The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-04-28
THE WINNING
OF
By M. DUAL
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.
Jacob Brif was not a boaster in a
general way. There was only n 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 he wanted
to protect himself.
When Nellie Brif was nineteen yearH
old along came a 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, l think So"
Two weeks later the young man APP
preached the father in the usual way
and put the question 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 a trade. What was
wanted vas a 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.
"Is it a testy' asked the wife Of her
husband when the young man had
gone his way.
AYE, Mary. I'm no horse trader, but
I 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 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 be TX
On the horse he had traded for. lis.
look told of exultation. Jacob T f
received the end Of the halter Com
him and began a thorough 10 hover.
At the end Of twenty minutes he said:
"There are wind gals, there are
spavins, there is a quarter crack, the
horse is blind in the left eve, and he,
has a touch of the heaves."
Eyes, but the other had !otts, poll
evil and was going blind i'll both eyes.
He was hip locked to host"
"Who told you SOP
"Why. the fellow I traded with"
"Humph! Sound as a bell. Nj.
Williams, you can't have Nellie"
because I've been cheated in a
horse trader"
"Aye. it was a test. You haven't
got the sharpness to hold your own.
You'll have to 60"
"But, MI. Britt, 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 shalt
have half of what I'm worth to boot.
Well talk no more now. Have one Of
the men take this wreck out and shoot
it. I'm $3.50 out Of pocket"
Mrs. Briff shed tears when she heard
the ultimatum. Miss Nellie was go
ing to, but she didn't. After q talk
with her lover she eve smiled.
Six weeks passed away, and then .
stranger came. He expressed his con
viction that there was q 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 a thousand" What share
would Mr.. Bril- give him for locating
It?
They haggled over this for a whole
day. Then. at the solemn hour Of
midnight. With q OWNING rod to To-
cate the exact spot~the treasure was
e:Aneartked and carried to the barn. It
Esvas9q a box which was old and
fmady% There was $500 in silver half
dollars. and the coins wrapped
In brown paper-$50 In a roll. Il
Jacob Bril- had made a clean 600
In one night. and the stranger was sat
isfed with his end Of the business.
He had Mr.. Brif's 500 fl grsenbacks.
A week passed away, and Jacob
Bril- was arrested for passing cam.
terfeit money. Not q coin Of that
treasure was genuine. And then along
rame Nj. Williams. and In . most TO-
rial way he announced that hs was
Utter . wife and half tho farm.
ibid you do it7'' asked the 1arnsor.
"a did. borrowed the counteFfeits
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