Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-01-08
THE LOWESH BIDDER.


t,SVb" sti1V diIn,t ~ W. hid under me them
Joros j;dn't want for stand there and
baagIe all dov in the rain. And besides
We ncedn,t be- afeared of nv maxim, any'
ibinn oiT,cr the ool She bro[c her arm
,bouf three weeks ago, and she'll make
~ n,,st - tbot for tor r,;t - ,,,orl,
That's the wav with all Of them naupers
tbey know the towns bound fer support
,em whether thev work or not No
money in tnkin, one on 'em and ia
never do it ,centin, to helm the town"
Thus protested 'Bliab Green. who had
been the Lowest hidder for thc care and
sunport Of sarah GoIding II should be
understood to hegin with that the town
of ofGreenyille had an annual vendue, when
its n,,nor worJs worc sold for one wear
70 whomsocyer should offer to take one
or more of them for the smallest expense
to the township.
'Biiah Green had the reputation of al
wavs being lucky on these occasions
During the wear lust ended he had Sc.
cured a boy, whom he forced to do
mans work while tbc town maid ,Riiab
twenty-five dollars in cash for the pau.
per's keen. This wear the lad had been
more fortunate. and it was Sarah Gold
inp's turn to fall INTO ,Riiob Green's
clutches.
She was nearly sixteen. and but for
her recently broken arm would have been
free. for She could have earned her
bread and clothes Mt least in anv house.
hold.
"rd Gin her her keen myself if T hadn't
so many great, law gals of nv own. ~
said Jones, the auctioneer. for Sarah was
the feature of the sale she being the only
one that year that could be expected to
do any work of Importance.
"She's a likely-lookin gal, =" remarked
another, land if she was rio ped up in A
decent frock some of the fellers round
here'd be steppin' up to her, fust we'd
know"
'I'll look arter that" said 'Biiah
shrewdly. "Courtn' III spile any cal
for work, and them that lives with me
has ter work onless they're sick. And
not so many folks 'uld be sick if thev
would only work 'nough ter keep their
minds from preyin' on their body. in nv
'pinion."
This was favorite bit of philosophy
with 'Biiah. and the bystanders winked
at each other comprehendingly as he ut
tered it now.
1t was rainino hard and the yendue
had been thinly attended. Otherwise
Sarah Golding might have fallen into
better hands.
The paupers, eight in number. were
hudded under the meetinr-house shed.
One by one they were taken awav bv the
bidders, and it was not until 'Biiah's
sorrel horse and ramshackle wagon drove
around to the shed that Sarah knew how
she was to be disposed of.
For the year lust past she had had a
good home, and she had been given to
understand that there would be plenty at
the vendue willing to give her her board
and clothes, and perhaps little money
besides, for her services during the com
ing year. This, of course, would have
made her free, she would have been a
pauper slave no longer. And the hope
had lent new brightness to her eyes
and brought an expcctant flush to he,
checks, which rendered them positivel,
attractive.
But circumstances were AGAINST her
The heavy rain which had kent so man,
bidders away from the auction and he,
broken arm. which was in reality ncorly
well, were enough TO make her n slave
for another wear.
Her heart gave great rebcllious throl
as she saw 'Biiah Green cramp the whcc
of his buggy in front of the shed anc
beckon to her to come out
Come, gal" he said with a grin thai
showed how scattered his teeth were he
coming. cts YOU and us this wear.
hated ter see We 90 where we'd be i'll
used, so | made up NV mind to los
money on We. Hurry up. for it's rainin
harder every minute, and | wapter ri
home in time fer dinner"
Sarah advanced slowly n few PAGES
and then paused. She had heard much
concerning Biiah Green's treatment oi
town paupers. and to find herself thrown
upon his charge when She had eypectcd
to be free was more than sbo couId
tamelv bear
"Wbat do vo,, want Of r,o2p sbo 10
manded. ''''
"Pve bid We off hone We oin,t h,rl os
hcari,.'," said Biiah, ''>' ~
81 didn't know as 7 was to be sold
like an OK again, - returned Sarah
"What dive s'posc they'd do with We,
Send We off to boardin' school at cy
pense o. the town, hcyy
Il can earn my own living. h,v,
earned it for two wears. if the t,utb wo
known. THEY'VE no RIGHT to sell mo liz
this. And if tbey had thev ouoht +
know bcttcr'n to sell me TO s1cb os Won
.,ried Sarah. LETTING the INDIGNANT word
out in a flood now thot she had dared I,