Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-05-02
ing dance was to be auctioned mingled

The committee nA0 UeSlreu 10 MAKE q
first sale Of the hand Of Constance
Runlet. but Constance would only con
sent that her turn should be the last
instead of first. This was considered
a mistake by the committee. for they
believed that mu h of the money to he
devoted TO the purpose would have
beer spent. and since Constance was
considered the prize Of the evening IL
they began with her they thought they
could excite a bidding that would draw
forth a goodly sum.
Every young man OF that region OF
the slightest means had been invited
and all were present. There were u"
northerners. for this was too near To
the war to admit of fraterniAtio with
the enemy but every southern man OF
respectability within fifty miles. rich
or poor. had assembled. some OF them
suitors for one of the young ladies' 10
he a~uctioned. not only for the dance.
but In marriage.
When the hand OF Constance was
put up some one started II at $50. A
man dressed as Mep~histopheies made
a second bid OF a hundred dollars. A
third person offered a hundred and
fifty. Mephistopheles astonished every
one now by bidding 500. Here the
bidding ceased for awhile. but the
auctioneer did o make the sale. III
had been arranged that a number Of
married men. in order to be ready to
stimulate the bidding In Miss Run
let's case. should form a pool to he put
in one mans hands to be used for this
Presently a man In Louis
XIV. costume raised the last bid to
500 Mephistopheles made ii a thou
sand
Now a wealthy widower was in the
pool. who had long wished to marry
Constance. and the bidding of the fund
had been placed in his hands. He
doubled Mephistopheles' bid. The lat
ter raised his a thousand. making the
amoun offered $1,000. Louis XIV. and
Mephistopheles from this point con
tinued to bid against each other till
finally the latter offered $4,000.
By this time the bidders interested
everybody: but. being masked, no n
knew who they we're. Cries Of I'm
mask!'' we're raised. and finally. after
consultation with others who had
made up the pool. Louis XIV. raised
his mask. Mephistopheles remained
concealed. This only tended to in
crease the excitement.
Louis XIV. was recognized as Gen
eral Bernard, who had distinguished
himself on the Confederate side dur
well Off and considered a desirable
partner for a woman over twenty-five
years old. He had been spoken Of In
CONNECTION with Constance. and his
appearing In this role was received
with intense interest. Since Mephis-
topheles continued to bid the gen
eral did the same. Finally, when the
amount offered reached $4,000 after
a conference among the members Of
the pool Colonel Runlet approached
Mephistopheles and asked him who
he was.
"I~ncognito." replied the other.
81 must request you. sir, to give some
evidence of your ability to make good
your bid in case you are accorded the
privilege for which you are contending."
Mephistopheles thrust his hand into
a pocket of his doublet and took out
a certified check for 100000 on a bank
in the nearest city. The colonel with
drew and reported what he had seen.
Then the bidding continued.
General Bernard continued to raise
his bid $1,000 at every offer. and
Mephistopheles continued to go a thou
sand higher. Since the latter seemed
determined to win at any cost the gen.
eral kept raising him till Mephistophe
les had bid $4,000. Then the general
nodded to the auctioneer, signifying
that he did not are to go any further
In egging on his opponent. The amount
he had gained for the poor was quite
enough and had not cost him a cent.
Then a cry arose for Mephistopheles
to unmask.
mot without Miss Runlet's order"
he said.
Constance advanced and requested
him to make himself known.
He threw or his cape. then his doub-
let. revealing the uniform Of a United
States army officer. with the silver leaf
Of lieutenant colonel on his shoulders.
Then. casting aside his mask. he stood
revealed to all as a middle aged stran-
ger whom no guest recognized. Con-
stance gave a cry Of Joy. and he took
her In his arms.
Lawrence D~esborough had gone north
and had become a northern man. The
Colorado gold fever at that time oc-
cupied the attention of the nation, and.
putting his money into what miners
needed, he sailed around the Horn and
sold his stock at an enormous profit.
AS q commission merchant he had &C.
~cumulated capital which he invested in
mining property. When the war broke
out he volunteered In the Federal army.
Before the surrender one of his mines
had made him very rich. As soon as
he learned Of this he came to claim hts
former love.
His appearance In United States uni
form produced a commotion. Many