THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 341 



" That's true," said Farmer Green. 



" You ought to have a reaper to cut it with," said 

 the stranger. 



"Can't afford it; haven't got the money to spare," 

 said the farmer. 



" See here, now," said the stranger, in a more confi- 

 dential tone. "I'm selling a patent reaper a first- 

 class machine, and dirt-cheap at the money asked for it. 

 You'd better let me sell you one." 



" It's no use to talk about it, my friend. I haven't 

 the money to spare." 



" I don't want your money now," said the man, 

 temptingly. " I'll sell you one at a bargain, and wait 

 till it has paid for itself." 



And with that the agent produced pencil and paper, 

 and went into a calculation, showing the farmer how 

 much it would cost him to cut his crop that" year, and 

 how much the reaper would save him, as well as a cal- 

 culation of the amount of grain he could cut for other 

 farmers in the vicinity. 



" So you see," added the agent, persuasively, " before 

 the time of payment comes around you will have saved 

 and earned enough to pay for the reaper, and will still 

 have a fine machine capable of doing more work, 

 equally profitable, next season." 



Farmer Green's better judgment bade him refuse the 

 terms thus offered, liberal as they seemed. He knew 

 the evil consequences of running into debt, and his con- 

 science bade him put the temptation behind him. He 

 wanted a reaper, however; he had always wanted one; 

 and here was an opportunity of purchasing one upon 

 terms which would enable him to pay for it out of its 

 actual earnings. There was not a reaper in the county, 



