The Greenville morning herald. [volume] (Greenville, Tex.) 1890-1956, 1910-11-24
AN
ODD AUCTION
BY ANNA WOODBRIDGE
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association


when the owners OF the great planta.
lions formed rural society such as
one finds today In the country districts
Of England Edmund Dexter, young
graduate Of Harvard college, went to
| Georgia to tutor the children of plant.
er named Bernhard Among Dcxter's
pupils was Carey Bernhard, girl Of
seventeen. Since Dexter was but
twcnty-three the relation OF teacher
aud pupil wns hardly safe one IL
there were objections to the little god
of love coming in to weld their hearth
The said god did step in. firing shafts
that grievOuSly wounded Miss Bernhard
and Mr. Dexter. As soon as the at
fochment was discovered Mr.. Ben.
kard dismissed Dexter. The lovers
were in an agony over their separation,
but what could they do? Dexter had
no income except what he received
from the girls father. and when that
| was cut off he was obliged to shift for
/ himself
Dexter took his departure, telling the
| girl he loved that If fortune favored
| him he would come back and should
he find her single he would claim her
But he would not advise her to wait
| for him, because he was not visionary
and saw no probability of his being
able 10 take her from her luxurious
| home The girl was more hopeful and
/ declared that If she could not marry
| the man she loved she would not mar.
/ ry at all.
Ten years passed Carey Bernhard
| had developed into splendid woman
| She had received many offers, but had
| not married She never spoke of the
young man who had carried away her
virgin heart with him, she entered
into the amusements in vogue among
/ the planter society in which she lived.
/ Her father did not urge her to marry
/ indeed he dreaded lest she should,
| The only sutton be favored was Unit.
! ed States senator twenty years her
| senior who had made himself pnbmi.
nent in the anti-slavery agitation that
/ was then in full force,
The civil war passed over the land,
leaving the south in n broken condi.
/ ton. Mr.. Bernhard, now General Ben.
khrd, had lost his slaves by emancipa.
/ ton, but. being a man of energy. had
done what ne could TO repair the dam
/ age to his plantation and. hiring his
| old hands. had done his planting and
| raised his crops. But it was all he
could do financially to keep his head
! above water.
There was a great deal of poverty in
the south in those days, and every
device was resorted TO to keep many
who had lived In aiiluence from starv
ing. A ball was given on the lienkard
plantation for this purpose, the ladies
who managed 1t resOrting TO dlffcrcnl
methods by which to raise funds fOr
charity. Among these was one which
would have been expected TO produce
excellent results II the young men OF
the south had not been Impoverished
by the war. 1t was this; a man coult
only gain the privilege of dancing Will
any lady he desired for partner b,
bidding for It,
Senator - after the failure of TIN
cause he had advocated continued ;
sutton for Carey Benkards hand Nor
shrewd than most OF his computriot
ut the beginning of the war, be ha'
sold his slaves and put the money IL
blockade runners Nearly all his slip
had passed in and out without cap
ture. and instead OF being poor lili'
most of his neighbors, he was wealthy
There were no invitations to Genera
Bonkard's bail, NIL being free to attend
II had been arranged that bids SHOULD
be received for the privilege of opening
the ball with Miss Carey Bernhard
The men surrounded an improviset
auctioncer's stand, and offers wcr'
called for. Senator started The
bidding by an offer Of $500. No othel
bid was expected and the matter wa'
considered closed when man in tbs
throng cried. zone thousands"
Tie senator started Those looking
ON were surprised who among the
men OF that region could offer 90
much? Senator raised his bid 70
$1,000. He had scarcely spoken th
words when his antagonist who seem
ed 10 be II stranger. for no one knew
him, said quietly, Five thousand
Senator - felt II essential as {
sutton for Miss Benkard's hand tina
he should win If it took half his for
tune The amounts were raised ;
thousand every bid until $4,000 wa
reached, when the stranger bid 500
600.
The senator retired from the con
test on the ground that his oppohen
, might not be possessed of as man,
cents as he had bid dollars. whereupol
the stranger displayed certified check
: TO the amount Of half a million.
The name signed TO the checks wa
! Edward Dexter,
Dexter was recognized by Carey Ben
kard the moment she saw him. The
3 opened the ball together and later h
made formal application Of her IN
ii Their for her hand Dexter gave N
: explanation of his affairs as follows
J. The~owners of newly Discovers
b mine In the west had offered II TO east
4. prn CAPITALISTS. Dexter being prI'
d teal chemist. had been sent 10 exam
3. Inc the properly. and on his report
:. company was formed for its devclpI
5. ment, Dexter acquiring portion O
y the shares. The mine turned out
4 be bonanza and made every one cor
B. nectcd with II rich.
It is needless TO say that Dexter
IF proposition was accepted by Generi
n, Bernhard and loan for restocking III
10 plantation ny well
500 Reward, 500.