The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-23

meet, yet she had twinkle in her eye that
demonstrated she had mind of her own.
When 1 mounted the auction platform that
cold morning this little woman sat before
me. her hands in her muff and a black
wooden fascinator dropped down over her
ears. Others stood about her, but / was
attracted by this woman in particular.
When / saw her there thought her means
were limited and she was looking for
bargain in some piece of furniture and she
undertook this means OF procuring it, will
ing to take her chances with the remainder
OF people about her.
SKELETON IN THE BOX.
The first article handed me that morn
ing was obIong box five feet long L
thought the box contained a strip of car
pet rug and think the old woman did
also as well as the others about me. The
bidding was started by a secondhand
dealer far back in the crowd OF course
he began low and soon several women gave
bids. BY this time the little old woman
was aroused and she began bidding until
the man back of her yelled out $50. The
old woman was not to be outdone and called
out $50. No other answer came and /
sold the box to the old woman. She ran
toward her prize and asked one of the rail-
road men near by to open il for her. While
the went for the tools a crowd OF
other women congregated about the box to
see what it contained when il should be
opened. The old woman in the meantime
began to adjust her wraps preparatory to
leaving. A few blows from the hammer
lifted off the lid of the box Layers of
brown paper were encountered and these
W off ri prrif1
ly at the anxious crowd. were the bones
Of a skeleton nicely bIeached and ready to
be wired. The old woman stood motionless
for moment. then turned and walked to
the door. Before she could get her hand
on the latch she wavered and fell. She had
paid her last cent for that box Of bones
thinking she was to get a valuable carpet.
Another case | recall was at one of the.
late sales, when 1 held a small paper box
about one inch by two inches in measure
ment. / was jeered at when the men saw
me holding it between by fingers. No one
would bid until after had talked for fully
five minutes. The bid was then started at
cents. 1 continued my harangue ard after
minutes more work succeeded in raising
the bid cents. Then weak-voiced little
girl I'm the back of the room, who had been
told that the box might contain needles for
making fancy work, yelled out that she
was willing TO pay 15 cents for the box. A
ripple of laughter followed the words of
the girl and / was forced to join i'm the
merriment. / did not waste many words
I'm closing the deal and handed the girl the
box when she had paid the Is cents Like
the old woman, she was curious TO see
what she had purchased and quickly tore
the paper box open. Instead of a set of
bright steel needles little nuggets of gold
were revealed to the girls searching gaze
The nuggets were made in the shape of
teeth and were evidently intended for some
dentist.
THE GIRLS GOOD LUCK.
The girl held the box I'm her hand and
looked about the crowd with a frightened
air.. 1t became my duty, on learning of her
embarrassment, to tell her that the prop
erty belonged TO her, no matter how valu-
able it was. She hurried from the place
and went to her home. I afterward learned
that that girl sold that gold for Sis.
Those two cases are but small compared
with the vast number that have each
year. Each sale always brings a new situa-
ton. 1t is at the auction held at the po-
lice station. in May of each year, that pur-
chasers cry out they are cheated At these
sales, If buyer does not get what he is
looking for. he blames the auctioneer and
the police and calls them robbers"