rs, were unable to lay up any money.

Finally he received a letter from an acquaintance in Northern Michigan,
wanting him to come there and engage in business with him. Stocked with
a valise full of polish, he bade me good-bye and started.

I continued on as usual until one night I stopped with a farmer who had
sold his farm and advertised an auction sale of his live stock and
farming utensils to take place the following day. I was anxious to
remain and hear his auctioneer, (who, he said, was a good one,) and
concluded to do so.

About ten o'clock the next forenoon a large crowd had gathered, and a
few moments later the auctioneer, in company with three other men,
arrived on the scene, all so intoxicated as to be scarcely able to sit
in their wagons.

The farmer was very indignant, and came to me and asked if I had an
idea I could sell off his property. I had spoken of my experience in
that line the night before, and now told him I thought I could do as
well as a drunken man, any how. In answer to his question of salary I
told him I never worked on salary, but sold on commission. He said the
other fellow had agreed to make the sale for ten dollars, and asked what
commission I would want. I told him I had always received from ten to
twenty per cent. on merchandise, but as he had horses and cattle which
would run into money fast, and was going to sell on a year's time, I
would charge him five per cent., to be paid in cash when the sale was
over. He agreed, and I laid off my coat and went to work.

I saw at once from his actions that he was satisfied, and after the sale
had progressed a while he said:

"Young man, you were a God-send to me this day sure," and added: "The
Lord will provide."

"Yes, either that or the devil takes care of his own," I answered.

"How so?"

"Well, while the Lord has taken care of you in furnishing you an
auctioneer, I have been favored considerably myself, for Heaven knows I
needed the job, and, as I feel I am one of the devil's kind, I guess
I'll have to give him the preference."

He said: "We'll decide that matter after the sale."

Every thing went on smoothly, and, as the sale was large it took till
late in the evening before the last article was sold. The next morning
we footed up the sales, and, to the farmer's utter astonishment, it
amounted to over eleven hundred dollars. After reflecting a while he
said:

"Why, hang it all, we figured in the first place that we had about