The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-01-13


cred in so small place. They vera
mostly women who had come to get q
| piece Of furniture that might ..go
cheap or some of the china dishes
which the Hughes girls were known to
| have: later on, when the house itself
was to be sold, the men of the town
would attend.
Mary Bell and Serena, in their best
gowns of thin crinkled black silk, re-
ceived the people with the subdued air
of mourners in house of death. Each
of them held starched white hand
kerchief in her folded hands. They
had not spoken to each other since
getting up. but they stood close to-
gether, lest any one should imagine
there was any i'll feeling animating
| them.
Presently a little woman with pale
eyes and light red hair iuttered up.
How de do, Miss Hughcs?" she said,
| shrilly. "'Pears like you-all are goin'
ter hev a pretty day fer the sale. ]
seq ter Ames this mo'n1n': .Ames,' |
seq, I'm goin' ter pick up an go ter
the auction, an I'll buy some O. them
| jells you set seeh heap by I never
wuz raised ter do sech-all things my
se'f; bein's ez our folks he'd niggers, I
never ez much ez turned my han ter
do a lick till | got married. An'-oh
yes! | reckon I'll hey ter bid on thes
| blush teapot yander; a-course faint
stable 'nough fer my family, but my
Johnny he don't gi' me no rest apes
term fer a savin 's-bank-h a likely
one fer four year-an' tole him this
mo MIN: You, John, eff you'll hesh
| that mouth o. yourn, I'll look 'roun'
ter the Hughes fer ole-style tea-caddy
er somethin tibet ain much count, an
fetch yer it fer bank
Serena swallowed a gulp of indigna-
ton; Mary Bell, with the odd jerking
at her lips said that it was not likely
that china tea pot would go for moth
ing.
| Then Squire Tolliver, the auctioneer,
came in, red-faced and clustering, and
inclined to be very humorous.
"H'y're ye Miss Hughes purity live
ly this mo nin'?" he asked genially.
Serena raised her gray head with
movement which set the little curls
twitching like coils of fine wire.
''Folks don't genully feel over-liyely at
sale, she said, coldly.
Law, now, Miss Sereny, didn't GO
ter hurt your feelin's nohow; les my
way O speakin'. Blame f I don't
hate ter do this hyere business-feel
middlin' like an Undertaken; you-all
hev lived right cheer ever sence I wuz
knee-high ter duck. an 'spise on
the face O. the@yearth to sell you out
blame # DON'T
Serena accepted his apologies in
chilling silence.
He began operations in the kitchen,
| and the sisters could hear eager voices
bidding on the tinware they had pol
ished for years. Then Mr.. Tolliver an
nouncel that while he had his hand in
he would put up the dishes, and ''get
| shet O. tibet business
"Hyere now's thing thet you
ladies will 'preciate-a rale chiny tea
pot made in the celebrated factories o
the Hesperides. How much am I bid
| fer this article which cheers but not in
ebriates, ez the bard hez it? Twenty
centsp-no, IN; I'm sellin' the teapot,
not the lid only. Thirty cents / am
| bid-thirty five-make it forty, MIS-
Ames. Thet's right; forty-forty-
forty"
In the front room Serena sat listen-
ing; her face seemed older by years
since the sale had begun. When the
teapot became the object of barter she
pressed closed hand against her lips
| and stole a cautious glance at her sis
ter. The stiff handkerchief had fallen
from Mary Bells hand, and she sat
gazing into the kitchen with strained,
vacant eyes.
'Ma'y Bell!' said Serena, suddenly,
'shell our maw's teapot go fer forty
cents ter be play-toy fer the Ames
young uns?"
Mary Bells head fell limp forward.
"No, no. she said, TREMENDOUSLY. q
can't get up-my knees err give way
like, but you bid it in, Sereney. / feel
| like I'd die eff these-all folks don't
go way. Sem 'em way, sereny-
they's only you m me lef', two pore
| helpless ole women-an' I'll do whut-
ever you say, sereny."
Coin fer forty cents to Mis- y >
"Tain't goin' fer thet, Squire Tolli-
ver," said Serena, walking quietly into
the kitchen, 81 don't like the price
things re bringin', an we've decided
| not ter sell"
"But my dear Miss Hughes, we can't
do business that AWAY
'Ill pay fer your trouble; a-courseI
don't want you ter be nothin' out; but
I reckon no one kin sell these things
without the owners say-so.'
1t was some time before the sur
prised throng wholly withdrew, but al
last the sisters were alone.
MAY Bell!''
Eyes, sis Sereny."
''We'll jes take off these gownds, an
put on our dark blue calicoes, an
pitch in an rid up this house. rll get
the red bucket full O. water, an take
the oldes' scrubbin' brush, an wash
down that notice right of. I feel ez
excited ez eff it wuz house-cleanir'
time--don't you?'
"'Deed do; I'm jes sick ter get
hoF of broom. But first off, sis
Screny, We'll hist the upstairs winder
an air the room; likely it's rale close
up there, bein' shet up so. shouldn't
wonder eff more fresh arid do me
right smart o good. l reckon I'll like
tia passed. arter get used ter it.
Serena bent on her sister a look Of
tenderness. "You see thet Home Doc
tor, May Bell? Well, Tn goin' ter
kindle fire onter it and burn it
hide'n' hair. Min, I dom say yentil.