Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-09-12
A WEDDING PRESENT.
ny MARY sIBYL HoLBR0oK.

since. Stella's friends are all so rich an,
Corey's so artistic that it is simply hopeless
TO dream OF vying with them"
In another way that TACT is rattle
cheering" | said, ''for whatever we choosl
for them is sure to sink into insinifcan
obscurity, and so it can't matter mucl
what we give" And / stirred my COTE,
with the comfortable smile OF conscious
mediocrity.
1T matters greatly to me, retorte.
Sally, grandly. Il always see my own pres
ent the moment | enter the room, and il
always looks the most conspicuous thing
there. II it's good, I'm obviously com
placent; if it's bad, my blush is an i'm
mediate signal to everybody about
As in the case OF those who choose
alone:" | suggested, wiokedly, but, think
ing it wiser not to await Sally's reply,
went on; Seriously, dear, when can We
meet TO get something for Corey"
Let me see Jim" and she laid down
her egg-spoon and made a calendar OF her
hands, which, as ! delight to tell her, with
ieorn, are disgracefully white and dimpled
tor a matron OF her years. "The wedding
is the 18th, and we are now at the ID.
AtA4l ~ win e0A h07ANg AAA ~ AAt9t ~
nor Thursday nor Friday. Saturday, pos
sibly, if Madeline doesn't need me 10 chap
eron her and Bob Denny at the game.
| groaned In these days the business
men are the leisure class OF society, and
the women suffer from long hours and over
work.
''Why don't You striker l asked; but
Sally did not look intelligent. Well,
then" | went on, perhaps ia better look
round bit alone Would you try pic
tures?"
"Oh, no, jim, dear. Corey has all the
good carbons 70 be had, and he'll be sure
to get . lot Of water colors. There's not
much else you could do in the way Of pic
lures
Not unless | had life-size portrait Of
you painted Tor him. was base enough
to remark sally had once narrowly es-
capped being Mrs. Corey Sands.
She elared at me, and ] gracefully turned
the discussion.
Pottery, then--a bit of lockwood or
Doulton"
ooh, no; something unique, Jim. Corey
already has quite a collection OF breaka-
bles, you know"
He has passion for Canton. give heard
him say he could never have too much OF
it. Only really good piece is 50 terribly
expensive
Sally sighed That's the worst Of it
Everything really good is expensive, from
china to cooks And then the last in
stance OF Maria's depravity held the floor
until | went off downtown.
Sally's engagements would not permit her
to meet me on Saturday, and the business
Of choosing the Sands present was de-
ferred 10 Tuesday Of the next week. On
Monday, as | went by Lyons auction.room
after luncheon, noticed that a sale was
going on. and / wandered in The room |
was dark and crowded. People kept un
usually quiet during the preliminary sale |
Of silver-mounted pocketbooks, tea strain |
srs and fruit knives. Even the outer fringe |
Of oilers felt that some exceptional Skin.
mish was in the air.
Presently a set Of china was announced |
antique Canton OF great value, person /
ally imported by the father OF the present /
owner, who was now obliged TO sell at
! great loss
| watched the sale Of the FIRST dozen
pieces with hardly more than an idler's in
-erest Then a bowl OF unusual shape and
exquisite coloring-those Canton things are
IS different in color when you come 10 ex-
mime them as negroes-was put up, and
had an Inspiration. | would get that for
Grey Sands lie would not dream how
came by it. and doubtless il would 20
or a song Bidding on the other pieces
lad been more or less apathetic.
But ! was reckoning without my host
tarting at a dollar. the auctioneer ran il
Up easily, by bids Of 25 cents, 70 three dol
ars; then several bidders dropped out,
nd the few last grew deadly earnest
"Four-ffty. who gives FIVE? Five dollars
Yes, sir Do l hear six Six; do ] hear
y Five-ffty! Thank you. Five seventy
i've? SKI And SO on up to ten.
In my excitement had forgotten TO fix,
mentally, a limit. | now paused for mo.
nent as the bids slackened. and decided
lot 70 20 above SIS. From this point on
he bidding was confined 70 one other man
nd myself. / could not see my enemy. (
: he was apparently on the other side
{ the room, nor did l hear his voice, for
is bidding was conveyed by mods when
he auctioneer looked his way and men. .
Toned a figure that appealed 10 him. This
moved MN 10 ne 2 more cautious Ni4Nel I
han / In fact, as the fight waXed logged. 1
n rose nearer sn3 nearer nv limit my
ne hope was that /. being the more reck-
ass, might win through sheer bravado
Thirteen and a halt" shouted tie i'm
atrial auctoneer. Thirteen seventy
We Fourteen from me, and for a {
aeond I thought I had III No; fourteen
en- from the other Fourteen twenty !
ve;" my blood was up. Fourteen city {
'ourteen fftv. Fourteen seventy-fve Fiji .
SEM A nd evidently answered him. for
e turned to me expectantly. ! he.itated
hould I stretch a points Even for SIC
he bowl was a prize. and q bargain as
ally woula say-as if any Of her tansac-
ons were anything else How ] wished 6
le even limit had fallen "a me-
Meanwhile the hammer was slowly de {
oending Going az IS. going. going I
Fifteen and half Ishouted and then {
Stoned almost throhbingly. for the an. :
phony Il did not come. The auctioneer
as evidently satisfied. aud after a look
! tie direction 81 my unseen rival,
nocked down the bowl TO me.
sally was delighted with inv success, e.
ecally a. is saved her a morning 10 town