Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-05-12


"Jest look at it, ladies and gentlemen, ="
ses Mr.. Montgomery.
ooh, dear!'' ses Tobitha. "Wont you
buy that for me Mr.. Hickson?"
To be sure will ? ses Bill.
How much for this beautiful basket, 'ses
Mr.. Montgomery.
Before anybody had time to bid for it,
Sally Dawson, the prettiest gall IT the
room, who had been standin with her
mother near enuff to Tobitha to hear what
she said run up to Tom Culpepper and
tuck hold of his arm, and sed sumthing to
him.
'One dollarp ses Tom.
'Tobltha pinched Bills ARM
'One dollar, Pm offered for this beautiful
basket ses Mr.. Montgomery. 'One dol
lar, one dollar
"A dollar and quarter ses Bill.
'One dollar and twenty-five cents, one
dollar and
Two dollars !! ses Tom.
Two twenty-five ses Bill.
Three dollars !! ses Tom.
Three, three
Twenty-Five, ses Bill.
-Four dollars ses Tom.
-Four dollars, four dollars, ses Mr.. Mount
gomery, holdin up the basket and & look
ing rite at Bill.
Five dollars ses he, in husky sort of a
voice.
six dollars, ses Tom.
six dollars-slx-six six-six,' ses Mr..
Montgomery.
Bill looked kind of imploringly at To-
bitha.
'Ohr ses she, Il wouldn't begrudge any
thing in the world for that basket. Do bid
it off
six and quarter ses Bill, with jest
breath enuffto make noise.
Seven dollars 7 ses Tom bold as meet
ak, with Sally hold of his arm, & her bright
eyes lookin up in his face.
Seven, seven, seven-gwine at seven
dollars ses Mr.. Montgomery, looking
round to Bill, and holding up his hand and
his breth at the same time.
Bill gin Tobitha another look.
Seven, seven, seyen-gwine at seven
dollars
Tobitha GIN Bill nudge, with her eyes
fixed on the basket.
'And quarter, ses Bill.
Seven and quarter,
Eight, dollars, ses Tom.
by this time every body was beginning
to laugh and buz to one another bout the
contest between Bill and Tom, so Mr..
Montgomery had to speak very loud.
Eight dollars-eight, eight-jest gwine
at eight dollars, ses he lookin right at
Bill.
The sweat was beginning to start out of
Bills face in stream-his eyes was sot in
his head, and he chewed his tobacker like
he didn't know what he was about. He
was too far gone to speak-but Tobitha gin
him nudge, and he nodded his he'd at Mr..
Montgomery.
And quarter, SIS the old man.
Nine dollars ses Tom.
Nine, nine, nine, ses Mr.. Montgomery,
looking at Bill-'gwine-'
Bill nodded again.
And quarter
'Tenr says Tom.
'Ten-ten-ten dollars
Bill nodded again.
'Leven dollars ses Tom.
Bill no lded agin. while Tobitha support
ed him, to keep him from drapin on the
floor.
Twelve dollars. ses his antagonist.
BY this time Bill was so far gone that he
jest kept noddin all the time, without know
in whose bid it was, or hearing word that
was sed.
'Thirteen,' ses Tom.
Thirteen-thirteen-
'Fourteen?'
'Fifteen'
'Sixteenp
BY this time the laughing was so loud
that nobody couldn't hear nothln, and MIR.
Montgomery knocked off the chryschial
basket, to William Hickson for sixteen dol
lars.
Then they all got round Bill congratulate
ing him on his spunk, and Tom Culpeper
sed he Civ him joy with his bargin. Mr..
Montgomery said the gentlemen could call
in the mornin for their purchases; when
the lady would have ther bills ready for 'em
and the fare broke up. Tobitha went home
with her brother, tickled to deth with her
triumph over Sally Dawson, and Bill went
home cussin the fare and Tom Culpeper
from the bottom of his hart.
When he got home he counted up the
damage, and whenshe found out that he
was in for more than thirty dollars, he wasn't
able to sleep wink all night.
He didn't have no appetite for his breck-
fust, and as soon as it WIS time went to see
Mrs. Rogers. He found his basket ready
for him with his bill for sixteen dollars in
it. He looked at it a while and breathed
monstrous hard.
Don't you think that's little too digin,
Mrs. Rogers. to make me pay sixteen dol
lars for a basket what aint no bigger than
my fist
We'll, says she, being as you was slch
liberal patron of the fair, Hickson, think
VIC ongM to make deduction. Well receit
the bill for ten dollars.
My conscience says he, couldn't you
take ofmore'n that, Mrs. Rogers. I'll give
you five and say quits.
Very WE'LL if you insist on 1t, MIR.
Hickson.'