Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-08
DAILY SHORT STORY
IN THE NICK OF TIME.
IOriginaLl


The auctioneer held up a child's
dress beautifully embroidered, but hav-
| ing the appearance OF age. A sale or
! household effects was i'll progress at
| the house where they had been accu-
| mulating aud wearing out for thirty
years. The only residents were man
and his wife, who had been gradually
sinking from comfort to poverty until
! their house was TO be sold under fore
| closure OF mortgage and the effects
were going to pay individual debts
/ The couple stood together. the husband
now and again vainly trying TO infuse
/ into his wife courage to see her treas
ures scattered.
Il can't bear TO see that go" she said
/ TO him. I've kept il ever since Tommy
| wore 1t. | embroidered every bit of II
with my own hands. l can't. | can't.
! But Tommy proved a disappoint-
ment to US, mother. 1 put him out
| of my mind long ago. At least I've
| tried to. l thought when I grew old
he'd take the burden l was bearing for
him. but he ran away and left us TO go
TO rack and ruin. Stand up. mother"
| Il can't. wish you hadn't been so
harsh with him. He was young and
/ headstrong. He needed soothing. You
! fretted him
Who bids" the auctiopeer kept say
/ ing. is no one going to bid on this
child's dress? That embroidery. was all
! done by hand-nOne of your machine
work. Every stitch shows the greatest
care Step up. ladies. and examine it,"
Five dollars" cried mans voice
| from the far end Of the room.
! The auctioneer looked surprised.
give dollars I'm offered. Make it
| half-S5. 1t can't be possible that if Il
man is willing to give such price the
ladies' will not go higher. Why. the
/ pattern has just come into fashion"
! But there were no more bids. and he
| pronounced the article sold.
Then he took mp the next. a bahy's
/ bonnet A lady hid p cents, but the
! purchaser of the dress bid Il dollar, and
| It was knocked down to him. A young
woman hung on his arm who appeared
| to be his wife The women present
whispered To each other and looked ut
| the couple who seemed so anxious for
| babies clothes. The young husband
! kept on bidding, and the child for whom
they were intended must he a hoy and
growing old rapidly. First toys, then
sled. tricycle. hobbyhorSe no matter
how diiapidated their condition. were
! bid in nv the man who was ready to
absorb all Of them. Then when articles
Of furniture were put up the buyer con
tinued his purchases Chairs. tables,
sofas, mirrors. all went into the pos
session of the stranger.
Cheer up. mother" whispered the
old man The things are bringing
more than they are worth"
"They're not bringing tithe Of what
| they are worth to me" she sighed.
This young couple who are buying
them all remind me of the time when
you and 1 started out so happy. It's
all over now. They'll have to come to
| it some time. poor things"
81 hope the boy they're buying the
! toys for won't desert Them sighed
the man.
There was not very much to sell. and
what there was the stranger purchaS-
| ed Then the auctiOneer announced
| that he would sell the house 1t was
some time before any bid could he got.
| and then il came from the man who
had bought the effects. He bid So, 600.
| Several persons wanted the house. and
it was run up to $4,000 before the bid
ding began to drop off. At last the only
two contestants remaining were a real
| estate operator and the man who had
| purchased the toys. The two ran the
| price up TO $4,000, when the unknown
astonished all present by bidding 500.
| 600 That ended the sale, and the
premises were knocked down.
why. mother" said the old man.
that gives rs $4,000 above all our
debts"
What name is the deed to he made
in?" asked the auctioneer.
Thomas Coggeshall."
NO. no." said the auctioner impa-
| ticntly: mot the last owner, the pres
ent one"
Thomas Coggeshall."
The auctioneer looked up surprised.
Make the deed TO Thomas Cogge-
! shall said the purchaser.
What does il mean?' asked the old
woman of her husband. He did not re-
| ply. He was as much befogged as she.
| Come, hand in 10 per cent of the
| purchase money" shouted the auction
Ger and give me your name, or If
you're going TO back out say so right
| off, and III make the sale over"
! The stranger took out a check book,
| drew n check for 5000. signed It
/ Thomas CoggeshalI, Jr.. and handed it
/ 10 the auctiOneer, who looked at 1t as
much puzzled as ever
! viii you please explain this riddle?"
| asked the auctioneer
Yes, but to my father and mother"
Approaching the old couple, he took
them both i'm his arms with: Don't
YOU know me, father? Don't you
know me, mother: I'm Tommy I've
made money and got married and
come back to find you. This is Evelyn,
my wife. She says I've treated you
aboDiinably. and she's right But I'll
m Lrn 70 Is.@I e.