Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-10-04
The Auction
Sale
A Purchase That Proved
a Prize Package
By ETHEL HOLMES

people, out to person from the coun-
Try 1t was not only interesting, but
amusing. At least so thought Sam
walton as he stood among the crowd
IN the office of the express COMPANY
Tor they We're holding an auction sale
OF unclaimed packages. 1t was a case
or buying sight unseen" and there
We're much laughter and good natured
rloicuie over the worthless purchases
that fell to the lot of some bidder who
mad calculated that bulk must neces.
sarlly increase the value of the hidden
contents.
Ihere were large packages that when
opened proved to contain nothing save
printed handbils of some long mast
entertainment or bargain sale. Others
mad samples Of patent medicine with
In, and in one case an eager purchaser
mad paid 81 for a tiny box wrapped
In white paper that contained liver
pills. There We're bundles of old cloth
ing, packages of newspapers, boxes of
cutlery, cases of samples of everything
under the sun. Occasionally there was
real bargain, as in the case of the
man who paid 10 cents for battered
and tightly locked suit case which
proved to contain brand new suit of
ciothes worth hundred times the price
ne mad paid for it. Another individual
paid dollar for a ragged bundle that
contained dozens of pure linen hand
Kerchlefs, and still another found him
SELF the possessor of a five pound box
OF chocolates for the price of 25 cents.
Shouts of laughter followed the pull
Ing out of a box of very dainty pair of
Woman's bed slippers by young man.
Sam Walton paused in the doorway
and watched the fun going on within.
Every time a package was opened by
Its eager purchaser there was a burst
OF laughter from the good natured
crowd Sam fingered the few silver
coins in his pocket and turned to 90
away. Some fortunate individual had
become the possessor of fine shot
gun as the result Of fifty cent bid
on narrow burlap wrapped bundle.
1t might be that an investment of his
money would double it. 1t was gam
BILE.
"What am offered for this per-
fectly good travelling bag?" sang the
auctioneer as he swung above the
crowd a rather shabby Russia leather
bag. 1T is tightly locked and from its
weight must contain valuables of some
kind. You can see from the labels that
this bag has Travelled abroad, and-25
cents? That's a joke, of course.
am offered 25 cents. Who will make it
35? Very good, sir" and so on.
Sam stood palpitating, his hand on
the two lone dollars in his pocket. He
was strongly tempted to enter the com,
petition for the bag. 1t was a hand
some one and showed signs of much
travel
"One fifty!' sang the auctioneer.
"One seventy-fve," bid Sam Walton
hastily, and to his surprise it was
knocked down to him at that price.
To the great disappointment of his
companions in the crowd he did not at
tempt to open his purchase He paid
the price and then made his way into
the street and turned uptown toward
his boarding place AS he strobe on,
swinging the bag easily, he gave little
thought to it's contents. His mind had
Immediately flown to the one topic that
always lay uppermost.
That was Leona Denman.
Three years before the opening of
this story Sans father had received a
letter from an old college chum, saying
he had lost his wife in recent rail-
road accident and he himself had been
badly injured. He realized that he
could not live many months longer.
His terrible anxiety was the fate OF
his little girl. He and his wife were
without relatives, but the letter went
on to say: walton, you know how l
feel toward you. I believe you to be
absolutely trustworthy and as splendid
a friend as ever man was blessed with.
Now, l will ask of you a great favor
Will you take nay little girl into your
home and be father to her? She has
ample means, and in my will am con-
stituting you her sole guardian"
And so six months later Leona Den
man became a member of the Walton
household. where she soon won her
way into the hearts of all by her win
ming WAYS. But to Sam WatOn's heart
she did the most damage of all. Tor he
fell violently in love with Der. the lit
lie girl of the letter turning out to DE
a winsome young girl of nineteen.
She was very young in her way. ana
Sam. who was ten years her senior
had felt himself too old to allow gir'
Of her years to pledge herself to him
Living in the same house. it was i'm
poss;ble for him to keep from paying I
her many attentions. and he became
much more lover-like in look and ac-
tions than he himself realized.
Leona. girl-like had noticed it all and
was very much in love with this rather
shy, reticent man who was so honor
ably keeping his love for her in ohel