St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-03-26

ndlcneu lTOIu Il HldI VENUS NSb' h""N
Polly Becker was authority IN the
matter of it's gencalogy, and she said
that "onquestonably that air aig
had a double yaler." Cherokee,
Georgia, never before had produced
such a wonder as a chicken Matched
whole and single from double
yolked egg. Aunt Polly Bicker was
distinguished as the fortunate owner
OF the rooster, and when she, poor,
lone widow, died before a matrimo-
NAL agreement could be reached be-
tween her and Bud Peevy, there was
fun shortly after, upon the occasion
of Aunt Polly's personal estate being
sold at administrator auction, ac-
cording to mountain law
The bidding at the sale was desul-
tory and penurious, despite the
parched wit of Sammy Bunter, the
neighborhood crier An old spinning
wheel, five splnt-bottom chairs, a
chest, some crockery, two rude bed
steads with immaculate bedding, a
scant supply of kitchen utensils, three
hens with their broods, and big
Bible, yellow with age and sadly
thumbed, made up the bulk OF the
decedent's property, aside from the
/ hand-loom under the lean-to shed be
hind the cabin. All went at lowest
price and the crier declared the sale
closed.
lust then the rooster mounted the
rickety ward fence and crowed.
Thar" cried Bud Peevy, you've
forgotten the bestest piece O prop'ty
at the ole 'oman he'd. Yer no more
fifteen fur a crier an the ole rooster
itself"
"Well, then, 81 me a bid fur the
double-yaller hen-husband," said
Sammy Buntcr, with a downward
caress of his struggling fax whiskers
and humorous eer from his whey.
colored eyes.
The laugh went round-that scar,
anhydrous mountain chuckle-from
exsiccated lip to lip; then some one
offered ten cents for the rooster.
"Hit air understood at the crier
II hev ter ketch the double-yaller fur
the buyer voice suggested.
"Sartingly," assented Sammy
Bunter, venturing grotesque wink.
The bidding was for a while lively ;
it rose decimally to the enormous
sum of sixty cents, and there hung as
il caught on a nail. Meantime the
beautiful cock stood atop the fence
proudly arching his neck and shaking
his fiery comb. Now and again he
lifted one foot or the other, as if tC
display his dagger.like spurs.
"a goin' at sixty, who says the
seventy?' pleaded Sammy Bunter.
1t was a spring day; the country
was clothed in green splendors O
every shade, woven into a matches
set of scarfs flung around the mon
strously shrugged shoulders of the
hills with a royal grace. Wherever
the sun could kiss the ground there
was shining pool of flowers, Over
head dreamy sheen, blue as nc
flower was ever blue, sprung a spar
from mountain ridge to mountain
ridge; and from everywhere cam,
the indescrbable and irresistible ricl
fragrance OF opulent and unhinderec
nature.
"a goin' at sixty cents, who say
the seventy ?"
In thorn thicket down by thu
brook, a brown thrush triled de
liciously, and then flung out stanzi
of witching song.
IA goin' at sixty-sixty-sixty
once, twice, and"
The rooster crowed, and multitu
tudinous voice murmured:
"Sixty-hve."
Coin at sixty-6ve once, twice
and three times, gone to-who wa
it bid sixty-6ve?"
Me" shouted dozen voices.
1t turned out that everybody ha
, bid the last offer, The auction woul
have to be continued, and 1t wa,
, until the Crier wore himself out. A
2 first the advance was five cents
2 hld; then 1t fell to four, TO thre
e two, and then to one. Seventee
= times the crier said Sold" and Sc,
e enteen times the cock crowed an
: seventeen times every man on IL
< ground claimed the final bid.
"Gentlemcn," said Sammy Bunte
!. with hoarse gurgle in his leather
fhrAni lt,.lAl Il, L.. L.. l.