Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-12-26
Aunt Harriet's Old
Table
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

| asked LO!. curiOuSly from ner TOck-
ing chair by the window.
Aunt Harriet peered out through
the rufTied curtains. "Oh, shucks, l
do believe 1t is that crazy dealer who
Is after my kitchen table. He posters
the life out Of me. Always" But
the man was at the door.
"Good morning, Mrs. Bemis. Love
| ly day. Haven't changed your mind
about that table yet. have your
mo, | haven't" said Aunt Harriet
shortly. "As I've told you before, 1t
belonged to my great-aunt Maria, who
died over in Lewiston and I'm fond
Of It,"
Offering a good price today, Mrs.
Bemis Seventy-fve dollars" he
urged seductively.
Cant help it," said Aunt Harriet.
an keep 1t a while longer"
When he hal left Lois lifted the
cloth and examined the table beneath.
Doesn't look like much Of an antique
to me-" she said "But I'm not up on
such things. Jimmy now"
ooh, never nAnd him." laughed her
aunt good naturally. "YOur Jimmy
doesn't know everything. When /
need the money I'll sell. If can get
SIS from this fellow I can get
$50 from somebody else. Looks to
me like plain ordinary kitchen ia
BILE, but you never can tell"
But that evening when her Jimmy
came Lois showed him the table. He
regarded 1t quizzically. There's
some Joke about it," he said at
length "That table isn't worth any
thing"
"Then you don't know as much as
/ thought you didw flared Lois.
"That Is a rare piece OF furniture. a
man offered my aunt $75 today for
It, and she refused him"
Jimmy tapped his temple suggest
lively. Both of EN-" he said with
unmistakable meaning, land you, too.
II you believe 1t. Come now, Lois,
you're kidding me or letting them kid
you"
Now lovers quarrels have begun
over far less trivial things than
kitchen table, much less one that had
at least tentative value of seventy
Ave dollars. Before either realized
just how they had arrived at so sad
destination they had reached a
grave misunderstanding, to put 1t
mildly. Jim had departed in wrath
and Lois had dissolved in tears.
Aunt Harriet learned all about 1t
the next morning She reflected for
a moment, then spoke with decision
"rll tell you what I'll do" she said.
"And 1t will satisfy my own curios-
ity. I'll find out what other dealers
will give me.
Seven dealers looked at the table in
the course of the day and their YER
| diet was unanimous. "a plain ordi-
nary kitchen table. The man was
crazy"
And Aunt Harriet and her niece de-
clded so, too, when they searched the
telephone book as well as the entire
directory up at the corner store with
out finding listed any Jasper Sedan
with store on Wooster street.
A month dragged by. No Jimmy, no
Jasper Sedan. Then, Unexpectedly,
the latter appeared on the back step.
"Good morning, Mrs. Bemis. A
beautiful day. How about our kitchen
table2 Worth $50 to your"
Lois sprang forward, but her aunt
checked her. 81 am not sure" she
said coldly. "Pm thinking of selling
1t elsewhere"
A CLINT of fear showed in the mans
eye. Better sell to me-" he said
quickly.
Aunt Harriet shrugged her shoul
ders. "All right" she yielded. 81
will"
A moment later she and Lois
watched great-aunt Maria's table be
ing hoisted into a wagon.
Lois called Jimmy Immediately
"Oh, Jimmy, I'm sorry we quarreled
And we sold the table. Yes, for $50
To that Sedan fellow. He is just
carting 1t away"
Jimmy came up that evening. He
had few satisfactory moments alone
with Lois first, then Aunt Harriet
came in and he heard the table story
all over again.
He listened amusedly "a clear
profit of $50 is not bad for days
work." he admitted. Then his ex
preston changed to one of gravity
"Don't, however, delude yourself" he
said, Into thinking that there was
anything intrinsically valuable about
that old table. Your common sense
and seven dealers told you that. The
facts of the case are these" (ht
paused and placed together the tips
of his flngers): "Your great-aunt
Maria left a will bequeathing all hel
property to step-nephew out West
But it could not be found Neighbor'
declared that she had hidden 1t In &
piece of furniture and told him sc
when he returned. That would have
invalidated whatever share of the
legacy you received, Aunt Harrlet-tO
be- This Jasper Soldan is really that
step-nephew, whom you had never
seen. One by one, he has been trac
ing all your great-aunt's furniture Il
you never hear from him you will
know he never found the will but
gambled the $50 and lostp
Lois, who had beer sitting breath
less on the edge of her chair fairly
gasped. How did you find out al
this, Jlmmy"
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "Oh
II is the business Of Il lawyer to un
ravel such mysteries" he said gravely
But between you and me and the
lamp post, l think he made It up.