The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-06-18
A Heart at Auction
n a Fair Lady is Won Through Diplomacy


for he felt instinctiyey that the out
come OF the absurd little contest that
he saw impending would decide wheth-
er he or Dickson would marry Natalie
Platt. | say Henderson felt this In
stinctiyely, because there really was
no reason whatever why the prettiest
girl that ever neglected her household
duties for the sake OF studying art
should bestow her hand upon one OF
two rivals merely because he had sue
ceeded In a painting OF ners that had
been put up at auction. And yet Hen
derson was sure that this was the
crisis.
When Amy Burton had told him
what was TO happen. he was In the act
Of demanding OF a girl in gypsy dress
what had been the result OF a certain
rattle In which. at her behest. he had
become possessed OF chance" ear
ler in the day The fair. for the benefit
Of the village church. which. since
two in the afternoon. had been In pro
gress on the church green. was now
drawing to close. To its complete
success. the condition OF the pictur-
esque stalls. which were on every side.
bore witness for the stock OF each OF
them now consisted chiefly OF rem
nants," while il was noticeable that
practically every member OF the crowd
which still gaily thronEed about the
stalls. carried one or more parcels.
Several hours before. 1t had been
whispered about that toward The end
OF the day such knick.knacks from the
stalls as had failed TO find purchasers
a \. 60 To-. xtsffh
the Mayor OF the village in the role OF
auctioneer. and Henderson had heard
1t like everyone else, but with no spe-
cial interest And then Miss Burton
had whispered in his ear that one of
the early items in the sale would be
water-color painting by Natalie Plat,
and a thrill had gone through him as
he realized what the announcement
meant.
For there was no doubt in Hender-
sons mind that from the moment the
auctioneer called for bids upon Miss
Platts painting. IL would be a question
only whether he or Dickson got IL.
Their rivalry for the attractive girl
who at this moment was presiding
over a stall at the other end of the
green had lasted for several months.
but never yet had the two young men
come into what could be called actual
collision. Now. however. with nearly
every second person at the fair a
friend Of the three parties concerned.
Il was obvious TO Henderson that some
one was about TO sustain the ignOminy
OF a public defeat
A moments thought told him how
Il had happened that neither he nor
Dickson had secured Miss Platt's
painting already II was simply be-
cause the work had not been on sale
az her stall. There was a booth at
which pictures were displayed, and
there the water-color must have been
from the first. Natalie Plat, however.
had elected TO make the sweet-stall
the scene OF her activities. which in
dicates why the contents of the various
other booths failed to be examined
with any great attention by Messrs.
Henderson and Dickson.
Henderson knew we'll that the girl
whose labOrs with the brush had been
at first the amusement but finally the
pride Of her well-to-do people was the
last in the world 10 have wished that
public contest between the two men
whom she had good reason to know
we're in love with her. Probably Miss
Platt had no idea even that her work
was among the unsold articles
And then there came 10 Henderson
the feeling that he had had so many
times during the last few weeks, that
the bitterness OF losing TO his rival
did he lOse-would be lessened had he
felt surer that Dickson was worthy OF
Natalie Platt's love. On meeting Dick
SON Henderson had felt a certain dis
| trust that he knew did not spring from
| jealousy, and later a story had reached
him which he preferred not 10 believe
but could not help remembering
That Dickson was dangerous rival
there was no doubt Henderson, look
| ing across the crowd. could see him
| chatting with Mrs. Arnold at the flow
or stall. and admitted that he was a
handsome fellow. and one to attract
even so proud a girl as Natalie Platt
| As 10 himself Henderson always had
| known that the girl who loved him
would do so mainly for the manhood
/ and some brains which he believed he
/ pO-SstSSt0. W nat cndnCe Nd0 ne
| Henderson's only answer to this was
fash OF the eve and the resoluts
drawing Up Of an under jaw, in the SCI
Of which those who knew him always
had been able TO read-the last ditch
And then the young man glanced III
and saw that IL was beginning The
| platform. which. until a few minutes
before had been occupied by the vii
laEe band. now had been cleared anC
upon It. behind a table piled high Will
odds and ends OF all kinds, stood tn,
| popular Mayor himself. while. at the
sight Of him, the crowd was desertinl
he stalls and gathering about the new
center Of interest.
II was at this moment that Nortor
Willis. Henderson's chum. ran his arm
through that Of his friend with a Hey
messmate. this way to the auction
sale" and then continued. by thu
way. Henderson. old man, did yol
know that a painting OF Miss Platt'i
IS going up pretty soon p
You're not going to let Dickson
get it, are you?" Willis went on.
mot If ! can help H."
Good boy" approved his chum
but by George. he'll give you a fgh
for a. Beatrice Mills told him wha