Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-05-10
THE WINNING
OF NELLIE
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.


the latter being named Nellie
Jacob Briff was not a boaster in a
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 a sharper He had no
sympathy for a man who had. Not
that he was always bound to get the
best of a bargain. but that be wanted
to protect himself
When Nellie Briff was nineteen years
old along came college chap seeking
employment for the summer. He was
so superior to the average farm hand
that he was taken into the house to
lodge. The father and mother saw the
college chap and their daughter falling
in love and for a time had little to say.
The day came, however. when Jacob
said:
Look here, Mary, that young man
is going to ask US for Nellie pretty
soon"
Yes, | think So
Two weeks later the young man ap-
preached the father in the usual way
and stammered and blushed in the
usual way. and the answer was:
I'm not saying yes or no just now.
! I'll wait a week"
The next day but one Mr.. Williams
was told to take a certain horse to
| town and effect trade. What was
! wanted was a heavier horse for the
20,
| 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
rs it a test!" asked the wife of her
husband when the young man had
gone his way.
Aye, Mary. I'm no horse trader. but
l do contend that the man who gets
the worst in a 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 a little, but not too
much"
Five hours later Williams came back
on the horse he had traded for. His
look told of eXultation. Jacob Briff
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 a quarter crack. 4e
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 SOP"
"Why. the fellow traded WITH
'Humph! Sound as a bell. Mr..
Williams. you can't have Nellie
Because I've been cheated in
horse trader"
AYE. it was a test. You haven't
got the sharpness to hold your own.
You'll have to go"
But, Mr.. Briff. you have been cheat
ed!' was protested.
Tell me when.''
''Then you will be. No man is so
sharp that he can't be taken in"
"Eh? Eth? Well. you wait till it
happens and then come back for Mel
lie, providing she is ready to wait a
/ 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
%
Mrs. Briff 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 a
stranger came. He expressed his con"
viction that there was a box Of silver
buried on the farm
Il 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 a thousand" What share
would Mr.. Briff give him for locating
it?
They haggled over this for a whole
day. Then, at the solemn hour of
midnight, with a divining rod to To-
cate the exact spot. the treasure was
unearthed and carried to the barn. 1t
] was in a box which was old and
: moldy. There was 5000 in silver half
: dollars. and the coins were wrapped
In brown paper-$5O in a roll.
Jacob Briff had made clean S4OC
in one night. and the stranger was sat,
isfed with his end of the business
r He had Mr.. Briff's 5000 in greenbacks
> week passed away. and Jacob
Briff was arrested for passing coun
terfeit money. Not coin of thai
r treasure was genuine And then along
i came Mr.. Williams. and in a most jo
vial way he announced that he was
s after a wife and half the farm.
: Did you do it?' asked the farmer.
! 81 did. | borrowed the counterfeit:
o from the officers who had seized then
;. and then hired the stranger to play hi: