Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-27

the contributors iist; then gradually
rising to the rank Of spirited young
novelist; until she had her pretty
"Aat," furnished like q miniature
palace, with Miss., Woodin and hel
typewriter snugly Installed in one cor
ner. ~ S,ot $50 --'
Because I ows Everything to her,
said the young snthoress, gratefully.
Andsone day, glancing over the OK.
changes in the sahctum Of the Ladies'
Weekly, to whose columns she still
contributed, she cane across copy OF
the Foxville Gazette.
Hester" she said, hurrying home
to Miss Woodin, "the old parsonage
Is to be sold at auction tomorrow, and
I mean to 60 up and buy IL. For am
quite--quite sure that I could write
there better than anywhere else in the
world"
Miss Woodin agreed with Joanna,
Miss Woodin believed more firmly in
whatever. Joanna believed. In her
loving eyes, the successful young
writer was always right.
So Joanna Fox and Miss .Woodin,
dressed in black and closely yelled,
went up to Foxville to attend the auc-
ton sale.
Everybody was there. They didn't
have an auction sale at Foxville every
day in the week.
Squire Barton was there, with q
vague idea Of purchasing the old place
for public garden.
ut would be attractive" said the
squire. "These open-air concert gar
dens are making no end of money in
the cities. don't see why the Ger
mans need pocket all the money that
there is going"
Mrs. Emmons came because every
body else did. Miss Dodge, who had
saved little money, thought that il
the place went cheap, she would pay
down part and give Q mortgage for
the remainder.
"And my sister could keep board
ers," she considered, "and I could
always have q home there"
But Simon Lockedge was most de-
termined of all to have the old parson-
age for his own.
IT could fix it up" said he to him
self, land live there real comfortable.
It's dreadful pretty location, and I'm
bound to have it--especially since
mothers investments have turned out
bad, and since we've got TO sell the
farm. Nothing hasn't gone right with
us since broke off with the old par
sons granddaughter. 1t wasn't quite
the square thing to do, but there
seemed no other way. But, let mother
say what she will, it brought bad luck
to u.s."
And the rustic crowd surged in and
out, and the auctioneer mounted to his
platform on an old kitchen table, and
the bidding began at FIVE hundred dol
lars, and chung fire" for some time.
''Six!" said cautious Simon Lock
edge, as last.
''Seven ''peeped Miss Dodge family.
Eight" said Simon, resolutely.
"a thousand!" uttered the voice Of
q quiet, yelled lady, in the corner.
Every one stared in that direction.
"Taint worth that, said the squire,
in an undertone. "Ail run down
fences gone to nothing"
But Simon Lockedge wanted it very
much.
'E--le--ven hundredi" said he,
slowly and unwillingly.
Fifteen hundredr' spoke the soft
voice, decidedly.
"Fifteen hnndred" bawled the auc.
tioneer. I'm offered fifteen hundred
dollars for this very desirable prop
erty. Fifteen hundred, once fifteen
hundred, twice = fifteen hundred, three
times and gonel What name, ma'am,
il you please?"
And the lady, throwing aside her
veil. answered calmly:
Joanna Fox!"
The old parsonage was rebuilt, and
studded with bay windows and medi-
eval porches. Lsurels aud rhOdo-
dendrons were set ont in the grounds;
the little brook was bridged over with
rustic cedarwood; and Joanna Fox
and Miss Wo6din came there to live, in
modest comfort.
But Mrs. Lockedge and her son
Simon moved out of Foxville when
the mortgage on their old place was
foreclosed, and the places that had
known them once knew them no
more.
Aud Mrs. Emmons said:
''She's done real we'll, Joanna has.
l always knew there was something
in herl"
And Mrs. Wentworth aud the Misses
Barton tried desperately to become in
innate with the young authoress, but
without avail.
For there is nothing in all the wide
world so eucceseful Ms success. and il