The herald., 1894-07-15
AN AUCTION SALE.

NllliiSo VI INO ILLS. tyranny LEMON y
mite Of possessions was to be put up at
auction
Granny Nemon's daughter had died
owing mor-ey and owning furniture Ii
was only right to the dead woman that
tho slur of debt should be removed from
her name.
Justice was bound to be hard on
Granny and the baby. There was not
doubt in the mind Of the villagers thai
Granny and the baby would have to be
dispatched to tho county poorhouse.
One by one the effects Of the l.to
Mary Ann were knocked down to tho
neighbors. The last article sold was a
broom which was nearly all handle. 1t
was knocked down to broad shouldered
man, who had put upon it tho 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. ''Hc'd "a kept her COM
Portable behind the blacksmith shop"
Tho 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 man of impulse,
big and bold when theimpulse 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 8
arms.
Give got an idee, granny" The
auctioneer stepped to the door after ut
tcring these consolatory words and
mounted the table, which had already
been sold, with the baby clinging fast
to his neck.
"Now here's a fine piece o. ware, ="
NE called out loudly. ''This babys
a-gunno save its old granny from the
poor's house, that's what it's a-gunno
do. Who'll put big bid on rosy
checked, hearty baby? Say, what II you
bid?" The people did not comprehend.
There was silence in the crowd
I'm not in fer acceptin little
bid, roared the auctioneer. 81 don't
want no offorin of dollars or cents,
want hundreds O. dollars. Some people
would hand out o power O. money fer a
baby like this'n. Amt there nobody
in Two Hills what's hungerin fer Il
| baby?"
Give hundred dollars!'' called 4
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 $700r' said the grocer.
''Seven hundred dollarsP' shouted the
auctioneer. ''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 a 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 ST.
900 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 puckering 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 q carriage that was
shout to pass came to q standstill q
iiveried 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 pretty, excited face. "They
are actually selling baby! Tom, look
s the baby
"Goin, goin, goin, for $1,000, the
prettiest baby in Two Hills, the money
to keep its old grandmother from the
poorhouseF'
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, 900, and the
man turned and walked away.
"Gone to Mrs. Eustice at $1,600,"
said the auctioneer, making fine bow,
but looking as if he didn't know what
to 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 tho blessing that had be-
fallen her Since tho day Of the sale she
had been growing apathetic and feeble.
One C-y when g'anny's baby pointed
at him from tho carriage window the
blacksmith left his job OF shoe1ng ana
Ietired to tho interior of the shop.
'You couldn' "a done fer her as she'll
be done fer, Sam," said the old man
L 1. 4 tnrt Io1 qcl,o