Telegram-herald., 1890-03-08


an 1mpenstra0ls aunbness Even ~
tals moment ae seemed absorbed IA
rea4ing = new sp2pSr RSlcn eenIainsa
re sh PPiag arrivals and the nnaA~l~l
rsuorts gt the markets each day
Forty eeuss per square nile. re
peatee Flint IN voice which resenl o-ea
. steam wAlstle Forty cents
TIE t0lr colleag Is Of MAJOR pone--an
looked al each o-her Had tkey already
exhausted the credit allowed STEM -
the beginning " the bidding Were
they already compelled 20 De silentF
Go Oh, gentlemen. said Aactioneer
Gilm0uS, forty cents WAC goes high
er? Forty cents Why, the North Pole
Is worsa much more than that, for } { :
guaranteed 70 DO m ade u ice.
The Danish delegate said fifty cents
and the Hollandish delegate promptly
ouIbid him by ten cents
sixty cents the square mile, cried
Flint sixty cents"
Nobody said word. This sixty cents
represented the respectable amount Of
s244, 200. The lit given by Holland
10 the sale started a murmur Of
satisfaction. IL seemed that the persons
who had nothing in their pockets and
nothing 70 their names were the most
interested OF all In this contest OF dol
lars.
At the moment Jacques Jansen made
his offer Major Donsllan looked at his
secretary. Dean Toodrink, and, with an
almost imperceptible negative sign,
kept him silent Mr.. William 5. Fors.
ter, seeming much interested in his pa
per. made some pencil notes. Mr.. J. Il.
Maston only replied 10 the smiles of
Mrs. Eyangelina Scorbitt with nod OF
the head.
Hurry up gentlemen; little life.
Don't let us linger. This is very weak,
very slow" said the auctioneer. Let
me see. Nobody says more. Must l
knock down the North Pole at such
price2" and as he spoke his hammer
went up and down just like the cross IN
priests hands when he wishes to bless
his people.
Seventy cents" said Jan Harald,
with voice which trembled little.
Eighty" Immediately responded
Colonel Boris Karkof.
Hurry up, eighty cents" said Flint,
whose eyes were burning with excite
ment
A gesture OF Dean Toodrink made
Major Donellan jump up like spirit
"One hundred cents" said he, with
short and sharp tone. becoming In ono
who represented Great Britain. That
one word made England responsible for
s4O7. 600
The friends of the bidders for the
United Kingdom make a great hurrah,
which was repeated like an echo by the
outside crowd. The bidders for Amer
lea looked at each other with disap-
pointment; e4O7. 600: this was already n
very large figure for such a region as
the North Pole; S4e7, 900 for ice, icebergs
and iceieldsP
And the man of the n. =. p A. did
not say one word, did not oven raise his
head Would he decide 20 make at last
one overwhelming bid? If he wanted
10 wait until the Danish delegates,
those of Sweden, Holland and Russia
had exhausted their credit, it would
seem that the proper moment had come.
Their faces plainly showed that before
the "one hundred cents OF Major
Donellan, they had decided to quit tho
battlefield. Zone hundred cents tho
square mile" said the auctioneer for
the second time. Zone hundred, one
hundred, one hundred, +" cried out Flint,
making a speaking trumpet of his half
closed hand. Nobody goes higher?'
questioned Auctioneer Gilmour. us it
heard? Is it understood? No regrets
afterwards We Will sell il now" And
he took his position and, looking at his
clerk, said: Once, twice"
'One hundred and ten," very quietly
said William S. Forster, without even
raising his eyes, after having turned the
page of his paper.
Hip! hip! hip" shouted the crowd
who had put most of their money on
America in tho bets. Major Donellan
was astonished. His long neck turned
in all directions and he shrugged his
shoulders, while his lips worked with
great excitement. He tried TO crush this
American representative with ono look,
but without success: bat Mr.. Forster,
cool as a cucumber, did not bulge.
'One hundred and forty" said Major
Donellan-
'One hundred and sixty" said Forster.
"One hundred and eighty" said tho
Major. with great excitement
'One hundred and ninety" said
Forster.
"One hundred and ninety-nine, -
roarcd the delegate or Great Britain.
With this be crossed bis arms and
seemed TO defy the United States Of
America.
Ono might have heard a mouse run. or
! miller flv. or a worm creep. All hearts
vcrc beating A life seemed hanging
on the lips OF Major Doncllan. His
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