Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-02-22
THE HIGHEST BIDDER.
4 WASHINGTON BIRTHDAY STORY.

A WASHINGTON BIRTHDAY STORY.
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 creaked dis
mally in the bitter wind. The small porch
was on 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 horizon.
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 peering curiously back at
them over his fur clothed shoulder.
Austin looked up and down the lonely
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 to2" he de-
manded wrathfully. "A poor beggar like
me ought never to marry. Well you
know, dear, il isn't fair to you TO start
ont in fhic old rookervp p'
Dorothy placed her gloved hand over
his lips. 81 won't hear word against
your Uncle Bob's legacy. Just think OF
owning and occupying the Oldest house
in the Statel Why, tradition says George
Washington slept here once when it was
the best known tavern on the post road.
Do get out that huge brass key and let us
60 in. II is bitterly cold out here"
Austin brought out the key and thrust
it in the lock. "lf you had only LET me
come on ahead and open up the old place,
Dorothy-have it partly furnished and a
warm fire for your
"Tut, tut" admonished Dorothy,
crowding into the narrow hall in his
wake. "You know very well Pm per-
fectly crazy over old houses, and would
never forgive you if you denied NE the
pleasure of rummaging out the 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 long, low room, the
walls hung with an ancient striped paper.
The furniture was very old, and its pos
session would have made collector wild
with JOY. A pair of long settles, large
mahogany buffet, 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
dlesticks-a long row Of them-a dozen
in all.
Lets have fire at once" suggested
Dorothy eagerly. "We can make this
room our headquarters till we are set
tied"
at will be fine and dandy when spring
comes" said Austin, obviously, "but
don't know what you're going to do in
the meantime, Dorothy. Here it is the
22d of February, and April is long way
off. Won't you be lonely?
Dorothy smiled away his wistful glance
Lonely where you are ?" she said.
"And, besides, think Of all the chickens
we're going to raise and of all the money
, you're going to make next summer with
your eggs and your broilers T"
"If we only had $780," he sighed,
everything would come out all right.
"Come to the garrett 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 Sec
retary think you're going to drag in
here from the hail."
Together they mounted the steep stairs
to the low attic, redolent of cedar Shin
giles, where innumerable wasps crawled
stickily to and fro.
"There are chests and chests ant
chests Let me peep inside this old hail
covered one, Austin. I'm sure it be-
longed to some eighteenth century belle
No, I'm not bit cold. How could
be with these great warm chimneys iut-
ting out into the garrett Ah!"
Dorothy's ecstatic cry was echoed BY
Austn's prolonged whistle OF amazemen
at the beautiful garments divulged by ths
lifting of the lid of the hair trunk.
1.-TWO white wigs-one for you ane
one for mep' she cried delightedly, toss
ing one to him and placing the other,
towering erection of puffs and curls, owe
her own. sleek hair.
Austin crammed on his wig just in TINT
TO see his wife's rosy face beaming a
him from under the whiteness of TIT
other. simultaneously they bent II
stately greeting.
Good morrow, Mistress Washing
tom" said Austin mischievously.
"Ah, Mr.. Washington !" DOROTHY
dipped a splendid courtesy and sudden
Iv turned to the chest. "Oh. let us pu
| .t,aea oarfactlv ooroeouS garments