The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-03-12

niu VII Sdtcbs uiu WHeH W iubU Ule
oil important dav arrived, there was
n crowd almost equal to that which
was won't to assemble on the occa-
sion of camp meetings and circuses.
Squire Samuel Gripps had author
lied Bella Smith to bid on his behalf.
Mr.. Ostrom, unwilling to be identi-
fed by his wife, engaged little Miss
Peck, the dressmaker, to represent
his interests.
Other househOlders, maidens and
mntrons, were there assembled, each
and all determined to possess them
selves of the scented Oriental treas-
ure, which they then beheld for the
first time.
A visible thrill passed through the
throng as Jethro Dumbleby, the vii
lage auctioneer, held up the richly
hued fabric.
"Come, genelmen an ladies'" bawl-
ed Jethro, "here's u shawl worn by
the lady of the president O. them
eastern kentries an worth it's weight
in gold! Here's the Begun Radjee's
shawl Look at it-feel it. Come,
genelmen an ladies, who'll start the
begum's shawl as it orter be start
ed"
"Fifty dollarsl" bawled DR.. Drum
mond, who was supposed to have
made a fortune in natural gas in
Pennsylvania.
"Sixtyp hoarsely shouted Mr..
Nudge, the dry goods man.
tGSavopf VIZ rinoc Mioo pacG
Eighty" yelled Bella Smith.
From this the bidding ran up, after
a most spirited fashion, to two
three-four hundred dollars. There
it stood for awhile, until DR.. Drum
mond, with a desperate effort, raised
it TO five hundred.
Mr.. Nudge whispered with his wife,
and nodded to the auctioneer to make
it six
Miss Peck withdrew, in obedience to
dispirited signal from Mr.. Ostrom.
"Seven hundred" said the squire in
b2ld defiance Of Mrs. Grips mega
tive shakes of the head.
Seven hundred and fifty" said Mr..
Jenkins of Jenkins Hall.
"One-thou-sand!" bawled Nico-
demus Slote, a recently prosperous
resident, who had built n rubber fac
tory in the ravine under the hill.
A dead silence fell on all the crowd.
With one accord they stared at Mr..
Slote, who stood there sleek, smooth
shaver and smiling, his hat on the
back Of his head, his hands thrust in
to his pockets-Midas in Nineteenth
cen tury costume.
"One thousand dollars is bid for
this priceless TREASURED" said Jethro
Dumbleby. who'll give me more!
It's given away at one thousand dol
lars, actually given away. I'm
waitin to hear some one say eleven
kundred?"
Butno one uttered the magic words.
The begum's shawl wac knocked down
to Nicodemus Slote ut 81 600. It's
rich dyes and sandal wood scented
folds were extinguished in quaint
eastern box, fastened together by
odd ivory rings, and carried off by
Mr.. Slote in q ponderous close car
riage, drawn by two shining horses.
II declare, it is too bad" said
Squire Grips.
Mr.. Ostrom sighed and turned
away.
"a thousand dollars is thousand
dollars" said he, "but would have
admired to see Lucy wearin' of that
shawl"
Mrs. Slote appeared in church the
next Sunday wrapped in the historic
garment. Her strut was that of an
overfed turkey hen; her aquiline nose
seemed to pillow the air like the bow
OF some aerial boat.
Mrs. Ostrom had on her faded black
beaver jacket, worn shiny Mt the
seams. She was rather low spirited
when she returned home.
"Mrs. Slote did look lovely in that
shawl" said she.
"Humphp' remarked Mr.. Ostrom,
81 can't fancy Lovisy Slote lookin'
lovely in anything"
would you like n shawl, Lucy?"
asked Capt. Ezekiel, looking with
kindly regard at his niece.
Mrs. Ostrom admitted that she
would.
The captain went upstairs to his
trunk, and brought down a fiat par
eel.
"Well," said he, "here's the ginoo-
inc begum's shawl for you, Lucy.
Tother shawl was one l got OF a
dealer in the Punjee valley-no great
account, anyway, although allow
it was cheap at thousand dollars.
This 'ere's wuth five if it's wuth q
cent, and it's the real begun shawl,
Lucy, my gal. And it's yourn"
Mr.. Ostrom put on his spcctacles
to stare at it. Mrs. Ostrom burst
into tears.
"Why," cried she, otis beautiful
Mrs. Slote's can't hold a candle to it'll"
II guess not" shrewdly spoke the
captain.
And Mrs. Ostrom's shawl so far
outshono Mrs. Slote's, that night at
church, that the latter lady went in
to violent Mysteries as soon as he
reached home.
ITO think o. that Ostrom woman