The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1911-06-01
THE WINNING
OF NELLIE
! By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

men the year round; and he was "a
good: man to work for. His family |
consisted Of, only wife. and. daughter,
the latter being named Nellie: S3E
Jacob Bril-. was not a booster in
general way. There was only one par.
ticular thing he boosted Of. and that
was, that he had never been taken IN
and done for by sharper. He had no
sympathy for ~ man who had. Not
that he was always bound to get the
best Of bargain. but that he wanted
to protect himself =
When Nelsie Bril- was nineteen years
old along came q college chap seeking
employment for the summer. He was
So superior to the average farm hand
that be vas taken into the house Is
lodge. The father! and mother aa@ the
college chap and their. daughter falling
In love and for time had little to say.
The day came, however, when Jacob
said: ,,.ssE ss1ssfS
,.L6ok here, Mary. that young man
is going to ask us for Nellie pretty
soon" -.rea ssszEsiz;s aSs'*.S-A'.'='
Yes, | think so: sEsss:
Tw6 Weeks later the young man ap.
preached the father in the usual way
and put the question in the usual way
and stammered and blushcd in the
usual way, and the answer was:
"Tm not saying yes or no just now.
I'll wait q week."
The next day but one Mr.. Williams
was told to take q certain horse to
town and effect trade. What was
wanted was heavier horse for the
farm work. The animal he took was
perfectly sound in wind and limb,
though nothing was said about that.
He was simply cautioned as to the
weight and strength Of the other.
els it O. test?" asked the wife of her
husband when the young man had
gone his way.
AYE, Mary. I'm no horse trader. but
do contend that the man who gets
the worst in horse trade will get the
worst in everything else. Williams
gets or loses Nellie on this"
"But he has never traded horses be-
fore. and he isn't used to the way that
men lie and deceive"
"But it's his native wit and keen
ness I'm testing. I'm looking for him
to get cheated little, but not too
much"
Five hours later Williams came back
on the horse he had traded for. His
look told Of exultation. Jacob Britt
received the end of the halter from
him and began a thorough lookover.
At the end of twenty minutes he said:
There are wind gals, there are
spavins, there is quarter crack, the
horse is blind in the left eye, and he
has touch of the heaves."
Eyes, but the other had bolts, poll
evil and was going blind in both eyes.
He was hip locked to boot"
"Who told you so?"
"Why. the fellow traded WITH"
"Humph! Sound as a bell. Mr..
Williams. you can't have Nellie"
Because I've been cheated in a
horse trader"
AYE. it was test. You haven't
got the sharpness to hold your own.
You'll have to CO."
"But. Mr.. Briff. you have been cheat
81" was protested.
'TeIl me when"
'Then you will be. No man is so
sharp that he can't be taken in"
"Eh? Eth? Well, you wait till 1t
happens and then come back for Mel
lie, providing she is ready to wait
hundred years. Aye. and you shall
have half Of what I'm worth to boot.
Wen talk no more now. Have one Of
the men take this wreck out and shoot
It. I'm $3.50 out Of pocket"
Mrs. Bril- shed tears when she heard
the ultimatum. Miss Nellie was 60
ing to, but she didn't. After a talk
with her lover she even smiled.
Six weeks passed away, and then q
stranger came. He expressed his con-
viction that there was a box Of silver
buried on the farm.
It was the only thing in the world
that would have excited the farmer.
Treasure-and on his farm! How
much?
"At least $780," replied the stranger
perhaps thousand" What share
would Mr.. Brin give, him for locating
It?
Iney nagGled over this Tor q whole
day. Then, at. the solemn hour Of
midnight with divining rod to 10.
cate the exact spot, the treasure was
unearthed and carried to the barn. It
was in box which was old and
moldy. There was 5000 in silver half
dollars. and the coins were wrapped
in brown paper-$50 in roll.
Jacob Bril- had made q clean 500
in one night, and the stranger was sat
ts6ed with his end Of the business.
He had Mr.. Brid's 600 in ereenbacks.
A week passed away. and Jacob
Brit was arrsstsd Tor passing oo1n.
tsrfsft mone1y Not . coin Sf tlst
treasure waSlgenuins. And then along
came Mr.. Williams, and in . most 10
vial way be announced that hs was
after q wife and half tia 6asw.v g "a
AYHaAe-~.. A. sAinGo ;..SS. - A. - sSr5-sa