The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-01
EVER BID AT AN AUCTIONf
Young Man Who Doesn't Quite Know
What Really Happened to Him.

II tho women who have boon bilding, not
wisely hut too well, At the sprirg auctions
woald liSs any sympathy, they CAR get u In
an unexpected direction. There IL . young
man hitherto naughty young man, who
has learned that ell nesh 10 as grass before
the mighty breath sf an suctionesr's elo-
qusncs.
II was mia hrst auction. his verv first. He
is a bachelor, and NO IL had never really been
brought home to him that ons should Gee
with terror from shAt red nag which says,
''sale.. Today" He had nsver laughed cruelty
at wife who had been attacked hy the
auction fever. He was no Ignorant. in fact,
that he nidn't know enough even to bc
afraid. He tells the story - ~ he doesn't
know yet what hsppensd 70 him.
There's place UP in ths next block, :" be
suddenly said to ths reporter. "you ought
to 90 in there. You'd vet good story. It's
Its awfully queer"
what sort OF place is itr' hopefully.
GOOD stories" are scarce aud this sounded
promising.
why" with far.off. reminiscent stare,
Its an aucrion. uhey-they sell vases and
pictures and orn ara ents and--cIocks. You
ought to go in. . fs
part-of apparently sober thought on tho part
VI the young man.
~ went in yesterdsy," he rssumsd "A
fellow know shaved me vase he got thore
tho other day-hought 10 for thrso cents.
was goinx oy yesterday, 90 Just wsns in for
a minute. And pretty soon, y with q puzxIcd
look. II found snysslf the oontra of n group
Of people bidding for Dresden cl0ck, and
n M h;,xfr .<.I< Al. -
Did you ever bid at AN auctiana No? We'll,
it's tho hardest thing 10 get yonr voico and
say, "A dollar tlnrty-nye.' You wouidn't be.
lisve how hard IL Is. But, somehow, when
you've cronked ont once, you feel ns IL every
body around you was watching you u you
lot another bidder take a thing, you're afraid
the crowd will think thar ron didn't have
enough money and got frozen out, or you 're
afraid thor II think you are In league with
the aucioneer, trying TO boom things up
little.
"cn, you have forty different reasons for
beeriug on bidding. and if yon didn't have
one other, your native pighesdedness would
keep you at il anyway. Then, too there was
a woman bidding against mo for that clock,
and know she was 90 wrought I'D that she
didn't know whnt sho whs about. / knew
Anc fexrct 10 alWfWrrus Snu tndt uer nus
and would probably DO unpleasant, and
woll-juss as an act os Kindness had TO out
bid hcr. AT ary rate. pretty soon found
my self the possessor OF n Dresden clock, ana
the nuciionoer fonnd himself tic rosscssor of
my 81. wish knew as we'll what 10 do
with that clock as he knows what 10 90 with
my dollars.
II think, maybe. they've got hypro.ist
for an auctionccr. You know that would bc
nm nwfully clever idea. How did they get me
20 bidding for that clock IL sbry didn't have
n hypno'ist arornd Anyway, les swfully
queer. for ~ conc ont with tho clock
hoard ut least half a dozen rooplo talking
about what thoy had bourlf. and saying
they didn't know what bad 20 .scsscd thon to
do II. Don't you think thcrs's something
queer about iir Thought you might ect a
story about IT,
Ths reporter iutin:atod that such things
had happened before.
"yes, TO wonsn.. of csurse. But not 70
Incni'
Il was suggested that ~ mon rarely 60 to
auctions they hsvo noe hecn tempted.
That's 20. THIS was my first auction. and |
Two got Dresden clock TO remember 10 hys |
Well, thors's one thing that clook viii never |
Tell tho time forI" with sudden dstsrmina- |
lion.
Gan auction. THE Sun.