Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-11-27

ton vendoos," said she TO herself 1T does
seem az Of she'd ought TO be here"
Aud she thought Of the lonely grave under
last ,er's weedy MULLEN stalks in the neg
lected corner Of the churoh-yard and sighed.
"I'll set rose o. Sharon there as soou as
the spring fairly opens," mused she. Aunt
Mittable always liked flowers"
And the crowd around Abigail Burton in
creased and sort OF intangible thrill went
through the rooms like an electric current
as anything wrong2" Mrs. Grigson ask
ed nervousy "Hev they heard any newsY
81 seen II myself" she could hear Abigail
saying "Pve got it to hum in my pocket
book I've always heard that she was queer,
and shouldn't wonder IL that was the way
she'd boarded up"
Mrs. Grgson rose 10 join the group but
Just then the auotioneers voice drowned all
else in its high sing-song drone; Now, then,
ladies and gentlemen, If you please ) aud
the sale began in good earnest
The breadths Of well-worn rag carpet
brought pitiful sum, but the four hair.
''cheers" in the best parlor, and certain uu-
compromising sofa OF the same slippery ma
terial, realized twenty dollars, and the wood
en- clock was bid up to six dollars and half
by Squire Daggett himself
HE can't know that the mschinery's clear
worn out and it hain't struck in six months"
said Mrs. GriRson. II don't Know Out It's
my duty to tell him"
"Hold your tongue, Naomi" whispered
brother Lyman, who, with his hands in his
pockets, was fsttened up against the wall.
II guess all the neighbcrs hereabouts know
as much about Aunt Mihsble's clock as you
do"
Eight dollars for the old feather-bed ~
Folks must be crazy !" said Mrs. Grigson.
"And dollar apiece for them worn-out bed
quilts Is the world a-comin' TO an end p
Bot when they came to the stand of house
plants, Mrs. Grigsons smazement reached
its eliminating point. The striped monthly
rose brought a dollar stumpy old lemon
| bush in a green tub, which had never been
| suspected Of the faintest inclination TO bloom,
ran up to fve myrtle-tree assembled the
scale, and was finally knocked down at ten
aud half; an oleander was bid mp to three,
half dozen spindling fish geraniums varied
from fifty cents to dollar each, and ten
callas and sickly csrnation we're bought by
Miss Dora Daggett at seventy FIVE cents each
and the surplusage Of palld primroses and
cactus moustrosities was Jumped at dollar
to Mr.. Tows. whose door-yard was laid out
in carrots and parsnips, and who did not
know pokeberry bush from holly bush.
"Be folks mad ?" said breathless Mrs.
Grigson.
The proceeds of the flower stand amount
ed to eighteen dollars, and the purchasers
eagerly seized their property and carried it
of, as if unwilling to let it out of their sight,
and the sale went briskly on.
"Well, Naomi" said brother Lyman,
! 4huckling when the "vendoo" was over,
"how much did ye expeck TO git for Aunt
Mittable's things?"
~ did hope for fifty dollars all told said
Mrs. Grgson. "But Miss Ketchum said
was fool for calkilatin on any such amount"
"What dye say to two hundred p said
brother Lyman, gleefully.
what" shrieked Mrs. Grigson. "Ly-
man. you're q pokin' fun at me-"
mo, 1 amt" cheerfully spoke up brother
Lyman. "Its two hundred and fifteen dol
lars and eighty y-eight cents, that's what it is
Oh, eff yed only seen the women-folks a car
ryin' out Aunt Mittsbles house plants hug
ged up close to 'em, like they was little ba-
| bies !"
Brother Lyman stopped to shake all over
with species of insudible laughter which
convulsed him as il he we're mould Of jel-
ly.
1.-TWO hundred and fifteen dollars :" gasped
Mrs. Grigson. ITS like dream"
The Auctioneer counted out the bills into
the good woman's toll hardened bands.
81 congratulate you, ma'am," said he.
care you sure there zin't no mistake 2"
said Mrs. Grigson.
"Quite sure, maam."
"well, don't nohow understand it, said
the widow, slowly shaking her head 'P'raps,
Mr.. Pul6eld, you can explain il to me p
The auctioneer looked around, winked one
eye solemnly, and twifled his quill pen back
ward and forward.
mo one here 2" said he.
mot a SOUL" declared brother Lyman.
Everybody gone ?"
eyes, everybody"
81 - ar
couldn't help catching a word here and there
and it want no business of mine to inter
fere."
II don't understand" said Mrs. Grigson,
more bewildered than ever.
Don't ye, now? Well, less see if can't
make it clear T. ye," said Mr.. Pulheld. "Ab-
igail Barton she was s-whisperin' to Deacon
Plimpton's widow how't she found a little
gold dollar buried in the earth of the flower
pot that held a J'russlem cherry-tree you
give her and it went from one to another
like wild-fre. Oh yes, Mrs. Grigson, your
aunt Mittable was good woman, a very good
woman, but awful queer. And now every
man, woman and child will be rippin' open
feather beds, diggin' up house plants, and
pokin' into cheer seats and bureau drawers
for hidden treasure. Seer"
"You don't s'pose-" cried Mrs. Grigson.
"Yes, I do spose," said the auctioneer
| III IOlkb Will De IOOis, tnero am no way OI
preventin' 'em as ever knowed Of And 1
wish 'em good luck fndin' what your aunt
Mittable has hid there"
''Well, declare !" said Mrs. Gigson.
'Your things hev sold very we'll, ma'am,"
said Mr.. Pul6eld buttoning up his coat. II
don't know when we've had such a SUGGEST
full auction sale in the neghborhood."
Mrs. Grigson went back to the city feeling
richer than any capitalist. And not until the
train was running into the New Haven depot
did she start wildly from he's 7eat in the cor
ner of the car. "It was the monkey" she
said, speaking aloud in the sudden enlight-
eminent of her soul-''brother Lyman's mon
key And there was me, poor, simple crit
ter, a a.repinin' agic the mischief he had
donel"
The other passengers stared obviously at
her, wondering if they had come all the way
from Feltville Four Oornos with a crazy
woman. An old man took up basket and
shawl strap and went to the other end of the
car.
But they need not have been alarmed.
Mrs. Gsigson was not crazy.-Hdrper'S Bd