The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-03

AOul OuyS VA IN AAuuCASy eAlC WSAC OSSA1 0li0
so was in an unusually cheerful frame of
mind. The one little incident in the whole
sale that had been refreshing was that same
Victoria Cross, and to have his methods
questioned in the sale of that bit Of silver
was enough to arouse his temper.
The fourth and last day of the Huntley
sale was dragging slowly on. The Incidents
of the bidding were as commonplace and UNI
entertaining to most of the men who sat half
YEARLY round the baize-covered table and
looked %languidly at medal after medal as
they were to the auctioneer himself. The
professional raillery which had marked the
earlier hours had evaporated long ago. 1t
was three o'clock and a hot day in the latter
half OF July. There was nothing left for
people to buy excepting a collection of
curios. They were going one at a time to the
half dozen bidders. The auctioneer was out
of patience because of the time it took to
sell them. He had put the entire %collec-
ton up together, but failing to get a bid
above the reserve price had had to sell them
separately.
The score or so of buyers was as varied a
crowd as any event could well bring to-
gether. Lord Wentlocke was a w%ell-known
collector, who never missed an important
sale; next to him sat a man without cuffs
who bought all the most expensive lots,
without apparently looking at them; OPP
posite was a Jew, who made all his bids by
furtive winks, and who endeavored, by
amusing s~allies, to distract his competitors
attention at critical moments, and between
him and the British museum representative
a turbaned Parsee, buying on behalf Of a
Calcutta art gallery. Two schoolboys had
strayed in and looked on silently, or COM
pared notes of admiration in apprehensive
whispers.
At last the auctioneer pulled himself to-
gether. Surely this will rouse you, gentle
men, if anything WILL" he said. Lot 1874,
a Victoria Gross, presented to Private
Thomas Young for conspicuous bravery at
Magdala. Purchased by Mr.. Huntley from
Messrs. Link, and by them from the orig
inal holder. What shall I say?'
It seemed that the national collection was
not in want of a specimen; Lord Wentlocke
never by any chance opened the bidding, and
the Jew always waited a little to find out
who was interested. Some one else started
with ten pounds, and in the twinkling Of an
eye the cross had advanced to ego, and then
hung for a moment.
1t was then, in the pause marking what
would probably have been the half way
point, that the silence was broken by the
poorly-clad woman who had sat, nervous
and unobserved, near, the door:
"Oh, sir" she cried in a voice that was
half q sob, Il don't understand, but / could
only save two pounds, and-and l am his
mother"
There have been many scenes of psyche
logical suspense at W%ethebey's. Million
aires have plunged recklessly for historical
pictures; relatives and legatees have car
ried on their %wrangles and snarled across
the table for the possession of heirlooms;
but never in the annals of that famous house
has there been SO vivid a moment as when
the mother of Thomas Young, the man who
had displayed conspicuous valor at Mag
dala, stood forth in her neat and pathetic
poverty and timidly held out the two
pounds worth of hot silver for which she
had starved and drudged in order to re-
deem her SON. medal.
The silence was only for a second. Some
one down the table, woefully out of touch
with the wave of feeling, gave an amused
laugh at the absurdity of the thing, and,
anxious to share the exquisite joke with the
auctioneer, looked up with a merry smile as
he called out: "T~wenty-one!"
The Jew was on his feet in an instant.
Shut up, you blamed fool!" he shouted furi-
ously, cant you see"
The auctioneer-it was Mr.. A, ever
the most courteous and sympathetic of his
profession-quietly tapped his rostrum once
or twice. Gentlemen" he said, this is an
unusual incident, and / think we will all
agree that some way must be found out of
the difficulty. So far the prices have been
very satisfactory, and should it happen by
any means-I cannot make any suggestion,
gentlemen-but should it happen that in
this one instance the price is not maintained,
l do not think that the vendor will have any
cause for complaint. To my firm l myself
wien l last took it, stood at ego; that was
Lord Wentlocke."
mine, too," said the man without cuffs.
readily. Surely you heard me? / thought
you took NINE"
"The gentleman is quite right" said the
Jew, rubbing his hands delightedly. 81
heard him myself-before Lord Wentlocke,
if anything" He had never spoken a more
obvious lie, or one which passed SO unuues-
toned.
"As the matter is in dispute, l nave no
option but to start the lot again." said the
auctioneer, with infinite relief. "But, to
take o completely into my confidence, |
must inform you that | have against it a re
serve, merely nominal, as it was thought at
the time, of five pounds"
"Guineas," said Lord Wentlocke, quietly,
and when the hammer fell, as it did with
out a seconds pause, it was amid en-
thusiasm which rivaled the scene when the
famous Petition Crown created a record of
$500.
Lord Wentlocke never had any hesitation
in the matter. "You must have no s~cruples
about accepting it from me-" he said, cross
ing the room, and putting the medal into the
rough and toilworn hand. "Your country is
heavily in your debt, and what we are doing
is little enough. How came your son to
sell it,"
81 was ill.," she replied, the tears running
down her cheeks. ooh, my lord, how can I
thank your"
Its nothing" said Lord Wentlocke, the
modest English feeling of awkwardness in
comforting a favor gaining the ascendant;
and, to avoid the possibility OF a scene, he
opened the swinging doors, and escorted the
mother of Private YounO down into tha