The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-22
The Highest
Bidder
A Washington Birthday
Story
By CLARISSA MACKIE.
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

= i. s:..s....: !.
The old house looked grim and cold
in the chill light of the February day.
The gray clouds lowered over its
mossy roof, and the naked elms creak-
ed dismally in the bitter wind. The
small porch was on a line with the
ancient fence and the land stretched
away in the rear-gnarled old fruit
trees, acres of wornout pasturage and
a line of dark cedars against the hori-
zon.
Austin Ely and his bride descended
from the station stage that had
brought them to the steps of their
future home. Their trunks were
dumped in the small porch, the box
of supplies that Austin had prepared
ere they left the city stood at the door.
and the stage rolled away with the
driver pcering curiously back at them
over his fur clothed shoulder.
Austin looked up and down the lone
ly road with its scattering of equally
dismal houses and shivered. He bent
down and gathered his wife into his
strong young arms. Dorothy, dear,
what sort of a place is this to bring
you tor he demanded wrathfully. "a
poor beggar like me ought never to
marry. Well, you know, dear, it isn't
fair TO you to start out in this old
rookeryI'
Dorothy placed her gloved hand over
his lips. 81 won't hear a word against
your Uncle Bobs legacy. Just think
of owning and occupying the oldest
house in the state! Why, tradition
says George Washington slept here
once when it was the best known
that huge brass key and let us go in.
1t is bitterly cold out hercr'
Austin brought out the key and
thrust it in the lock "If you had only
LET me come on ahead and open up
the old place, Dorothy-have il partly
furnished and a warm fire for you
Tut, TUT" admonished Dorothy,
crOwding into the narrow hall in his
wake. You know very well I'm per-
fectly crazy over old houses, and I
would never forgive you if you denied
hlC lIt lltbSll VI Oub jllt
old stuff in this place. Oh, isn't that
the dearest old room, and see. Austin.
the enormous fireplace" She waltzed
gayly across the uneven floor, her teeth
chattering with the cold
Her husband forced up the small
paned windows and threw back the
heavy wooden shutters, letting in the
cold light Of day. 1t was a long low
room the walls hung with an ancient
striped paper The furniture ~ss very
old, and its possession would have
made a collector wild with JOY. \ pair
of long settles, large mahogany buff
fet, great round table to match with
the accompanying chairs, were placed
on the wide polished boards now
covered thickly with dust. The large
fireplace contained brass andirons. and
on the chimneypiece were brass can.
dlesticls-a long row of them-a dozen
in all
Lets have a fire mt once" suggested
Dorothy eagerly 1--WE can make this
room our headquarters till we are
settled
at will be fine and dandy when
spring comes" said Austin obviously.
'but 1 don't know what you're going
to do in the meantime, Dorothy. Here
1t is the 22d of February, and April is
a long way Off Won't you be lonely?"
Dorothy smiled away his lwistful
glance. LONELY where you are?" she
said. "And. besides, think Of all the
chickens we're going to raise and of
oil fhn 10
next summer with your eggs and your
broilersv
IF we only had $780," ne sighed.
everything would come out all right"
"Come to the garnet with me and
see if we can't find another small
table for the south window. can sit
there and sew while you're writing at
the big secretary / think you're going
to drag in here from the hall"
Together they mounted the steep
stairs to the low attic, redolent of
cedar shingles. where innumerable
wasps crawled stickily to and fro.
"There are chests and chests and
chests! Let me peep inside this old
hair covered one, Austin; I'm sure it
belonged TO some eighteenth century
belle. No, I'm not a bit cold. How could
I be with these great warm chimneys
juttinG out into the garret? AhY'
DOrothy's ecstatic cry was echoed
by Austin's prolonged whistle of
amazement at the beautiful garments
divulged by the lifting of the lid of
the hair trunk.
'TTwo white wigs-one for you and
one for mer' she cried delightedly,
tossing one to him and placing the
other, towering erection of puffs and
curls, over her own sleek hair.
Austin crammed on his wig just in
time to see his wife's rosy face beam
ing at him from under the whiteness
of the other. Simultaneously they bent
in stately greeting.
"GOod morrow, Mistress Washing
ton," said Austin mischievously.
"Ah, Mr.. Washington Dorothy
dipped splendid courtesy and sudden
" turned TO the chest. "Oh, let us put
ON these Derfectly gorgeous garments