Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-07-20
AN AUCTION SALE.

There were stir and excitement in the
village of Two Hills. Granny Lemon S
mite Of possessions was to be put up at
auction.
Granny Lemons daughter had died
was only right to the dead woman that
the slur of debt should be removed from
her name.
Justice was bound to be hard on
Granny and the baby. There was not a
doubt in the mind Of the villagers that
Granny and the baby would have to be
dispatched to the county. poorhouse.
One by one the effects of the late
Mary Ann were knocked down to the
neighbors. The last article sold was a
broom which was nearly all handle. It
was knocked down to broad shouldered
man, who had put upon it the tremen-
dous bid of 20 cents.
"Mary Ann Lemon was his gal once, +"
said an old inhabitant of Two Hills.
''She'd best heap "a took him." said
some one else ''He'd "a kept her COM
Portable behind the blacksmith shop"
The auctioneer had entered the cot
tage to 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 door above. She was hold
ing the baby in her arms.
The auctioneer was not considered an
odd man, but he was a man of impulse,
big and bold when the impulse took hold
of him. He hesitated moment, look
ing at the old woman and the baby.
Then he went forward suddenly and
picked the baby out of the old woman's
arms.
t'I've got an idee, granny" The
auctioneer stepped to the door after ut
tering these consolatory words and
mounted the table, which had already
been sold, with the baby clinging fast
to his neck.
''Now here's q fine piece O. ware, ;"
he called out loudly. ''This baby's
a-gunno save it's old granny from the
poof's house, that's what it's a-gunno
do Who'll put big bid On rosy
checked, hearty baby? Say, what'll you
ibid?" The people did not comprehend.
There was silence in the crowd.
''I'm not in fer acceptin a little
bid, - roared the auctioneer. 81 don't
want no offerin of dollars OR cents, I
want hundreds O. dollars Some people
baby like this'n. Amt there nobody
in Two Hills what's hungerin fer a
baby?"
Give hundred dollars!" called a
voice in the crowd
The villagers turned with one accord
and stared at the blacksmith. What
did Sam Winters want with baby?
He hadn't any wife to look after it.
The grocer's wife pulled her husband
by the arm and whispered, "What'd
we give fer baby like that, John?''
make it $7O0p' said the grocer.
"Seven hundred dollars!" shouted the
tauctioneer. "Seven hundred dollars fer
to pervide fer old nanny all her life.
No wonder she's a-laughin at you.
The Lemons, as rule, is long lived.
Make it thousand Come, who'll
make it thousand?"
Zone thousand dollars!'' said the
blacksmith.
zone thousand dollars! Coin, goin,
goin for $1,000. She's worth more'n
$1,000 She'll give body more'n 81,
900 with 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.
At this moment a carriage that was
about to pass came to q standstill, a
liveried footman sprang to the door, and
the great people of Two Hills came pill
ing out.
eyes, it is true cried the young
lady, with a pretty, excited face. "They
are actually selling baby! Tom, look
at the baby
"Goin, goin, goin, for $1,000, the
prettiest baby in Two Hills, the money
ito keep it's old grandmother from the
Ipoorhouse!'
"Eleven hundred cried the young
lady, waving her black gloved hand
frantically.
The blacksmith bid as high as 81, 500,
the rich lady made it 81, 600, and the
man turned and walked away.
"Gone to Mrs. Eustice at 81, $780,"
said the auctioneer, making fine bow,
but looking as if he didn't know what
ito do with the baby.
But the great lady ran up to the auc-
tioneer and received her property in her
arms
G'anny's baby went through awonder-
full transformation during the following
week, and the people in Two Hills talk
ed about the 'luck'' that had befallen
both Mary AIMS offspring and Granny
Lemon.
But Granny Lemons spirits had not
risen with the knowledge that she was
not to go to the poorhouse. Indeed it
was suspected that Granny Lemon
hardly realized the blessing that had be,
fallen her. Since the day Of the sale she
had been growing apathetic and feeble
One day when g'anny's baby pointed
lat him from the carriage window the
blacksmith left his job of shooting and
retired to the interior Of the shop.
''You couldn It "a done fer her as she'll
be done fer, Sam" said the old man
whose horse he had left half shod, "You
couldn't "a made fine lady out o. her. :"
''No, I couldn't "a done that" said
Sam.
During the summer the news spread
through the village that g'anny's baby
was getting kind of cross and peeyish,
and that the great lady had said to the
nurse that it was mistake for a person
to adopt child.
Two months later it was declared
positively that Mrs Eustice was going
to Europe with her husband and he,
great aunt; that g'anny's baby lay i'll
in the big house; that Mrs. Eustice had
told the doctor she never could forgive
herself for adopting the child.
The sun was about three feet from
the top of the second hill when the BIZ
of flying gossip reached the black
smith S shop and was just sinking be
hind the hill when broad shoulderet
man walked hastily across the grounds
Al L.; -.