Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-08-24
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST "a, 1906
Bings' Bargain
BY
LAURA ALTON PAYNE


WAltiOCh SElhueu.
Mammals pet mustn't be naughty"
said the pretty widow, turning her
brown eyes apologetically on Bings.
"Come to mamma, dearie. Mr.. Bings
isn't used to babies
But the dimpled cherub, otherwise
Baby Moffatt, who had purposely and
after many backslidings climbed upon
the rustic seat occupied by Bings, for
whom she had evinced decided par
TALLY from the start, only Struggled
the closer to the secretly delighted
Bings and cooed, Baby owe Bings."
then as happy afterthought, mann
ma 'ove Bings," at which frank and
wholly unexpected revelation of her
small daughter the pretty Widows face
rivaled Bings'.
Whitlock guffawed. "Now's your
chance, Bings." he urged, with mali
cious levity at his rivals discontinue.
But Bings, with hasty adieu. fed,
leaving the cherub disconsolate.
Bings metaphorically kicked himself
all the way home for not taking ad-
vantage of the best opportunity he had
ever had, even IL 1t was before the
sneering Whitlock, and for his cow
ardly desertion of the pretty widow to
Whitlock's caustic raillery.
Bings paused at his own gate and
gazed miserably at the big silent house.
He shut his eyes moment and imag-
ined he saw the pretty widow and the
cherub sitting on the front porch. IL
was q blissful vision, but Bings felt
that 1t would never become a blissful
reality unless miracle happened.
Bings was a bachelor. Bings was big
and blond and bald, Bings was bash
ful-in fact, Bings was whole swarm
of "B's." He narrowly escaped being
beauty, with his baby complexion
and innocent blue eyes. Ills size was
the only thing that saved him from this
terrible fate. Moreover, Blngs was a
bargain fiend No woman could scent
bargain sale farther Off than could
Billy Bings. Incidentally Billy was
the climax to Bings' woes. But no per-
suasion on his part could convince his
friends of the absurdity Of calling
six footer Billy.
Bings' bachelorhood was condition
of neither birth nor achievement-it
was thrust upon him. During his evo-
luton into that state there had been
any one Of a dozen maids and widows
that Bings would have been only too
happy to have endowed with half his
worldly goods but for his excessive
bashfulness. Never yet had he been
able to screw his courage up to the
point of proposal though he had made
almost superhuman efforts In that d.
rection.
This seemed a pity, for Blngs was
undeniably cut out for Benedict. He
thought all women angels and all
babies cherubs.
As he started uptown on the mo
mentous morning after bis preclpitate
flight Bings had particular cherub In
mind-a pretty, brown eyed, dimpled
cherub that he would have given half
he was worth TO possess and the other
half to possess the cherub's pretty,
brown eyed mother. But SO far every
glance from Mrs. Jessie Moffatt's ro-
guish eyes had produced the unfortu-
nate effect Of instantaneous paralysis
Of poor Blngs' tongue. 80 that he could
only stand dumb or blush and STAN
mer like any silly schoolboy.
This was not the first time by any
means that Bings had performed that
metaphorical feat 1t had been at least
semiweekly occurrence for several
months past. Each time Bings vowed
that the next time he would not act
the fool. But no did. He had reached
the point where the inevitable mental
feat was coplously punctuated with
vigorous ejaculation that would have
shocked the pretty widow had she
heard It,
BIngs felt his helplessness bitterly.
SO absorbed was he in this thought as
he picked his way along the shady
street that he failed to observe the
widow block or 30 ahead Of him. A
deep gloom cnveloped Bings' soul that
bright June morning.
"Confound itv' he muttered. "Tf
something doesn't happen soon PIP
"Going. going-gone"
Bings pricked up his ears and has
tened his steps. An auction, and he
not to know It? Turning corner. he
came full upon a familiar scene just
as a table was knocked down to the
highest bidder Bings' eyes gioated
over the unusual display Of household
goods spread before him.
Fifty centsw bid voice in the
crowd as the auctioneer held up an
article. 1t was Whitlock's voice. Bings'
wrath famed up, and before he had
time to think he was bidding furiously
against his rival. Fast In the grip Of
"bargaIn fever" and whetted on by
Whitlock, Bings rapidly became pos
SCISSOR Of various articles that were Of
as much use to him at that period Of
pair Of wings. Had Bings intercepted
the exchange OF wInks between Whit
lock and the auctioneer he might have
been more cautious As It was, the
around Bings grew and grew.
"Going. going - gonep shouted the
auctioneer. "Dirt cheap at that, Mr.
Bings. Here, Sam, wheel this peram-
bulator around to Mr. Blngs."
PerambulatoFl Heavensl Had he
bought perambulatorf Bings wiped
his perspiring brow and gIared defiant
ly around.
why. Billy BIngs" cried laughing
feminine voice at his elbow. What
do you want with a perambulatorT
Bings' aSAsperated gaze encountered
that of Mrs. Marston, a merry faced
woman. BY her side stood the pretty
widow with the coveted cherub cling.
ing to her hand.
Bings turned fiery red and caught
wildly at his hat, or where he supposed
1t TO be, only to find that he was fan
ming himself with 1t. Making an en-
barrassed bow, he began to mop his
perspiring face violently.
Heres yer p'ramb'latr." said Sam
IaconicaIly, Dausing In front Of BlnCs.
Bings turned fascinated eyes on tha
thing. which seemed to him to have