Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-11-14
does o sheriff sell you odt?"

Perhaps the storekeeper had an idea
Of the trouble. But IL he did, he gave
no sign Of It, and tried To explain to
Ben how such a sale was conducted.
"And the people at the sale" he con.
Guided. "otfcr to buy what Is offered
and the sheriff sells to the one who
makes the highest bid
ben asked several questions before
he left Then he walked slowly home,
and all the while, in his mind, he was
turning over q dimly defined project
which had been suggested to him by
what he had heard
A week later Ben received the money
for his chickeps-three dollars and
eighty cents lie was proud boy, and
he would have shown his satisfaction
more II It had not been for the impend
inQ trouble, which made his father 40
miserable that he could not leave his
bed, Ben bought some fruit for twen-
ty.five cents, and took 1t home to him,
but Mr.. Singer was feeling so bad that
he ate Of II only sparinQly.
On a Monday in the early part Of the
next month the sheriff, in pursuance
Of formal notice, arrived at the house
TO make a sale to satisfy Mr.. Singers
creditor. Quite crowd had gathered
about the cottaoe and there was mt
one present who did not sympathize
with the carpenter and his son. Ben's
father was very Ill that morning and
could not leave the bed. The sheriff
mounted box In the yard and began
q description Of the goods to be sold.
1t was pitiful array, after all. A
few tools, miscellaneous assortment
Of cheap furniture, kitchen stove
with some cooking utensils and china,
and some linen and blankets. But one
item In the lot-the chickens-the
sheriff counted on as his drawing card.
Half hundred Of fine hens and mar
kctable chickens were cooped In near
by pen, and upon the value of these
the county officer dwelt at length.
Then, when he thought he had tl~
crowd sufficiently around, he named I:
starting figure in default OF an actual
bid.
sixty dollars Tor this choice lot OF
chicKens ana nousehoid goods, nc
cried.
There was no response. lie repeated
the announcement, then dropped the
figures to fifty dollars, Still no one
spoke.
The sheriff made some further re.
marks about the articles for sale and
tried again at forty dollars. But the
crowd was dumb. No one felt inclined
to buy out the crippled carpenter and
his son.
The sheriff tried again and again,
dropping the figures lower and lower,
and all tho time growing more vocif-
erous in the explanation OF the bar
gain which was offered. lie did not
specially like the job, for he had been
told about the case by some OF the VII
lage people, but he had duty to per-
form, and he knew he must get as
much out of the sale us he could.
The figures had dropped to ten dol
lars, but silence reigned, except for a
defiant crow from one of the roosters
in the pen. Mr.. Singers creditor, evi.
IDENTITY, had no representative on the
ground and even the low price named
was not taken up with.
The sheriff dropped his offer now, a
dollar at time, but, apparently, in
vain. 1t looked US II the sale would
come to nothing.
Nine! Eight! Seven! Six Fivel
lour' Not u response came from those
about
Three dollars'" The sheriff was
smiling at the ridiculous offer, and was
just about to name two dollars and
one dollar in quick succession, hoping
Tor no reply, when boyish voice, close
ut hand, answered:
VI bid three dollars"
The officer looked down on the
speaker and saw Ben. The boy held
up three one-dollar notes in his hand.
he knnrltI knllnn Mora Than