The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-04-04

,,+ura TO-DAY at the house Of Mr.. Ju'
Illus Taubery. No. 204 Portland plsce.
the .nroperty OF q gentleman going
abroad for the benefit OF ms ne.
AZ the catalogue has 1t. | snouio 80
wise you to be there little before ioor
O'Clock this afternoon"
81 am very much obliged 70 you
Peace" / said, making q note OF me
number on my shirt cum.
He nodded, with faint snadoW OF
smile at the corners Of his mouth.
shook q finger Of warning, ana uoteeo
out Of the room.
was punctual at my appointment
and shouldered my way through the
crowd of chattering dealers into the
big dining room of No. 2O4. A private
auction to me always seems . melan-
choly business. True, l knew that IN
this case the owner was a rich man.
that his furniture and carpets and Mt
tings had been bought only year or
two before, and were not the loved col
lection of years. But the tumbled dis
order, the mud Of many feet upon the
floor, the noise of the bidders answer
ing the raucous voice OF the auction
eer, were all an insult to the peace.
the privacy and the hospitable mem
cries of stately home. 1t was with
relief that I saw Colonel Gunton's
eyeglass shining near the window, ana
elbowed my way towards him. He nad
a little boy with him, whom he car
ried perched on his shoulder. well out
of the way of the crowd.
Hello, Phillips" he shouted, In .
tone that successfully competed with
the auctioneer's. Come to sec the
last of old Taubery's household gods'
Ell? Confound those dealers, what q
noise they make bidding for that Ia
BILE. Pom my soul, when l think now
many good dinners I've had with my
toes underneath it, l feel quite senti-
mental, do. Phillips. strike me-"
To emphasize his sensations No
glared ferociously at a weak ind1v1d-
ual who was pressed against him by q
swirl in the crowd. and asked MIN
what in thunder he thought he was
doing.
The great table was bought. the last
of the heavy furniture; and there
only remained few details that were
auctioned, some separately, some III
oddly assorted lots. 1t was during
their sale that my talk with the col
onel was interrupted by the little boy
upon his shoulder.
"Oh, father" he cried, there's
Georges bicycle horse! Won't you buy
me Georges bicycle horse?
A long-tailed, long-maned toy was
raised by one of the auctioneer's men,
who grinned under a running fire OF
chaff. had an idea that l had seen
that gallant charger before. though
where / could not remember.
"Who Is George?" / asked the col
onel.
Its Taubery's grandson. His
daughters a widow, you know; she
and the boy live with the old people.
Hi, there! ten shillings.
A gray-haired man in an overcoat
who stood near by nodded his head at
the auctioneer.
Eleven shillings-going at eleven
shillings."
Fifteen" bawled the colonel.
zone pound" said the gray-haired
man.
l had no idea what the cost OF such
toys might be; but the price, second
hand, seemed high. Several OF the
dealers gathered about the chair on
which the auctioneer was standing
looked back at us over their shout
ders.
"Confound those dealers!" cried
the colonel. IF an outside buyer
wants anything they try to squeeze
him out. They're all In league. 1t
ought to be stopped. It's monstrous
shame. It's Ubiquitous. Twenty-Five
shillings to you, SIR"
Thirty" said the gray-haired man.
1.-TWO pounds"
AS the bids increased the temper
of the colonel grew worse and worse.
Those who were well out Of his reach
began to chuckle. and finally to laugh
outright. At four pounds ten he hest
tated. With supreme effort he made
it 1--WE.
"Guineas," said the gray-haired man.
am sorry to say that the colonel
swore. In one stupendous oath he de-
nounced all who dealt In secondhand
goods of any description whatsoever.
Then, with the little boy sobbing on
his shoulder, he surged through the
crowd like a battleship In head sea,
and disappeared amid burst of disre-
spectful laughter. It was before the
auctioneer had sufficiently recovered
from his surprise that I felt a gentle
touch on my arm. 1t was Addington
Peace.
There Is a four-wheeled cab wait
ing about thirty yards up the street."
he whispered. Go and get into 1t. l
will join you presently"
CHRONICLES TO BE CONTINUED.)
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