Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-08-13

iyst; C%-D cents for those
:;\\>9YZ grace full ankles?
Only twenty cents
for those lightblue
-ah' twenty five-twenty-f ive-twen.
ty-five. Any more bids for the neatest.
daintiest, prettiest feet and ankles in
the town? Going at twenty-five! Co.
ing-gong-
Slave market? Oh, dear, no! Can
New York Journal. 1t was merely d.
version of the young ladies and gentle
men of the Epworth league in the viii
lase of Suffern, N. Y, for the purpose
OF raising money to pay the methodist
preachers back salary.
Pastor Kleffer had accepted a call to
another community. Before depart
ing he suggested to his flock that he
would like to have the money they
owed him for back salary. AS no one
was generous enough to come forward
with the whole sum, the Epworth
league undertook to raise the money.
Mrs. r. Moore, secretary of the
league. has almost grown gray in devils
ing schemes to raise money for cnarita
Bile purposes in Suffern. Church fairs.
she knew. were OLD. Barn parties were
effete. Progressive euchre parties,
surprise parties and sociables would
not draw another cent from the pockets
of the young men. Something new had
to be devised. Mrs. Moore has never
! failed. The Epworth league gave a
foot party"
| 1t took place one night last week.
The prettesl girls in the village had
| arrayed themselves in all their finery.
| The young men had donned their Sun
day clothes. The entertainment-tha S
what they called it-took place in the
lecture room of the Methodist church.
A curtain had been drawn across the
front of the platform and so arranged
that it hung within four inches of the
platform. The men were gathered in
front of this curtain with their eyes
| glued to the open space at the bottom.
| Mr.. G. G. Wiley, a merchant of SUI
fern and pillar of the church. was the
auctioneer. Presently one of the young
women walked out upon the platform
and the spectators beheld her feet.
Now" said the auctioneer, "these
feet will go to the highest bidder and
the purchaser will have the privilege
Of taking the possessor of the feet to
supper"
"Ah-hh-h!" murmured the young
men.
THE identity of the feet" continued
the auctioneer. will not be revealed
until the sale is over. Now, gentlemen
what will you bid for the feet that
stand before you?"
"Ten cents" timidly ventured q
youth.
What! Only 10 cents for those
Tribes! Well well, WE'LL Ten-1O-
1O-15-thats right! Come along boys
When / was as young as you I'd never
stop at Is cents for-2O-good boy
Twenty-2O-2O! Any more bids? Arc
these delicately curved Trilbies COINS
for only 20 cents? For shame! Jus
think of the poor girls feelings. Go
ing to supper with a young man who
had only bid 90 cents for her feet"
TWENTY-FIVE. then" said the youns
man who had bid twenty, whereat thu
auctioneer smiled.
The first pair of feet finally went tt
this young man-who. by the way, hat
become considerably dazed--for 2;
cents.
The young lady was Miss Frey, on
Of the bellies Of the village.
Then another pair of feet came out
'Twenty-five." instantly cried Charlie
White.
A laugh went up.
That's the way" said the auctioneer
encouragingly. Bid as if you reall,
wanted them. Now, just see the grace
full curves-oh. dear!'
In some unaccountable manner tn
curtain had jumped upward, revealin;
two pairs of black stockings and sew
eral curves that the auctioneer had no
intended to refer to.
"Oh-h-h-h! Do it again" cried tn
young men, but in the same mysteriou
fashion the curtain descended again
| A\oN, tlc iduitS " no were on
platform disclaim all responsibility TO
the mysterious rising and falling of tn
curtain, which happened several time
during the evening. They say tina
they did not know who did it. Mrs
Moore declares most cmphatically tina
it was not part of her programme
The auctioneer had nothing to do witt
it.
= Who did it?
, Each time the curtain popped up i
showed a space that should have bee
, , occupied by skirt. But it WASH,
g That's strange, too. Then, again, Their
n was wild shrek every time it wen
1 up and murmur of horror every tim
e 1t went down. 1t was, altogether, tn
& most incompreheIsible thing that eve
: happened in Suffern.