The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-10-12

full, her eyes flashing with the fun, she
stood by the chair and waved her dag.
Now. ladies and gentlemen" she
cried. here is Miss Kitty Jones. How
much am | offered for a sweet kissf
What! Only two dollars? Tor shamel
Do you appreciate what you are get
ting? Five, did You say? Now make it
six. Six it is. Seven from the gentle
man on the right. Seven. seven, seven
--eight, eight-will some one make II
nine? That's right. You'll never re-
greet It, Nine, nine. Now ten. That's
better. Ten. it is. Come. gentlemen.
bid up"
The excitement ran high. Deacon
Bradbury Simpkins. forgetting what
fate awaited him at home, bid $40
on Susie Perkins, whom his good
wife had once designated as sassy"
Rudd Castleton, the best golf player in
town, was great help in bidding
up" and so also We're Jack Clubberly
and Billy Sparks.
The ninth and last girl was none 9TH
er than the minister's daughter her
self. On the table by her side lay
collection box holding over $500, the
process of this unusual traffic. Per-
haps the consciousness that she had
succeeded. that those poor little tots
would get their outing, was enough TO
make her oblivious of herself.
At any rate she was calm and beau
tifully collected as she stepped on the
chair, disdaining the helping hand that
a spectator held out to her.
Ladies and gentlemen" she said.
with your kind permission l will be
my own auctioneer, and l win spare
you the usual compliments am here
to raise all the money | can for the
poor children, and | am selling a kiss
to the highest bidder. How much am
| offered?"
twenty-five dollars"
1.-THE first bid. ladies and gentlemen,
is $50. VIII you make it thirty? Thir-
ty it is, thirty, thirty thirty-five. Is
thirty-five the highest bidY'
The tall innocent youth now stepped
to the front 1t is but justice to the
boys from the club 30 say they did not
recognize him.
"Ill make it forty he said.
The auctionecr was upmoved
II am offered $40" size said. Gen
tlemen, bid up. Forty, forty, forty,
going at forty going. going. gone
Young man, the kiss is yours at $40"
There was a slight pause, a fiutter of
interest This nice looking, gentleman
ly appearing boy, with $40 to bid for Il
single kiss, who was he? At any rate 1t
didn't matter much. He was only a
boy.
What a relief" whispered one of
the committee, TO think her reputation
has been saved by young thing like
that! Why, 1t doesn't mean anything to
be kissed by him. An act of Provi-
dence, verify belieVer'
Almost as if in reply the boy turned
half around as the figure of Mike Dady
slowly focced its way through the cir
Gle.
Il was bidding for some one else"
said the boy, holding out the money.
"Yes," said Mike, his cool, insolent
eyes sweeping the crowd. He was
bidding for me He was my what do
You call it?-proxy. III take the kiss If
You please"
| A dead silence-an awful pause.
For the IiT6htime that evening a flush
| spread over the face of the minister's
| daughter, a flush that made its way
| from her firmly rounded throat up over
her cheeks to the line of fair hair on
| her forehead.
She looked around the crowd almost
appeallngly. Was there no one to help
her in this dilemma? Suddenly her eye
| lighted on figure that stood half con
cealed from view-a short, squat figure
and there came to her voice a ring Of
triumph
You shall be paid" she said. 1.-The
money, please"
| 1t was handed 10 her, and she put
| the bills Ia a box.
| Then she turned to tho figure she
| had seen-the old family colored cook,
black as the ace of spades. who had
come to witness de proceedins"
Come here, nanny" she whispered.
and drawing her close and putting her
arms around her, she kissed the black
face a resounding smack
Then she turned to the gambler
| And here" she said, lis my proxy.
Take your pay. sir Tom Mason in
Brandur Magazine.