl. John Dodge asked
her to be his wife. but the little woman
very coolly told him she was sorry to
| diSappoint him. but that she was al
ready engaged To a young man who
worked upon his farm
AT this Jchn was so taken ahack
| that he sat there. not knowing wha: -
! say. when the little woman rnnrinU"d:
"'You spoke just now of selling tie
| farm: At u rca. .;Onablc price, ! think J