Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-07-16

A Yankee Trap.
[Originai. l

ways been English country gentlemen and landed proprietors. therefore when he got involved in a lawsuit with his next door neighbor and lost pretty much everything he had he gathered up the fragments and came to America with view to continuing the family traditional life. He was impractical and visionary, fancying that in this land of large production he would make a fortune and go back to Eng land to live under his beloved British flag. He had daughter, Hilma, twen- ty years old, whom he wished to re main single unti! this happy return. when he hoped his altered fortunes might enable him to marry her to younger son of some nobleman.
 But Hilma Bowman fell in loye 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 sit. uation he would have forbidden Mark the house. AS it was, he took quite a <fancy to the young man and made him welcome whenever he came to bis farm, and when Mark came it was os- tensibly to call on the old man, mak- ing it appear that the other members of the family were secondary consid- eration Bowman was very fond of games, and Mark was the only person living near by that he could get to play 8 with him. Chess and checkers were his favorites, and. since in Mark ho found q worthy opponent, he NsS a! 2 ways ready for q game with him. # Now, whatever be the strong points Aof the British people, they can never ,scope with their American cousins in shrewdncss. Bowman was as stolit. Fas a stone meeting house; Evans was . Yankee with all that name expresses JBowman would fight for an opinion till every support had been knocked from under it, then fight on with just as much obstnacy as if it had not been disproved. One day Evans told the old man that he was thinking of Telling his fam. It was a splendid piece of property. and BoWman Would have been ieii@Eted 10 get it if he could have r ed tie money to buy it. Nevertheless he asked Mark what Mould be his price for it. Mark re- piled that he had not made up his mind to sell it, but if he could get 425, 1000 for it he might let it go. Since this was nearly $25.00O more money than Bowman had the conversation swas dropped.
 { Soon after this Mark took the man Whose son-in-law he wished to be over Ills farm, showing him the land, the gGEellngs, the barns, tho stock, the lrming tools, everything. They were < 4N in prime condition, and Bowman's 3GApidty was excited. It troubled him Rt he had no money with which to RI " such fine property. and he con bsed this to it's owner Mark told a "a that he would sell the property ia 1Ol olc-IlUll Ol W ihil uc NOultl Stl! ss fo any one else But as the half was
 more to be raised than the whole 5s2g did not help matters.
 lne day when the two were playing B2 (ckers Mark said:
 S&6S Dlr. Bowman, I've made up my hd to go west and shall sell my h. Now. since you want it l wish
 to have it. Make me an offer" couldn't raise $500" said the old hey finished tue game Mark beat because his opponent was think of the coveted property. Then leaned bae!l in his chair and said: |ll tell you what I'll do, Mr EoN | With you-mind, with you. not ! any one else. I'll sell you my | on these terms Let me see Tho IS loo acres. l will sell it to you
 everything on it on the following
 s: For the first ten acres you are
 iy me at the rate of 1 cent an acre,
 eecohd ten acres at the rate of :,
 an acre, the third ten acres at thr~
 oi cents, the fourth cents, and
 ls proportion to the end But ! Fell all or nonc''
 rc was covctOuSness in the old
 eye, He looked for some reason Mark wished to sell so cheap
 nc had been over the property
 ao found everything in good con lie ran up the amount in his
 'iii he had reached the eighth lot
 acres, which he found to cost
 P12S0.
 you going to give me the farm:"
 ked.
 . propose to sell it to you" man went on figuring.
 ont leave the offer open." said
 ", salu Bowman. ceaSing to fig
 iu' taking ten dollar bill from
 oAe'' he gave it to Mark to bind
 a'saln Mark without wasting
 ne called for pen and paper and out bin of sale on the terms eu' It was executed. and Bow
 ave sigh of relief He had