Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-10

the victim of g. hoax Then he essayed
humor the humor of the rostrum that
like that of the bench. sounds such a de-
pressingly blank cartridge in the report.
Why, the weights alone are worth the
money Take EN- off my mind, gentlemen.
Come. say a sovereign. Won't any one go
an advance on 10 shillins? It's without re-
serve. gentlemen. There's no call for this
extreme mOdesty."
He conned the blank faces once more, and
shrugged his shoulders as If to repudiate
all responsibility in SO senseless Il fiasco
The little hammer in his hand rose slowly
like that of clock about to strike-lin-
gered on the fall in a quick inspiration.
Take him on, Charley whispered a
neighbor broker to the other. Hes fly"
Ore pound ten" said the stranger
Two pounds
Two pounds one"
There was a murmur of protest.The auc-
tiOneer bent over his desk courteOusIy.
The conditions Of sale" he said, above
two pounds, no advance under two shil-
Inns"
Two pound ten, then" said the stranger.
The languid room woke to a sense of the
humOr of the situation.
Three pounds" said the broker
The stranger looked around defiantly.
IT'S what | want" he said. "It'H SCOT
my show. and 1 mean to have it,
There were cries of Order, Order!' and
the room echoed with ripple of laughter
over this fatuous admission.
Four pound said the stranger, immov-
ably.
1t goes against my conscience" thought
George George, Ito profit by this victimiz-
ing If fool
He waited while they ran the fool UP
from six 10 ten pounds. and there, fright
ened, perhaps, by the magnitude of the
issue, they let the joke lapse and chuckled
themselves hoarse over the richness of the
climax.
Ten pouGds for frame of Indifferent old
metal! 1t was an exhibition of tenacity all
upon the insensate side.
The stranger seemed neither elated nor
depressed by the result. He went and
stood by his property until he could pay for
and remove 1t, indifTerently the cynoSure
of eyes that humored their own derision of
MN little coVertly, in that they were con-
scious of a certain turbulence in the ex-
preston of those under the unspeakable
hat brlm.
The bidding. after this momentary effer-
vescence of excitement, fell to q more dis
mai level of ineffectiveness than it had suf-
| fered hitherto Very soon the person most
interested in it tired of the reiteration of
| lame conclusions and returned to his work,
| more impressed than ever with the vanity
| of impulsive optimism. He busted himself
/ over his cases and other matters for an
| hour or two, losing in occupation all but the
! shadowy memory of his disappointment
| then went home for the cup of tea that is
| the solace 10 much heroic desperation He
| mad 10 living quarters at the hospital, but
| his dull lodgings were near at hand and
II
| their meanEess that was half humor, half
| chagrin. His tiny sitting room was Tapped
| in darkness. for the fire was sunk to a mere
| belated spark, and the gas was turned down
! in the insufferable chandelier. With his
| fingers on the cock, George dwelt a moment
| in retrospection on the queer little episode
| OF the afternoon.
| Well" he thought cit is ten pounds of
| eccentricity, at least, in my pocket
| His hand moved - the room leapt into
| light, and there before him on the hearth
| rug were standing-man and gasaIier-the
| actual subjects of his meditations.
He jumped, he couldn't help it, then in an
| instant, with q violent effort, forced his
| nerves under control.
| What, the - he began-and stopped.
The stranger Cplacing his large hat on the
| table, bowed, with an expansive motion of
| his finger tips from his mouth, as if he were
caressing outward the ends of long mus
tache. Professionally this manner Of salu-
tation may be Interpreted to signify the
| blowing a kiss" to applause. Then he put
| enc hand akimbo and waved the other
grandtosely to the gasalier at his side.
You're DIR. George?' said he.
| Certainly"
Then. doctor, I've took the liberty OF
bringing You a little present"
| But, my good sir"
'Hushi' said the stranger; and he went
| to the door on tip-toe and carefully shut
and locked 1t.
Its absolutely plain" thought the dis
mayed practitioner, I guessed 1t at the
auction, and Here's confirmation. This per-
son is an escaped lunatic,"
The stranger had returned to the rug ant
his Pre- 1Irty. An odd smile was on hts face