Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13
Alan AUCTION SALE


The vase was about eighteen inches high.
and of varying diameter; It was Of some
sort of cfockery or china ware, and 1t was
as ornate as Lonesomehurst cottage. On
one side was q Vatican young woman, clad
In truly rural pink satin puffy skirt. most
ly all pleats, AMI an apple-green bodice, also
satin, and a ''shepherdess' hat that must
have cost AT least $24.s0, and white silk
stockings that ended in pink satin slippers
(high heeled). apparently No. II, chih1ren's
size. The young woman was engaged In
holding on to tia kind of shepherdess' crook
that shepherdesses used always to carry In
the old days-gfldsd, and with vari-hued
liberty silk ribbons tied all over It. She
was also tndustriously engaged in gazing
into the branches Of a sapphire blue cherry
| tree, wherein a very red and very spank
able Cupid was doing the usual act with a
bow and arrow. On the other side a young
man, with more or less of the same make
up, without the skirt, was climbing a gilt
ladder into gilt balcony shaded by Tyrian
purple vines.
The auctioneer held it up.
What am offered for this real thing?"
he inquired, insinuatingly. Ladies' and
gentlemen, the age of this vawze is beyond
my humble computation. Moreover, I do
not like to go beyond facts that 1 know. l
DO know that this vawze adorned the home
of the Russian NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ohy-SOiicLHlliS llhc lldC~to tHls' Couitiy
seventy-two years ago. 1t passed from his
unwilling keeping, when he was recalled, to
the household establishment Of the car
The many vicissitudes through which this
vawZe has passed in finally reaching my
humble but reverent hands, ladies and gen.
tlemen, were too pathetic to relate. 1t suf-
fees to say that it is gem fit to have
adorned Versailles-as, indeed, who shall
say that 1t never did adorn Versailles? La
dies and gentlemen, 1 ask you to make me
an offering for this vawze, keeping in
mind"
1.-TWO dollars" said coarse, brutal man
at the far end of the room.
The auctioneer looked grieved.
Surely" said he, you jest. Surely, you
must be unaware Of the merits Of the cher
ished school of ceramic art to which this"
churl. with businesslike eye, up near the
auctioneer's stand.
II perceive" said the auctioneer, sadly.
that a spirit Of merriment pervades the
room this morning. 1t Is sorry enough re-
Election that gem, prizs. of this charac-
ter, ladies and gentlemen, that a generation
ago would have been grabbed at by"
well, call 1t three said the first man to
make a bid.
MY friends" said thu auctioneer, shak-
ing his head mcurnfully, ARE you aware
that it is among the Observation-Disclosures,
among the probabiities-that this vawze
for which you now offer me such paltry
sums may at one time have embellished thu
boudoirs of queens?-that the fated Marie
Antoinette herself"
''Three-f1fty," said another man with
low foreh ad but bright, alert eye.
1t was at this point that the determined
looking elderly woman, with the poppy-cov-
cred bonnet and the fat old-fashioned
purse, walked in. The love of tradition
shone in her eyes. and she flashed a look of
contempt at the bidders.
Five dollars" said she, pushing through
the crowd close to the auctioneer's stand.
All, madame" said the auctfoneer, you
have arrived In season. 1t is readily to be
seen that you know a good thing when
you-that you have a cultivated eye, that is
to say, for such perfect products of sadly
deteriorated art as this. Yet fear you, too,
strike too low q note. Five I am offered
who then, is to make it ten?-who makes 1t
tep?-ah, ten I am offered
Nobody In the room had spoken. The de-
Misunderstanding elderly woman looked
around deaantly and adjusted her specta-
cles defiantiy.
: ten I am offered-who makes 1t If
tenn
Fifteen dollars" said the determined
rooms assembiage looked on with very
great silence.
Fifteen am offered-it Is dreary enough
to refiect upon it-but fifteen I am offered
ffteen-ffteen-now, who is TO display his
acun1en and make me-ah twenty"
Nobody in the room had spoken
twenty-five dollars" said the deter
mined-looking woman. and she didn't notice
the grins of the canaille about her
And sold to this lady with the cultivated
eye for twenty-five dollars" said the auc-
tioneer, snappingly.
oh. yes said the auctioneer in an easy
Whisper TO friend, when you can get 'em
to bid against themselves you're all right
Then he sold another vase of the same sort
for $3.50 -