The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1850-11-04
LIBERTY, EqUA4TTY, PRoaRMssIoNo
TILE BARGAIN.

~ 6i'. svHo uiIOCtiouS W q couple OI pO
ters who had just set something on the paw,
lment in front OF the house.
"Just wait moment and I'll tell vol
Here, Henry John bring it in here" an
the two porters entered with beaulifulsofi
Enearly new.
why, that iSa beauty, husband! Ho,
Il kind you are p F4
Il "It's second-handed, you perceive; bu
lit's hardly soiled--no one would know th
\ difference
Its just as good as new. What did yo
fgive for II 2 htst,a "a .s
\. That's the best part OF. it. ltis a splen
ibid bargain. II didn't cost cent less thai
sEa hundred dollars. Now, what do you thin
IA got il forf 81 3+s
q SIXTY dollars r. Y. \
II Guess again. -
'FiftyT
| Guess again
'Forty-five 1921
NO. Try again.
But what did you give for It, dear?'
why, only twenty dollars'
| well now, that is bargain
'Ain'tit, though? 1t takes me to get the
things cheap, continued the prudent Mr..
Courtland. chuckling with delight.
| 'Why, how in the world did it 60 off SC
llowY
4 managed that. 1t amt every one that
understands how to do these things
But how did you manage it, dear {?
should like 20 know.
'Why, you see. there were great many
other things there, and among the rest some
dirty carpets. Before the sale pulled over
these carpets and threw them upon the sofa;
a good deal Of dust fell from them, and
made the sofa look fifty per cent worse than
it really was. When the sale was COM
menced, there happened to be but few per-
sons there, and asked the auctioneer to
sell the sofa first, as wanted to 20, and
would bid for it if it were sold then. Few
persons bid freely at the opening Of a
sale.
"Whats bid for this splendid sofa 2 he
began. sr
'Pll give you fifteen dollars for it, said ],
its not worth more than that, for it's dread
fully abused.
Fifteen dollars fifteen dollars only fif-
teen dollars for the beautiful sofa he went
on and man next to me bid seventeen
dollars. Ilet the auctioneer cry the last bid
for few minutes, until saw he was likely
TO knock it down.
"'Twenty dollars said /, and that's as
muchas I'll go for it,
The other bidder was deceived by this as
10 the real value of the sofa, for it did look
dreadfully disfgured by the dust and dirt,
and consequently the sofa was knocked off
to me-
That was admirably done, indeed T. said
Mrs. Courtland, with bland smile of salts
faction at having obtained the elegant piece
Of furniture at SO cheap rate. And it's
SO near match, too, for the sofa in our front
parlor.'
This scene occurred at the residence Of
merchant in this city, who was beginning
to count his fifty thousands. Let us look on
the other side Of the picture.
On the day previous to this sale, a widow
lady with one daughter, beautiful and in
teresting girl about seventeen, were seated
on sofa in neatly furnished parlor in
Hudson street. The mother held in her
hand small piece Of paper, on which her
eyes were intently fixed; but it could be |
redily perceived that she saw not the char
acters that were written upon it.
what is to be done, ma 2 at length asked
the daughter. /
Indeed, my child, / cannot tell. The bill
is fifty dollars, and has been due, you know,
for several days. lhavh't got five dollars,
and your bill for teaching the Miss Leonards
cannot be presented for two weeks, and
then it will not amount to this sum-
Cant we sell something more, mar sug-
gested the daughter. .
I'VE have sold all our plate and iewelry.
and now I'm sure don't know what we can
dispose of, unless it be something that we
really want ID
what do you say 70 selling the sofa, ma 2 {
sWell;I don't know Florence. 1t don't /
seem right to part with it. But perhaps we
could do without it, : h
1T will readily bring fifty dollars, l sup s
poseP sA r .a.f, II
Certainly. II is Of the best wood and !
and cost one hundred and for
y dollars. Your father bought it short l
ime before he died, aad that is less than two I
'earS past, you KNOW" aH AaSr
4 should think it would bring nearly one q
hundred dollars said Florence, who knew
iothing Of auction sacrifices and that
would give us enough, besides paying the I
Iuarter's rent, to keep us comfortably until e
ONE Of my bills become DUE b .g "
That afternoon the sofa was sent. and on
he next afternoon Florence went to the
uctioneer to receive the money for it. ,
Have you sold that sofa yet, sirq asked i
he timid girl, in low hesitating voice. Ii
what sofa, Missp asked the clerk. look. a
Y steadily in her face with bold stare. e
The sofa sent by Mrs. 49,, SIR f"
When was 1t to have been soldp In
Yesterday, SIR d
'0h, we havn't got the bill made out yet. d
ou can call the day after tomorrow, and c
ell settle it for you,' .Aa Z v
Can't you settle it to-day, sir9 We want
ne money particularly
Withoutreplying to the timid gifl's re s.
uest, the clerk commenced throwing oyerl Il
le leaves OF the account book, and in q few Il
linutes had taken off the bill Of the sofa, o
Here it is--eighteen dollars and sixty "
'nts. See If IFS right and then sign this a
ceipte q'Q isA} ~ lp
Amt YOU mistaken, sirY Itwas beau p
tnl sofa, and cost one hundred and forty 4
,llars.' sS o
'Thapsall Il brought, miss, ! assure you, Is
urnitufe sells very badly now.' g Y lst
Florence rolled up the bills that were Civ "
her, and returned home with d heavy t
TART. 'eN fl ehg4 Fei' In,