The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-11-29
THE GREAT RUMMAGE SALE AT pINEv1LLE.

"What on earth have ye done with
my old ulster, Alvira?" said Silas
Holbrook, poking his head into the
pantry where Alvira stood molding
her bread. "I've looked high and
low for it, an 'tain't nowhere, as 1
can see."
"Well, don't look no more, then, Z"
said his wife, without turning round.
"But what have ye done with it,
anyway?" persisted Silas.
Alvira whirled round, pan of
bread in each hand, and Silas lodged
quickly one side to let her pass
through the narrow door. Alvira
had grown stout in the last few years,
though Silas was still as little and
wizened as dried pepper. The oven
door slammed before Alvira an
swered.
"I've given it to Lucinda Peters
for the rummage sale" said she, as
she turned and faced him.
Silas' under jaw dropped and his
faded blue eyes looked bewildered, as
he sank down upon the empty wood
box.
"Given it to Lucinda Peters for the
rummage sale! And what's rum
mage sale, Alvira ?" said he, in a
hopeless tone.
Lucinda says it's the latest fad
the city folks has got up to make
money for church societies, relief
corps and sich like. And the Pine
vile folks amt a-going to be behind
hand, so they're going to have one,
too. You see, every one rummages
through their attics for all the old
truck they've had hid up for the last
forty years, and brushes it up and
sends it to be sold. Then the poor
people come in and buy it for little
or nothing, and the money goes to
the church. When Lucinda called to
see what I'd give was too busy to
go rummaging in the attic, so I rum
maged the woodshed and found your
old ulster. Now, Silas, you've had
that old coat, / don't know how many
years, and you never wear it only
when you go tramping in the woods,
and I'm sick of seeing it round, so
I'm glad it's gone, I" answered Alvira,
briskly.
"And 1 m powerful sorry, Alvira, "
said Silas, dejectedly.
"Land sake! Silas, you look as
mournful as if I'd given away yer
last cent !'' said his wife, a little
scornfully.
"Seems almost as if ye had, AL
vira," answered Silas, hoisting him
self down from the woodbox and
shuf1ing slowly out of the room to
the shed.
With his hands thrust into his
trousers pockets, Silas gazed discon-
solately at the empty peg, where for
SO long a time had hung that shabby
old ulster.
"Who'd ever dreamed that AL
vira'd give that ere coat away?"
muttered he. "She hain't teched it
for years, as 1 can remember, to sew
button on it nor nothing, and I
didn't suppose she ever would. I
never'd left them things in the
pockets if I'd thought Alvira'd go
nigh it | An now the whole things
gone" Silas sank down upon the
chopping block and groaned aloud.
Lucinda Peters the beatenest wo-
man I've ever heard on p he mutter-
ed wrathfully. "She's allus a get
ting up new tangled notions, and
stirring up the other women. Ever
since she started that air woman's
club FIVE years ago, there amt no
end of the queer things of the women
of this town. Makes a man feel as if
he was a living nigh an earthquake
that you don't know any time when
it'll bust. And now the latest kick
ups rummage sale %
Silas groaned again az he opened
the kitchen door and called loudly:
"Alvira |"
"Well, Silas, what is it?" answer
ed his wife.
"Where' Lucinda Peters having
that air rummaging sale ye're telling
on ?" asked Silas.
I'm the back room of Jake Weth-
erell's store down to Pineville. Jake
said the women could have the use of
it, if they'd clean it up first"
"Huh ! Jake knew what he was
about that time, for the place hahn t
been cleaned up since the year one, "
said Silas, as he closed the kitchen
door.
A little latter the sound of sleigh
bells caused Alvira to look out of the
window.
''I snum; if there amt Silas a
driving off to the village without say,
ing word to me And I'd been a
( thinking I'd go down myself. It's
Jest like the selfshness of man, any
how. Lucinda says they air all ty-
rants, even the best of 'em."
Pineville was all excitement ovei
the rummage sale in Jake Wetherelps
store. Lucinda Peters had stirred uE
the farmers wives to ransack their
houses from cellar to garret, and the
result was decidedly unique.
There were disabled fatirons, weak
backed chairs, and pitchers minus
noses. There was the old-fashionee
wooden bread trough mounted OF
rockers, that served as a cradle IN the
long ago. Rickety spinning wheels
whose busy whirl had long been 81