Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-16

| "a and excitement IL
!: !" !.
| J the village OF Two
H Hills; Granny Lem.
| n SkSClG oh's mite Of posses
SG\WfT sion5 was to be pu,
AGN UP 1T auction. Uo
% not imagine by thii
AW statement that the
| VINN villagers Of Two
| hi VI Hills were heartless
| ~ y for they were nc
such thing. In the
true sense Of the
word the possessions
in question " ere not
6ranny'a Granny Lemons dauehter had
oieo owing money and owning furniture
| II was only right to the dead woman tina,
tne SUR OF debt should be removed from
her name. The storekeeper Of Two Hills
SAID that he would willingly relinquish the
OIL Oh money that the lead woman's ef.
1ects sold at auction would bring him: but
the sherin, q distant cousin of the Door
woman, declared that shame should not be
attached to her who a few evenings before
had lain so calm-nke in corpse" in the
little whitewashed cottage. But all this
sense OF justice was bound 10 be hard on
Granny and the baby. There was not q
doubt In the mind of the villagers thu,
Granny and the baby would have to be dis.
| patched to the county poorhou-e. So i,
was altogether a solemn n lair. that gath.
ering at the auction OF the effects Of the
late Mary Ann Dunn
rive cheers. pretty good cheers, first
rate cheers" cried the auctionesr, standing
on Granny's table. or rather on the table
OF tne late Mary Ann. and waving one VI
the cheers" in the air. Good. solid wood
Whatll you bid? Who'll start herr"
Twelve cents" said 4 broad-shouldered
man with a solemn face. who had JOS,
md
Twelve cents on HID" shouted the
auctioneer. Five fine cheers, cheers that'Il
last a lifetime. goln' at twelve cents
apiece.
Thirteen cents" said a poor woman,
quickly. But she looked relieved when the
first bidder made 1t Fourteen" Laws,
Tain't gunno do Granny nor .he chile no
good" she said. and bid no further.
One by one the effects .. the late Mary
Ann We're knocked down to the neighbcrs
The last article sold was a room VIII IN
was nearly all handle 1t was knocked
down to the broad shoul,creI man, who
had put upon 1t the tremendous bid of
twenty cents.
Mary Ann Lemon was his gal once, "
said an old inhabitant Of Two Hills.
Shed best heap a took him." said sone
one else. He'd kept her comfortable
behind the blacksmith shop"
The auctioneer had entered the cottage
70 make sure that all the furniture had
been put up at the sale Everything was
gone. Only for Granny and the baby the
little room was empty. The old woman
sat upon the steps leading to the moor
above; she was holding the baby In her
arms. The auctioneer was not considered
an odd man. but he was a man of impulse
Dig and bold when the impulse took hold
OF him. He hesitated a moment looking at
the old woman and the baby: then he went
forward suddenly and picked the baby out
OF the old woman's arms. These two beings
were destined for the poor house 1t seem
60 SAD thing that the late Mary Ann
h0y lr&I
keep the three Of them together and in
the END be the means OF turning her mother
ana the baby over to pauperism.
We got an idee. Granny" The auc-
tioneer stepped to the door after uttering
these consolatory words and mounted the
table. which had already been sold. with
the baby clinging fast to his neck
o.,is 70" neres fine piece O ware" he
save its old granny from the poor's house.
mars what It's a-gunno do. Who'll put
8 big BID on a rosy.cheeked hearty baby?
The people did not comprehend: there wa.
silence in the crowd
I'm not in fer acceptin' u little bid"
roared the auctioneer. don't want no offer
In OF dollars or cents 1 want hun.i-eds a,
dollars. Some people would hani out a
power O. money fer baby like ;his'n. "Aju't
there the h nobody in Two Hills what's hung-rin'
Five hundred dollars" called a voice In
the crowd >' ''
The villagers turned with one ACCORD ana
stared at the blacksmith. What aid sam
WI, Winters want with a baby? He hadn't any
"A fine hearty baby goin' to he knocked
down at Soo:' cried the auctioneer. why
look at her. how she kin laugh
sure enough the late Mary Ann. baby
nao peeoed around from the auctoneer's
shoulder and was Laughing gleefrily.
Somen's tickled her. said the man. held
ing her out to the crowd. She was a sweet
little maid Of three. her yellow hair was
tumbied all over a pretty dimpl.d face ter
eyes were dark and shining: as she laughed
she showed two rows OF little new teeth.
me grocers wife pulled her husband by
the arm and whispered, ..What'd we give
FER baby like that, john"
Make It $780," said the grocer.
Seven hundred dollars" shouted the auc-
tloneer. Seven hundred dollars Ger to Ter
VIDE Ter old nanny all her life. No wonder
she's a-laughin' at you The Lemons as a
rule Is long-lived. Make it thousand.
Come. who'll make 1t a thousand"
one thousand dollars" said the black
smith.
One thousand dollars! Coin, go,n'.
goin' for 1900. She's worth moren s., 900
She'll give a body moren s,u0O wuth of
satisfaction. Look at her now You've
skeered her She's as purity when she cries
as when she laughs" The little maid was
pickering up her face, the tears were filling
her great dark eyes She put up her little
fat fists and hid her eyes as the auctioneer
again turned her to the crowd.
"A thousand dollars on a bid, 81, 900 on a
bid, 1900 on bid The prettiest baby in
Two Hills a-goin' fer 81 ,aO0."
At this moment a carriage that was about
to pass came to standstiIl. iveried foot
man sprang to the door and the great peo-
pie of Two Hills came piling out
Yes, Ii Is true" cried the young lady
with the pretty excited face, they are
actually selling baby. Tom, look at the
baby"
The great man Of Two Hills l,olaa o., III.
baby and laughed.
What is all the fuss about?" inquired
the old lady. peering through her gold
trimmed glasses. What does Dolly mean
by saying they're selling a baby?'
Coin, goin'. goin', for Sl,Vo0, the rretti-
est baby in Two Hills The money to keep
its old grandmother from the poor house"'
Eleven hundred cried the young lady,
waving her ack-gloved hand frantically
Twelve hundred" said the bla cks,nith,
stubbornly.
The great man Of the village laughed as
he watched the excited bid ling that follow
ed between his wife and the man with the
stern, set face.
Let the fellow have her." he said once
in a low tone. but the lady waved her hand
and called, Fourteen hundred"
The blacksmith bid as high as fifteen hun
dred dollars; the rich lady made 1t sixteen
and the man turned and walked away.