Evening journal., 1890-03-13
THE CAPTAINS SHAWL.

ary, the tiny moss pinls peeping through the
drifts OF dead leaves when the bland May
sunshine came; and when, one day, Capt.
Ezekiel Midget was seen sitting on a wooden
milking stool, smoking his pipe, in front Of
the open door, tho neghborhood all opened
their eyes.
"Jest come back from the east, said Deacon
Robbins.
Been alvin with pashas and eifendis,'
said John jerks, who had once heard a lee
ture on the east.
"Makin' his fortune calculate observed
Billy Thaxter
Don't look much like it, said shrewd Mr..
Munday. He's got on the very same ident-
ckle coat he wore when he went away; Id
know them horn buttons il | was TO see em
in Jerusalem. And he hain't refurnished to
signify; and there suttnly amt been no at
tempt to mend the broken fences, nor patch
up the stun walls on the place.
Capt. Midget had commanded tho Nancy
Belle, fishing schooner which cruised from
Maine to Florida, and during one of his voy-
ages he had fallen IN with the captain of a
Turkish vessel, and allowed himself to be
tempted into the far regions Of the golden
east.
After that all record ceased, except that
now and then a rumor floated back OF the
captains having been seen by stray Travellers
seated cross legged on a cushion, smoking a
prodgious chibouque, in the companionship
Of turbaned digntaries and salaaming slayesi
But of all this the captain would bear no
testimony.
81 did stay east SPELL" was all that he
would say, but | can't say liked itn
The captains favorite niece, Lucy Ostrom,
came down from Buckingham to live with
him, and settle his house.
II don't want things no different from what
they be, said the thankless mariner.
"Oh, but you can't live 50, uncleln said
Mrs. Osirom And Nathan would just as
lief come down and live here as to work in
the shoe factory at Biddingham.n
"A sharp attack of genuine Connecticut
rheumatism accumulated Mrs Ostroms adj
vice, and Capt. Ezekiel made no further OBJ
lection to the plan.
"Lucy's good creetur', ? said he ~ guess
Ill let her have her own way"
Uncle, is it truef' Mrs. Ostrom asked, one
day.
us what truesn retorted the old man, slowly,
rubbing his swelled fingers with pine scented
liniment
'About your having a genuine cashmere
shawl that once belonged TO great begun
IN Wahwallah, in Indiap
Eyes, it's true = said Capt. Ezekiel.
"Oh, uncle, where is itln
II left it in the bonded warehouse in New
York, p answered the old man.
"Was it very pretty, unclem
"Wal, it wasn't bad to look at
Mrs. Ostrom's bright blue eyes sparkled.
''How should like to see itln
"Guess likely you wouldln was tho dry re-
joinder
"Uncleln
| "Walgn
What are you going to do with itgn
/ Capt Ezekiel screwed up his face.
"Wal / was calculatin' to hev it sold a,
auction at Buckingham, Friday week" he
answered, slowly. 1T orter'd fetch deal o
money, that shawl. It's all sorts o. colors. and
that fine ye can dror it through a weddin
ring, if so be ye've a mind to-"
Dear mein said Mrs. Ostrom
The fame Of the begums shawl spread al
through the place. Every woman in Bidding
| Center had some question to ask, or som,
statement to make in regard to it. Not a sou
out secretly determined to put in bid fol
the treasure.
ats too bad you've had such i'll luck thi
year Nathan said Mrs. Ostrom, with tear
in her eyes. ''Id ha liked that ere shawl
swell, well, Lucy, faint everybody cal
have what they want in this world sai'
honest Nathan.
But in his secret heart he determined t
draw his slender balance out Of the Bidding
ham Savings bank, and have a try for tn
prize coveted 50 ardently by his hard workec
wife
Her brother, Squire Samuel Grips, ais
made the same resolve
"Lucy shall hev that shawl il money'll bu.
itF said lie. "She's always wanted "A shaw
Mis- Grips, she's too short and stout for tina
sort Of thing, or else guess she'd strike 70
the hegums shawl, too"
Printed circulars relating to the easter
treasure were tackled up on all the corne
stores and upon the trees in front Of the schoS
houses, churches and toll gates, and when q
last the all important day arrived, there wa
.. . a crowd almost equal 70 that which was won
TO assemble on the occasion Of camp meeting
: and circuses.
Squire Samuel Grips had authorized Bel
Smith TO bid ON his behalf
/, Mr.. Ostrom, unwilling to be identified b
! his wife, engaged little Miss Peck, the dres
maker, to represent his interests.
+ Other householders, maidens and matron
were there assembled each and all dete
mined to possess themselves of the scente
:, Oriental treasure, which they then behed *
( the first time.
: A visible thrill passed through the thror
3 as Jethro Dumbeby, the village auctionee
. held up the richly hped fabric
n "Come, genelmen an ladies, p bawled Jet
a 70, 'here's a shawl worn by the lady of 4
n president O them eastern kentries an wor
3 - weight in gold Here's the Begun Ra
q jee's shawl Look at it--feel it. Come, sc
a elmeu an ladies, who'll start the begun
! shawl as it orter be started"
a Fifty dollarsm bawled DIR. Drummon
n who was supposed 30 have made a fortune
u natural gas in Pennsylvania.
- ''Sixtyw hoarsely shouted Mr. Nudge, t
=, dry goods man.
. s'Seyentyin piped Miss Peck.
"Eightylp yelled Bella Smith.
From this the bidding ran up, after M
= spirited fashion, TO two--three-four hundr
dollars There it stood for a while, until
: Drummond, with desperate effort raised
to five hundred.
i Mr.. Nudge whispered with his wife, a
- nodded to the auctioneer to make it six.
~ Miss Peck withdrew, in obedience to a
plrited signal from Mr.. Ostrom.
~ "Seven hundred, said the squire in b