The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-26

>>uuht bsav1ay a Eisabsth'a arm. h
I Was hale old man, with apple checks and
| arm step Until tho last few months he
had kept the untroubled gaze Of child.
hood Now there was suggestion OF
rheum I'm the eye corners, besides new,
| tense lines all around tho mouth. He
stopped too. Elizabeth looked the taller oi
the pair. She was a tall girl anyway, with
square shoulders, long neck and small
hands, thoroughbred in line despite the
roughening Of hard work. She had small,
proud stepping feet, too, and carried her
head high. Dark brow q. YES looked at
you from under strail - Lowell brows.
| Her skin was rich olive, s..ined with the
most vital red at the checks and lips.
Even the huddie of shawls she wore
could not wholly mask the litheness of
her figure AS she came through the door
each man there involuntarily barred his
head. Shocky Waters made haste to set a
chair for the major. Bob Lumpkin fetched
another for Elizabeth. Bixby, the sheriff,
shrank out of sight like one suddenly dis
covered doing an Ill deed.
Elizabeth's head bent lightly In greet
ing, Men she looked at the clock. 1t
lacked minute of 12. Without hesita-
tion she stepped forward, took the fiddle
fathers hands
He took IL tenderly and laid his cheek
to it, whispering: "Marg ret, Marg're
how could put ye in pawn! Ye that
named for my Marg ret, dead and gone. I
wish had died first. Now ye must be
sold at 10 o'clock-the laws says It,
done 1t myself, Margret. amt got no
right even ter break ye up and save ye
from that man. Goodby, my girl, goodby!
IL won't last long without ye.
'Lizabeth at his elbow alone heard
what he said. A touch made her turn to
face 'Bige Potter, lean, oily, smartly
clothed, smiling ut her cadaverous tri-
umph.
''If you had any feelin for anybody but
yourself, you'd put stop to this, " he said
under his breath, nodding toward the old
man.
'Lizabeth's lip curled.
II am all you have left him. Don't try
to take that away, too" she said in his
own key He wheeled sharply about,
gnawing his under lip. The clock was
striking. The sheriff had laid hands on
Marg'ret and was crying, with wild at
tempt at jocularity: "Gentlemen, ladies,
niggers and the rest Of mankind, here's a
fddle-a fine hddle-a reg lar Jim Crack
Corn fddle-that'n come mighty near ter
playin itself. How much fer II? Bid live
ly, nowl Warranted not ter wear, tear,
rip, ravel, run down ut the heel, ner cut
in the eyel How much do hear? Five
dollars? TEMP Oh, shucks! Gentlemen,
no time fer foolin. Bid somethin respect
able. This yere instrument cost er hun
dred dollars, rememberl Bid fer old ac-
quaintanoe sake. The last one o. ye has
danced ter her music! Ask yo' pardon,
Brother Barker, fergot you wuz here.
Who bids9 Who bids9 Who bids9 Ten,
ten; now gimme the twenty! Twenty
Ave do hear? Thanky, Shocky. That's
sort o. like it,
"A hundred herel No use in maxim two
bites Of a cherry" 'Bige Potter said
shortly.
"Make it two hundred" said Shocky.
"Three hundred" called Potter.
"Five hundred even," Bob Lumpkin
shouted, setting his hat ~ far back that it
tipped of and fell. But nobody laughed
at the diverting spectacle, for Potter was
shouting, his face apoplectic. "a thou
sand! A thousand!'
"Two thousand" sang out the thin
bearded man. Shocky had just whispered
in his ear.
"Make it threep' Potter shouted furi-
ously.
"Make it fourr retorted Shocky. Bob
Lumpkin began the double shuttle as some
slight expression of his JOY.
"Five thousand! My debt, an--an-
intrus'?" Potter cried In white rage
"No good. Six won't git We, Marg'r
Shocky half chanted, half eheered, hopping
from one foot to the other The sheriff
stared wildly about. The bidders, it
seemed to him, had surely lost their minds
be became moro than ever certain of it
when 'Bige Potter shouted: "Seven thou
sand! must-I will have that fiddle!"
"Ye can't have her, Bigy man! Here's
eight thousand over here" Shocky said
tantalizingly.
Potter choked and gaspod, Eight thou
sand five hundredp'
"Ninev' shouted Bob Lumpkin, while
the others held their breath. All eyes
turned on Potter. Once, twice, thrice, he
opened his lips, closed them with no sound
and fell sullenly back as the sheriff
cried:
"N.:ne thousand! Coin at 1000! Nine
thousand oncel Twice! Three times-an
out. Sold to Bob Lumpkins bid Whar
the moneys ter come from maybe the Lord
knows / don't, for certain"
"Don't ye be oneasy over that, Mr.. Sher
| iff I'm here; don't ye fergit that, Shocky
called out as Potter skunk away. money
talks, most rs prutty as Marg'ret here.
I've got the cash fery We. So gimme the old
gal Jes' one minnit, majer; then she's
your'n ter have an ter hold-witness these
presents"
| Major Clark stood up very straight.
Elizabeth was sobbing on his shoulder.
She had faced ruin with laugh. Rescue
broke down all her fine courage. The old
gentleman lifted his hand and asked in u
voice whose tremor no tried in vain to
mask: "Shocky, what is all this aboutp
What docs 1t means Ills 1t possible
that ! have got back my land?"
ayes, major; yer fiddle. too, bless God!'
Shocky said, and as he spoke all heads row.
erently bowed. "Now, all on ye, looky
thar, holding the fiddle TO the light "S0
them thar letters inside O. Marg'ret--' Fecit
Stradivarius. Cremona, they say. Idon't