The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-03-05

like State consplrator.
At the other end of the room, con
cealed by marble statue of Diana
sat Miss Clarissa Cowper, who was
there with the intention of buyin!
the teak-wOod cabinet. not for any
cousin Lavinia, but for her niece
Susan Price.
Il mean to surprise her." said
Miss Clarissa, complacently. "Pool
dear how she did dislike the ide.
of going to Yonkers. But she gave
up her own way like an argel."
And in the middle of a group o
gentlemen, Just outside the opposit,
door, Mr. Price bided bis time
with a printed catalogue in his
hand.
Il hope they won't be very tedi'
ous," sold he to Captain Morely
Hedf kins, who stood next to him
Every moment is valuable to q
business man"
And strange te say, not one OF thu
three had the least idea of the pres
ence of either of the others.
People buzzed and whispered, Gu
riosity seekers came and went, spec
ulators crept hither and thither with
memorandum books and stubby
lead pencils, second hand dealer:
gathered, like rusty vultures, around
every piece of furniture in its turn
and above all sounded the sonorous
voice of the auctieneer, drowning
ali lesser sounds. Ard at last they
reached the lockwood cabiRet.
Here, ladies and gentlemen,
bawled the auctioneer, who was ap-
parently endowed with cast-iron
lungs and a throat lined with brass,
lis the inducement of the day. A
genuine carved Daghadara cabinet,
of oriental teak wood, lined with
plush, and mounted with antique
metal handles and pendants. What
am l bid for this piece OF Eastern
manufacture ? Twenty dollars ?
Twenty did you say? Ladies and
gentlemen, can any one look me in
the face and insult art so grossly as
to bid-Oh, thirty, did | hear? Fif-
ty? Seventy-five ? One hundred
And here the bidding stopped for
a minute or two. The auctioneer
looked around and saw Mr.. Price
incline his head about one-sixth of
an inch.
"One hundred and Twenty-Five, "
said he. "Thirty--thirty-fve? For
ty-fve? Who bids higher than one
hundred and forty-fve on this mag
nificent chef d'auvre ?"
Seventy" squeaked sMiss Clar-
issa Cowper.
Eighty !" breathlessly cried Miss
-incited thereto by Mrs.
Price, who was beginning to get
highly excited.
Two hundred" said Price, be-
lieving that this would settle the
And twenty-five" Miss Clarissa,
behind the classic shoulders of the
chaste Diana.
Fifty" screamed Miss NEEDLE.
do you hear, acutioneer? Fifty !"
Nobody else was bidding now.
The trio had it all to themselves.
People watched and listened with
breathless interest, the auctioneer
chuckled inwardly.
Two hundred and fifty is bid, :"
he said. Am | TO let this gem of
art, this positively unrivaled piece of
medieval carving-te go as "a mere
song like this ?"
Two hundred and seventy-fve, >
shrilly cried Aunt Clarissa.
Three hundred" roared Mr..
Price. who was in mortal hurry to
get down to Wall street.
Three hundred and twenty-five" |"
said Miss Meddle, standing on tip
toe to catch the auctioneer's eye.
Mr.. Price turned on his heel.
Il won't be swipdled.' he mutter-
ed between his teeth.
And he strobe out of the side
door, made his way to the street, and
beckoned to the first omnibus he
saw.
Miss Clarissa Cowper took off her
glasses, and pat them deliberately
in their case.
IL was very near forgetting my
self" said she to herself. Three
hundred and twenty-five dollars is
exactly two hundred more than the
thing is worth"
And so the teak-wood cabinet was
struck down to Miss Meddle, 'for
three hundred and twenty-five dol
lars" Miss NEEDLE still continuing
to represent her anonymous friend.
1t was nearly dark when Mrs.
Price got home. Aunt Clarissa was
sitting bv the fire, half asleep.
"Well," she said, how is Mrs.
Benedici ?"
II don't know" said Mrs. Price,
recklessly, IL haven't been there,
I've been to the Bernadotte auction.
And I've bought the teak-wood cab
met"
"What |" cried Aunt Clarissa.
"Oh, Aunt Clarissa, what do yea
think Mr.. Price will say? / paid
thirty five dollars deposit money on
it" pausing to listen. Il do believe
it's coming home noww
At the same moment Price rushed
in.
"What in the name of all the
fiends and furies," shouted be, sis