The Jennings daily record., 1902-12-10
a BARGAIN IN KISSES.
~>>- ccccce>~>.>,
BY TOM MASON.

~
sweet kiss, push up in front and bid
up. Don't let anyone else get it, to the
limit of your Northumberland? I'll be
there In time"
The boy. fresh and fair and innocent
lookins-as the run Of boys in "gilded
hells" are apt to be-was off in trice.
and In ten minutes more had added his
individual unit to the circle around the
main centre Of osculatory interest.
1t Is highly probable that If such a
really scandalOus proceeding as this
auction had been premeditated and ad-
vertlsed beforehand it would have been
promptly squashed by the pillars of
the church. But the suddenness of 1t
took the critics off their feet. and It
was well in hand and "soing on" be.
fore anyone had time to take breath.
The minister's daughter was the auc.
tioneer bamboo cane, with a strip
OF red bunting on it, was her wand Of
service Tall and stately and beauti-
ful. her eyes flashing with the fun. she
stood by the chair and waved her flag.
NOW. ladies and gentlemen" she
cried, here Is Miss Kitty Jones. How
much am l offered for d sweet kiss :?
What! Only 50? For shame! DO you
appreciate what you are getting? Five.
did you say: Now make it six. Six
it is. Seven from the gentleman on the
right. Seven, seven, seven eight,
elght-will some one make it nine?
That's right. You'll never regret 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 Cas-
Teton, 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
other than the minister's daughter her.
self. On the table by her side lay
collection box. holding over 5000, the
proceeds 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, disdainins the helping hand that
Il spectator held out TO her.
ladies and gentlemen" she said.
with your kind permission l will be
my own auctione@r, and l will spare
you the usual compliments. I am here
to raise all the money / can for the
poor children, and | am selling a kiss
10 the highest bidder How much am
I ofTerod?"
"I'wenty-fve dollars"
The first hid. ladies and gentlemen.
is SD. Who will make it thirty? Thir-
ty, it is, thirty, thirty-thirty-f thir-
ty-tive. Is tlirty-iive the highest bid:"
The tall. innocent Youth now stepped
to the front. 1t is but justice TO the
boys from the club to say they did not
recognize him.
III make it forty" he said
The auctiOneer was unmoved.
Il am offered So" she said. "Gen-
tlcmen. bid up. Forty, forty. forty
going at forty - going. going. gone.
Young man, the kiss is yours at $40"
There was slight pause. Il futtrr of
interest This nice-looking. gentleman-
ly appearing boy. with $40 to bid for a
single kiss-who was he? At any rate.
1t didn't matter much. he was ONLY q
boy.
What relief whispered one of
the committee. Ito think her rcDuta ton
has been saved by Il young thing like
that. Why. it doesn't mean anything
TO be kissed by him. An act of provi-
dcnce, ! verify believer
Almost as if in reply the boy turned
half around as the figure of Mike
Dady slowly forced its way through
the circle
II was bidding for some one else"
said the boy, holding out the money.
es. said Mike, his cool. insolent
eyes sweeping the crowd. "Ee was
bidding for me. He was my-what do
You call it:-proNy. I'll take the kiss.
if you please"
y dead silence-an awful pause.
For the first time that evening
flush spread over the face of the min
ister's daughtcr--a flush that made it's
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
appcalingly. Was there no one to help
her in this dilemma? Suddenly her eve
lighted on Il figure that stood half con-
ceai'd from view-a short. squat figure
and there calue to her voice ring of
triumrh.
OF shall he paid,' she said. "The
money, please"