Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-08-02

| II scrubby hens and one old, lean
! Shanghai rooster, which were just de-
vouring the last particles of the crack
ed corn which had aroused so much
interest at the little country grocery.
Henry lost no time in getting down to
business.
Say, dad" he said, "what'll We take
for them hens"
"Why, Henry, what on earth do you
want of them chickens? You amt
got no use for em, and If We had ye
amt got no money to pay for EN-"
That's all right, dad. I'm in a
hurry and / want them hens. I'll
pay We for 'em tomorrow, and you'll
know why l wanted 'em in just about
| ten minutes. You just leave all this
to me. Now, what'll we take for
'em?"
oval, Henry, l don't know what on
| airth you be driving at. Them hens
amt with much, but if you're calc'lat-
| ing to dress 'em and sell IN for poul-
try, l don't know that want to make
much out'n you. II you'll give me
half dollar apiece for 'em tomorrow
you kin hev EN-"
The bargain had hardly been sealed
when the delegation from the corner
blOIG dDDtdItu uDOn the SNtuC, SOLuG-
what the worse for the mud upon the
country road After a few desultory
remarks, Hart Johnson preached the
subject of the visit.
Il wanted to speak to We about the
cracked corn We just got, Hi" he said.
whats the matter with it?" in
quired the elder Putter, somewhat
anxiously Cause If there was them
| pesky hens hev just ct the last of it,"
Here was a complication in the sit
uation which Mr.. Johnson had not bar
gained for, but he inquired somewhat
obviously: Say, Hi, what'll ye take
| fer them hens just as they be?"
Sorry can't obleege We, Mr.. John
son, but the fact of the matter is tibet
they amt my hens no longer. I've
| just sold EN- to Henry here"
Mr.. Johnson turned his batteries in
a new direction. He had not noticed
Henry in the back room of the store
during the hunt for the diamond and
| supposed he had walked home with
his father.
wal, Henry" he said, "what'll you
| take for EN-? I've calc'lated for
some time that l needed a few more
hens an these Of your'n kinder take
my eye"
wal, the fact of the matter is, Mr..
Johnson, that kinder tho't tibet I'd
go into the hen-raisin' business my
self. These is mighty good hens and
don't b'leeve l care to sell 'em, any
way. II do sell 'em whatll ye give
me for 'em?"
wal, Henry, dunno but it's more'n
| they're wuth, but seem it's you I'll
| give We half dollar apiece for EN-"
AN I'll give We 55 cents apiece,"
"An' l co." interjected two Of the
| farmers.
Henry looked at them in well-feigned
| amaZement. Seems ter me-" he
said THAT you people want these
hens mighty bad all OF a sudden.
| dunno why you all want 'em, but If We
| do, I'll tell ye what I'll do; I'll hev a
vendoo right here an now an sell 'em
| off one on a time, only these is purity
tollable fair hens an amt a-goin' to
| sell none on EN- for less AN rs cents"
This proposal was received with
great but disguised satisfaction by all
excepting Johnson, but the sacred
rights of the minority remained I'M
recognized, and the auction began.
Henry started in chase OF one of the
hens while each OF the farmers made
a mental calculation. There were IL
| fowls. That made one chance in IL
of each birl having a diamond in her
crop. The diamond was supposed to
| be worth about $40 dollars, therefore
| each chance was worth slightly over
| three dollars, with a little thrown in
for luck.
After a short chase Henry returned
in triumph, with his captive cackling
and Tapping her wings; and, with
| Henry acting as auctioneer the sale
began. The hen was a miserable,
! stunted little bird Of some unknown
mixture of breeds, but Mr. Johnson
started the bidding at rs cents. From
| this point II quickly went to one dol
| lar; to a dollar and a quarter; and
| then more slowly until it reached
| three dollars and twenty cents, at
which price ii was secured by Hart
| Johnson. All this was to the open
and undisguised establishment of Put
ter sr., and to the apparent astonish-
ment Of Putter, jr.
| Henry was about to catch another
hen and proceed with the sale when
he was stopped by Mr.. Johnson. Mr.
! Johnson said that If Henry was will
| ing to wait minute or two he would
take the hen into the barn and find
a meal sack TO take her home in. A
number of those present volunteered
to help him, and the entire company
with the exception of Henry and his
father, entered the barn and closed
the door. A loud cackling was heard
from the interior of the building and,
shortly after the delegation returned,
the faces of all, excepting that of Mr..
Johnson, being much elated while his
was correspondingly much depressed.
There were rather evident blood
stains upon Mr.. Johnsons hands.
Another bird was put up, another
mental calculation gone through with,
with a slightly different result, and
after one of the farmers had bought
the bird for little less than three and
a half dollars, another trip was made
to the barn with a like result.
The process was repeated until only
one hen and the rooster remained.
Theoretically, on a forty-dollar valu-
alton those two birds were worth
twenty dollars apiece, but the none too
we'll lined purses of the farmers were
becoming badly depleted, and Mr..
Johnson secured the hen for a little
over seven dollars-and still no dia-
mond.
Come to think on it," said Henry,
81 don't bleeve I'll sell tibet rooster.