Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-04-15

"H'clI," says Small, '',rllat do you think
Of it2'
gain like his should have hung on to a
salable piece of dunnage so long as
this seemed most too tough to believe.
We'll, l swan to mani" says l..
"Adoniram Rogers! Have you seen
the-the davenport thing!"
Sure, I've seen it, says Milo. 81
amt much of jedge, but it's an old
davenport, and it's got Sheraton lines,
and I've got the refusal Of it till to-
morrow, when Mrs. It's going up to
inspect"
"Told Small YETI" asked Peter r.,
winking on the side to me and Jona-
dab.
Milo looked scared. Goodness, no."
says he. And don't you tell him
neither. His wife's davenport hunt
ing too"
His tOps'ls hadn't much more n
| sunk in the Offing afOre who should
walk out Of the billiard room behind
us but Eddie Small
Brown" says he to Peter r., Il
| want you to have horse and buggy
harnessed up for me right off. Mrs.
Small and l are going for a little
| drive to-to-Over to Orham," he says
Twas a mean, black night for a
drive as fur as Orham, and Peter look
ed surprised. He started to say some
thing. then swallere1 it down and told
Eddie he'd see to the Harvesting
When Small was out of sight, ! says:
you don't cal'late he heard what
Milo was telling, do you, Peter?'
says l.
Peter T. shook his head and winked,
first at JOnadab and then at me.
And the next day there was the
dickens to pay because Eddie and the
duchess had driven up to Rogers the
night afore and had bought the daven-
port, refusal and all. for $50 more n
Milo offered for it.
'Twan't nothing bIt ratty old Grip
| pie Of sofy, with one leg carried
away and most of the canvas in rib
bons. but four men lugged it up the
steps. and the careful way they han
| died it made you think the Old Home
House was receiving tomb and they
was laying in the dear departed.
| Twas set down on the piazza, and
! then the friends had chance to view
the remains. The duchess and Irene
dear" gurgled and gushed and re-
ceived congratulations. The dOwager
sailed over. tilted her nose up to the
foretop, remarked "Humph!' through
it and come about and stood ut the
other end Of the porch. MY daugh-
ter fOllers In her wake, observes
'Humph!' likewise and makes for blue
water. Milo comes over and looks ut
Eddie
WELL" says Small, "what do you
think Of it?'
''Never mind what I think of it," an
swers Thompson through his teeth.
"Shali tell you what think of you? ?"
| And after that the cold around the
thrones was So fierce we had to move
the thermometer, and we had to give
the families separate tables in the din
ing room SOS the milk wouldn't freeze.
You see, the pitcher set right between
'em. and Oh! didn't expect you'd
believe it.
| The ''antiquing" went on harder than
ever. Every time the ThompsOns
landed relic they'd bring 1t out on
the veranda or In to dinner and glOat
over 1t loud and pointed. while the
Smalls would pipe all hands to unload
| sarcasm, and the same vicy vercy
when twas t'other WHY about. Twas
interesting and instructive to listen to
and amused the populace on rainy
days, so Peter r. said.
Adoniram Rogers had been mighty
Source around the Old Home sense the
davenport deal. But one morning he
showed up unexpected. a boarder had
dug up an antique sOmewheres In the
shape Of derelict plate and was dis
playing It proud on the piazza.
Adoniram grunted. HUH" says he
"'Tain't nothing but blue dish. I've
| got whole closet full Of them"
"What?" yells everybody. and then.
Twill you sell 'em?"
| "SelI EN-" says Rogers. looking
round surprised. why. l never see
nothing wouldn't sell II l got money
enough for It,"
Everybody wanted to get AdOniram
one side and talk with him. and every
body else was determined they should
not. Wherever he moved the IAN
tiquers" moved with him. Rogers got
| scared
look here" says he, staring sort of
wild like at the boarders. what ais
you folks? Are you crazyT
Well. lie might have made a good
deal worse guess than that l don't
| know how 'twould have ended II
Peter I. Brown, cool and sassy as ever,
hadn't come on deck just then and
took command
"See here, Rogers" he says; let's
understand this thing. Have you got q
set Of dishes like that?"
Adoniram looked at him. Twill !
get jailed If say yes?" be answers.
Maybe you will If you don't" says
Peter. Now. then, ladies and gentle
men, this is something we're all inter
ested in, and / think everybody ought
to have fair show. Rogers will bring
; those dishes down here tomorrer. and
we'll put 'em on exhibition in the no.
tel parlor. Next day We'll have an
auction and sell 'em to the highest
cash bidder. And. provided there's no
objection. III sacrifice my reputation
and be auctioneer."