The Washington times., 1901-11-17

|
mine to this young lady"
And what will you take for them
miss?" asked tn, man.
'Oh, | couldn't sell them gaspet
Gwen: never. neveri'
IT'S wonderful bit of stuff" said tn,
man. Where on earth did 1t come from
and how did it get here?'
Been in the family long time" said
! Dick. Chelsea, isn't it?'
Good Lord, mani its I74O Sevres. Dc
you mean to say you didn't know"
Never saw a piece before in my life, sc
far as 1 know said Dick, quietly; but
it took my fancy
well, I-h'm," said the man. and omen.
cd his mouth twice TO say more, but
thought better of 1t. He paid over his
two hundred and fifty pounds, wrapped
tho cup and saucer up in cotton wool and
placed them in i black leather bag As
he was leaving he handed his card to
| Dick, and said, III ever the young lady
| thinks of selling any more of them I'm
| open to business The card bore the
| name and address Of well-known firm
| in Wardour Street, London, and Dick
thanked him and put it carefully into his
| depleted pocketbook, just to keep its in
sides from grating against one another.
When Mr.. Evan Evans came up. rub
bing his hands in a congratulatory man
ner, and suggested that Mr.. VaiIe should
| settle up for his purchase, Dick coolly
scribbled him an o U for one hundred
and eight pounds ona scrap Of paper. and
told him Miss Jones would accept 1t.
Then, when the auctioneer smilingly
| suggested that thirty shillings was not an
over-liberai honorarium for so extensive
| sale, Dick quietly asked him. What
would Miss Jones have got for those Guns
and saucers if 1 hadn't happened TO be
| here. Mr.. Evans?" Mr.. Evan Evans did
not attempt to say; he settled UP his ac
| counts, deducted his thirty shillings, and
drove away home, feeling that things
had net gone exactly as he had hoped.
The purchasers Of the other things were
| busy dismantling the house and loading
| the disintegrated furniture on their carts
Dick made Gwen unpack her small trunk
and carefully repack it with separate
pieces of blue china between the folds
| of articles of her dress and her scanty
stock Of linen: and he packed the re-
mainder in similar fashion in his own
box, together with the old books. Next
he paid the landlord. who was there wait
ing for his money, and handed him the
key. Gwen piucked bunch of roses and
honeysGckle, and her eyes were bright
and soft with the pain of parting as she
climbed into the two-wheeied cart Dick
had hired. Dick himself gingerly handed
in those valuable boxes. and they drove
into Pwlldw to the little inn where they
were to stop for the night.
Mrs. Jones, the landlady, received them
with open arms and much curiosity. for
no Of . hsaf ,If,fr,
chran had already got abroad
''Whateffer's the meaning of # all. Mr..
Waller" she asked. rs It lies the folks is
telling. or dit you all go off your hets at
the sale today?"
Not bit Of 1t, Mrs. Jones' 1t simply
means that old Madame jeanne"
''Old who?" said Mrs Jones
Madame jeanne, of Pwllchoran-Miss
Guenfre's grandmother, whom you hu-
morous people chose to call Mrs. Jones
was the possessor OF some very valuable
old china-more valuable than anybdy
was probably aware OF. which WAS perhaps
Just as well-and we sold n piece or two
just to try the market. Miss Gwen is
going up to London to boarding school
VIII you-m make us the best tea you can,
and get couple Of rooms ready for
us? Well stop for the lyht and 20 on
tomorrow"
Gwen leaned her elbows on the table
among the dishes after tea, and resting
her little round chin on them, looked at
Richard Vale
Dick. is It really true, or is it all a
dream? Did that man really pay two
hundred and fifty pounds for that cup
and saucer?"
He did. my child. and unless am very
much mistaken, the party he sells 1t to
will pay considerably more. The moneys
in my pocket. Seel five $50 notes. There's |
nothing so convincing as looking at the |
money. / remember feeling just that way |
when I sold my first picture looked at |
the money-it was s5-about every five |
minutes for three days. and 1t nearly |
broke my heart to spend 1t; but my land |
lady was at my elbow all the time, and |
had to break it."
IF one cup and saucer are worth a250 |
what do you suppose all the rest Of those
things are WORTH"
Dear knows! Heaps, should say.
You're a young lady of fortune, and-my
lear, I'm heartily glad of 1t. You need !
lever give a thought to the future"
How do you mean, Dick?"
81 mean you'll always have enough to |
i've on-and no fears of the workhouse,"
le added. with great laugh in which
here was the ring of genuine gladness.
The tight straw bonnet and the brown
'loak down to your knees will never
launt your dreams again, Gwen"
How did you know 1 dreamt about
hem? l never told you"
i didn't know. dear You needn't have
lone so. | would never" and there he
topped. Somehow it was easier to tell
Ter last night that he would see to her
uture than 1t was now to assure her
hat he would have done so.
i dreamt it more than once since gran
y died." said Gwen
We'll, don't you ever go and do IL |
gain. Wen sell the rest of the things in
'ondon, after making proper enquiries
bout them. Then the money shall be
afely invested for you. and you shall go
or as long as you like to a good school
ay, the one my sister Nell went to at
NiiIstead. They're awfully nice old la
les, and were as good as gold to her
IL She died there, you know. I've
Did you about her"
Gwen nodded
And then-?" she asked. with her
hin in the upturned hands and her soft,
ark eyes sparkling at him
Then what?"
when I've been to school for two or n
iree years?'
"Oh, then you'll be able to do just what | Q
on like. live as you like-trayel perhaps
4 the Continent"
Yes, l should like that. Ia like to go
} Paris and Rome and Do you know,
think III be an artist, Dick"
That's all right, dear since you've got | -
lough to live on. It's deuce-I mean r