The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-07-11
A Yankee Trap.
Iorlginal.I

NC bVt uNOiNeu IN lawsuit with his
next door neighbor and lost pretty
much everything be had he gathered
mp the fragments and came 10 America
with a view TO continuing the family
traditional life. He was impractical
and visionary. fancying that in this
land Of large production be would
make a fortune and go back TO Eng.
land to live under his beloved British
Tag. He had daughter. Hllma. TWEEN
" years old. whom he wished to re-.
main single until this happy return.
when he hoped his altered fortunes
might enable him 10 marry her to a
younger son OF some nobleman.
But Hllma Bowman fell in love with
young farmer. Mark Evans, who
owned the adjoining property, and her
love was returned. when he proposed
she told him frankly OF her fathers
plans for her. Mark proposed to marry
her despite the old mans opposition
but Hilma was an English girl. and
marriage without her parents consent
was with her entirely out OF the
question.
Had Ezra Bowman known OF the ST
uatlon he would have forbidden Mark
the house. As II was, he took quite q
fancy TO the young man and made him
welcome whenever he came TO his
farm, and when Mark came II was os
tensibly TO call on the old man, max
ing 1t appear that the other members
of the family were secondary consid
Grafton. Bowman was very fond Of
games. and Mark was the only person
living near by that he could get to play
with him. Chess and checkers were
his favorites, and. since In Mark be
found worthy opponent. be was al
ways ready for game with him.
Now. whatever be the strong points
of the british people. they can never
cope with their American cousins In
shrewdness. Bowman was as stolid
as a stone meeting house; Evans was
q Yankee with all that name expresses.
Bowman would fight for an opinion
I'LL every support had been knocked
from under IL. then fight on with just
as much obstinacy as II It had not
been disproved. One day Evans told
the old man that he was thinking Of
selling his farm. 1t was a splendid
piece Of property. and Bowman would
have been delighted TO get it II he
could have raised the money TO buy t.
Nevertheless he asked Mark what
would be his price for It. Mark re-
piled that he had not made up his
mind to sell IT, but II he could get
$4,000 for IL he might let 1t go. Since
this was nearly $4,000 more money
than Bowman had the conversation
was dropped.
Soon after this Mark took the man
whose son-in-law he wished to be over
his farm, showing him the land. the
dwellings, the barns. the stock, the
farming tools, everything. They were
all In prime condition, and Bowman's
cupidity was excited. II troubled him
that he had no money with which to
buy such fine property, and he con-
fessed this to its owner. Mark told
him that he would sell the property to
him for one-half of what he would sell
1t to any one else. But as the half was
no more to be raised than the whole
this did not help matters.
One day when the two were playing
checkers Mark said:
'NIr. Bowman, I've made up my
mind to go west and shall sell my
farm. Now, since you want II / wish
you to have 1t. Make me an offer"
II couldn't raise $780," said the old
man.
They finished the game. Mark beat
ing because his opponent was think
ing OF the coveted property. Then
Mark leaned back In his chair and said:
"I'll tell you what I'll do, Mr.. Bow
man, with you--mind. with you. not
with any one else. I'll sell you my
farm on these terms. Let me see. The
farm Is $50 acres. will sell 1t to you
with everything on it on the following
terms: For the first ten acres you are
to pay me at the rate OF cent an acre.
the second ten acres at the rate Of 2
cents an acre. the third ten acres at the
rate Of A cents, the fourth 8 cents, and
In this proportion to the end. But ]
viii sell all or none
There was covetousness in the old
mans eye. He looked for some reason
why Mark wished to sell so cheap
Surely he had been over the property
and had found everything in good con-
lition. He ran up the amount In his
head till he had reached the eighth LOT
of ten acres, which he found to cost
only $3.50.
"Are you going to give me the farm?"
he asked.
.'No; propose to sell it to you"
Bowman went on figuring.
81 won't leave the offer open," said
Mark.
Done said Bowman, ceasing to fig
ure, and. taking ten dollar bill from
his pocket, he gave it to Mark to bind
the bargain. Mark without wasting
any time called for pen and paperNand
wrote out bill Of sale on the terms
proposed. 1t was executed. and Bow
man gave a sigh of relief. He had
feared there would be slip. Then,
taking a pencil, he figured up how
much he was to pay. When he had fin
ished he turned on the seller with a
howl of rage. He had bought the
property for exactly $2621420.
lit was easy enough for Mark Evans
to catch the pig headed Britisher In a
trap. but to induce him to give his
daughter in lieu of taking the farm
was another matter. Nevertheless