Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-08-03


The little maid was puckering
up her face; the tears were filling
her great dark eyes. She put her
little fat fists and hid her eyes as
the auctiOneer again turned her
to the crowd.
At this moment carriage that
was about to pass came TO stand.
still, a liverleI fOotmau sprang to
the door, and the great people OF
Two Hills came piling out.
Yes, it is true,' cried the lOung
lady with pretty, excited face.
"They are actually selling II baby!
Tom, look at the baby.
"Goin, gon, goin, for 81 900.
the prettlest baby in Two Hills,
the money to keep it's old grand
mother from the poorhOuse!
"Eleven hundred,' cried the
young lady, waving her black
gloved hand frantically.
The blacksmith bid as high as
SI,4OO, the rich lady made it
S1.4OO, and the man turned and
walked away.
"GOne to Mrs. Eustlceat 81 Co.,"
said the auchoneer, making a fine
bow. but looking as if he didn't
know what to do with the baby.
But the great lady ran up to the
auctiOneer and received her pro-
petty in her arms.
Gdnny's baby went through
a wonderful transformation during
the following week, and the people
In Two Hills talked about the
"luck" that had b fallen both Mary
/, Aun'S offspring and Granny Lemon.
But Granny lemons spirits had
not risen with the k kIowledge that
she was not to go to the poorhouse.
| Ideed 1t was suspected that
Granny Lemon hardly realized the
blessing That had befallen her.
Since the day of the sale she had
been growing apathetic aud feeble.
One day when g'auny's baby
pointed at him from the carriage
window the blacksmith left hls JOB
of shoelng and retired to the in
terror OF the shop.
you couldn'ia' done fer as she'll
be done fer, SAM" said the old
man whose horse he had lrft half
shod. "You couldn't "a made a
fine lady out O. her.
$40, I conduit "a done that"
said Sam.
Daring the summer the news
spread through the village g'annJ's
baby was getting kind of cross and
peevisb, and that the great lady
had said TO the nurse that 1t was
mistake for person to adopt a
child.
Two months later it was declared
positively that Mrs. Eustice was
going to Europe With her husband
and her great aunt; that e'dnuJ's
baby lay ill in the big house; that
Mrs. Eustice had told the doctor
she never could forgive hers elf for
adopting the Child.
The sun was about three feet
from the top Of the second hill
when the bit of flying gossip reach
ed the blacksmlth's shop and WAS
| just sinking behind tn hill when a
broad shouldeTed man walked
hastily across the grounds and en-
tered the big house by the rear
way.
While the man sat waiting IN the
library he took from his pocket a
greasy pOcketbOOk, and opening it
laid the contents on his knee. His
hand trembled as he counted the
notes over to make sure they were
all Iight-$1,600
There was a sweep Of dainty
garments along the hall, and Mrs.
Enstlce came into the library. She
gave a slight start upon recOgniz-
ing her visitor, regarding him not
so much as the blacksmith, whom
she knew by sight at the shop, but
as the man who had bid against
her for g'anny's baby.
~ hear," said tue man slowly
"that you're goin of to Europe"
"Yes," sald the lady.
"And they say that the baby
ain't an well.
"Yes, that's true too. It's been
ailing all sum ner. What did you
wish ~
81 was thinkih' he said, "that
as the whole transaction was a
= business One-that, now being as
you're goin away, and the baby's
, sick, mebbe as you might be willin
to sell. T'm ready to give you yer
price,"
Mrs. Eustlce was startled. She
? had lamented that reckless squau'