Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-01

in thousands.
He was little surprised, nevertheless, for she did
not look bookish-nor even intellectual enough to
mar her prettiness. Yet, wherever she went she
would look adorable. He understood that, now.
It was day of alarms for him, of fears, shocks,
and frights innumerabe. With terror he heard the
auctioneer talking in terms of thousands; with hor
ror he witnessed the bids on certain books advance
by thousands at clip. Five thousand, ten thou
sand twenty thousand were Did, seen raised, called,
hiked until his head spun and despair seized him.
What did he know about Valdez? Either volume
might bring fifty thousand dollars for all he knew.
Had he had fifty thousand he felt, somehow, that
he would have bid it to the last penny for the book
And he came to the conclusion that he really
crazy. Yet there he sat- glued to his chair, listen
ing, shuddering, teeth alternately chatterng or
grimly locked while the very air seemed to reek Of
Millions and the incessant gable of the auctioneer
drove him almost out of his wits.
Nearer and nearer approached the catalogued
numbers of the two copies of Valdez pale and des-
perate he sat there his heart almost suocatng him
as the moment drew near. And now the time had
come: now the celebrated Mr.. Hekem began his
suave preliminary chatter; now he was asking con-
fldently for bid
silence ensued-and whether it was the silence
of at the priceless treasure the silence OF in
difference White did not know. But after the auc-
toneer had again asked for bid he found his voice
and offered ten dollars. His ears were scarlet when
he did it.
Fifteen" said a sweet but tremuous voice not
far from White and he looked around in astonish-
ment. 1t was his red-hared vis-a-vis.
"Twenty!" he retorted, still laboring under his
establishment.
"Twenty-fve' came the same sweet voice.
There was silence. No other voices said any
thing. Evidently nobody wanted Valdez except
nd boir
"Thirty! he called out at the psychological
moment
The girl turned in her chair and looked at him.
She seemed to be unusually pale.
"Thrty -fve!" she said, still gazing at White in
frightened sort of way.
Forty" he sad rose at the same moment, and
walked over to where the girl was sitting
She looked up at him as he bent over her chair;
both were very serious.
You and [ are the only two people bidding, he
said "There are two copies of the book. Don't
bid against me and you can buy in the other one for
next to nothing judging from the course this one
is taking
every we'll" she said quietly.
moment later the first copy of Valdez was
knocked down to James White. An Indifferent
audience paid little attention to the transaction
Two minutes later the second copy fell to Miss
Jean Sandys for five dollars there being no other
bidder.
White had already left the galleries. Lingering
at the entrance he Miss Sandys pass him. and he
lifted his hat. The slightest inclination of her pretty
head acknowledged it, The next moment they were
lost to each others view in the crowded street.
Cutching his battered book to his chest, not even
daring to drop it into his overcoat for fear of pick
pockets, the young fellow started up Broadway at a
swinging pace which presently brought him to the
offices of the Florida Spanish Grants Company; and
here, at his request, he ushered into private
room; map of Seminole County spread the
highly polished table before him and SHAVE gentle