Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-13

| stones as this same farm was free from
profit for the first Eve years after the
old man died.
"Old Abram Dodge had great faith
In hard work and his wife's common.
sense. These two things he said had
made his life Il 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 it, but in less than year he
was laid at rest beside his wife, his
| lifework ended.
| well, Abram left one son, John,
who was the possessor of many fine
fancies, and an education considerably
better than that possessed by any other
young man in the neighborhood, and
to this son he left the farm and about
ten thousand dollars in cash. Besides
these, the old man left the son good
example, but John Dodge was so
pleased with the farm and the cash
that he forgot all about this last men
toned bequest
John believed in display, and began
| to show it, He tore down the old barn
and built two larger ones, and spent
nearly two thousand dollars in modern
izing the house.
''The farm had always been known
as the Dodge Place. but this didn't
sound quite fancy enough to suit
Johns ideas, so 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 fact
believe in myself, when accompanied
by little common sense.
'He hired large force Of men, and
bought about every kind of a machine
intended for farm use he could hear Of
He went in for fancy stock, too spent
a small fortune for small herd Of cat
tie of a reputed famous breed that
never amounted to much except to at
tract quite number of visitors to look
at them. His horses We're all high
priced; three of them he boasted could
trot inside of two twenty; AMI every
thing else about the place showed the
owners love of making a spread
John never had much head for fig
ures, and so when his accounts began
to get little mixed he engaged a
young lady bookkeeper from the city
to take charge OF them. She was
smart and pretty, and John told quite
a number, confidentially, tha5 if she
proved to be the woman he took her to
be, 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 hopelessly involved.
There was but one thing lett for
him to do. He knew that by disposing
of the farm he could probably save two
or three thousand dollars from the
wreck; and his self-conceit, which was
a prominent trait in his character,
prompted him to think that with this
capital he could engage in some bust
ness in 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 to
do. The young bookkeeper had proved
to be all he had supposed her to be, a
| IN, lf, In -
John Dodge, and he determined to en-
Tighten her in 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 it
for granted that he would receive a
favorable answer, as he considered
himself u prize of considerable magni-
tude in the matrimonial market. He
entered the little office where she pre-.
sided, and after his pleasant greeting
had been returned, he said;
"'Well, Miss Colhurn, I'm thinking
very strongly of selling the farm
Indeed! replied the boookkeeper.
eyes he continued, 4 begin TO think
l can make more money in the COM
| IueTclul NOTlu. L nave lllauh my cl31lS,
and have now come to you to assist me
in carrying them out. Will you do so?"
"I have always been faithful. |
think, to your interests, and shall con
tinue to be- was the bookkeeper's an.
swer.
Thus encouraged 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 young man who
worked upon his farm.
cat this Jt hn was so taken abacli
that he sat there not knowing what ~
say, when the little woman confined:
"'You spoke just now of selling tie
farm; at reasonable price, | think !
can get you customer
My friend paused here, and l quietly
said:
Il think if we're to guess who is nj
present the mistress of Twin Farm,
should say the bookkeeper."
/ "Ripht Won nrn ~ s1 i'll my friend. &C., n =