The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-11-15
A MAN IN
A MILLION
By NJ QUAD
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Lit
erary Press.


walls for breath.
When NJ. Slater got the job Of rod
ding building be proceeded to cheat
and lie. He would cheat as to the
amount Of the material used and he
would lie about the protection that
migds be expected. He started in
poor man, and he got rich by lying
and cheating. Never for a moment
did his conscience trouble him. He
gang as he drove his wagon around
the country, and he whistled as he
worked away on the roof of house or
haru
On one OF his happy jaunts around
The country Mr.. Skater discovered a
widow He discovered forty of them,
for that matter, but this was partic-
Mar widow. She wasn't so very old,
but she was so homely as to be star
Ting. He had seen tens of thousands
of women, but never one TO compete
with the Widow Albright. She knew
she was homely, and she owned up to
ii. and that was also something Mr..
Skater had never heard of before.
She had a daughter eight years old,
aud the girl was even homelier than
the mother
How did your husband come to
marry you?" asked the lightning man
In a voice tinctured with sympathy.
HE was n little bit daft from BIRTH"
was the reply.
You have very toy little farm
here"
YES Widowers and old bachelors
come and look the farm ever, but
when they come to see me and Anna
they hurry away"
Mrs. Albright shall take your
case under advisement You are not
to blame for your looks. The homels
people ought to have a fair deal.
shall try TO get you one"
1t was curious that such selfish
man as Mr.. skater should think of the
interests Of any one else, but as he
went his way the matter bothered
him. He kept thinking and thinking
and 1t was two weeks before he came
that way again and said
widow. you have creek on your
farm. II rises from a spring in q
marsh, You know what petroleum is,
of course. Petroleum is going to be
found in the marsh and creek"
"But have never seen any there.
she replied.
10, Y.gvfohn1NcrfrpI
had not arrived, 1t will arrive in three
or four days. Three or four days later
than that men will arriye-various
sorts OF men, Would you care for
riches?"
MOO"
"Just so. You want some one to love
you and call you pet names, Ell? lust
want to stay right here and take COM
fort? A wise decision"
y didn't say | wanted to get mar
ried again." protested the widow.
''No. no. but none Of us can afford
to miss good thing in this world.
Love is greater than riches Mrs. All
bright, you may be offered $1,000 for
this farm, which is worth about 50.
0cO."
"Then III take it"
"Then don't you do anything Of the
Kind There will be an offer Of mar
riage. What you want to do is to ac-
rcpt that You want to be petted.
That girl wants father A husband
and father Is worth more than $4,000.
No sale, remember. A husband or
nothing"
But how IS the petroleum going to
get into the spring. was asked.
Widow. there are many mysterious
things competed with the lightning
rod business. This is one OF them.
The petroleum will appear in good
time So will the men. So shall |.
One day nature sends us a thunder
storm the next day it is hurricane;
the next she causes the earth to quake
md pour out petroleum. 1t is for US
poor mortals to take advantage Of
such things when possible"
The petroleum appeared on the
sreek. 1t was shifted and sighted by
1 traveller where It crossed the high.
Eay. In two days thirty men were
shifting and following the creek TO its
source. They called at the house. All
The widow could say was that the
petroleum lad suddenly appeared
Those thirty men looked at the widow
mi her child and turned away. Then
hoy turned bacl, TO make offers to
ease the farm. to buy 1t outright, to
srill for OIL oRroyalty No enthusiasm
IN the part OF the widow She didn't
.are for money.
The ''find' was announced in the
papers. and The thirty men became
Fifty. There were gusbers gushing
1000 barrels Of oil per day not fifty
s.les away. The widow WIS offered
- high as $4,000 cash for the farm
but sire shook her head Men were
solng and coming when Mr.. Skater
lrove up with one seated beside him
rhey went mp to the spring, heard the
ak and then entered the house. The
nan started back at sight Of the Wild
~. but recovered moment later
An offer Of $4,000 had just been made
or the farm. Mr.. Skater left the
couple alone for an hour Then he
Fas asked to gallop HIS horses for a
preacher. and there were marriage
ceremony and scattering o. disap-
pointed spectators.
No. the petroleum didn't last over