Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-05-20
CHAPTER IV-Continued

Selina's cheeks matched her gown.
Her eyes were wide and dark with the
effort she was making to force back
the hot haze threatening them. Why
had she mounted this wretched soap
box Why had she come to this hid
eous party! Why had she come to
High Prairie! Whyl
Miss Selma Peake, that's who.
Miss Selma Peake!"
A hundred balloon faces pulled by a
single cord turned toward her as she
stood there on the box for all to see.
They swan toward her. She put up a
hand to push them back.
"What'm I bid! What'm l bid
What'm l bid for this here lovely little
toOthful, gents! Start her up!"
Five cents !" piped up old Johannes
Ambuul, with a smoker. The tittering
crowd broke into a guffaw Selma was
conscious of little sick feeling at the
pit of her stomach. Through the haze
she saw the widows face, no longer
sulky, but smiling now. She saw
ROelf's dear dark head. His face was
set, like a mans. He was coming
toward her, or trying to, but the crowd
wedged him in, small as he was among
those great bodies. She lost sight of
him. How hot it was how hot.
An arm at her waist. Someone had
mounted the little box and stood teeter-
ing there beside her, pressed against
her slightly, reassuringly. Pervus De
Jong Her head was on level with
the doorway, on the soap box, for all
High Prairie to see.
Give cents I'm bid for this lovely
little mouthful put up by the school
teachers own fair hands. Five cents
Five"
zone dollarW Pervus DeJong.
The balloon faces were suddenly
punctured with holes High Prairle's
jaw dropped with establishment. Its
mouth stood open
There was nothing plain about Selma
now. Her dark head was held high,
and his fair one beside 1t made a vivid
foil. The purchase of the wine-colored
cashmere was at last justified.
"And tent" cackled old Johannes
Alnbuul, his rheumy eyes on Selma.
Art and human spitefulness struggled
Visibly for mastery in Adam Ooms'
face-and art won. The auctioneer
triumphed over the man. The term
"crowd psychology was unknown
to him, but he was artist enough
to sense that some curious magic
process, working through this room
full of people, had transformed
the little white box, from a thing
despised and ridiculed, into an object
Of beauty, Of value, of infinite desir-
ability. He now eyed 1t in catalepsy
of admiration.
"One-ten I'm bid for this box all
tied with a ribbon to match the gown
of the girl who brought 1t. Gents, you
get the ribbon, the lunch, and the girl
And only one-ten bid for all that.
Gents Gents Remember, 1t amt
only lunch-it's picture. 1t pleases
the eye. Do hear one"
Give bits!' Barend DeRoo, Of Low
Prairie, in the lists. A strapping young
Dutchman, the Brom Bones of the dis
sriet be drove TO the Haymarket
With his load Of produce and played
cards all night on the wagon under the
gas torches while the street girls of
the neighborhood assailed him in vain.
Six feet three. his red face shone now
like a harvest moon above the crowd.
A merry, mischievous eye that laughed
It Pervus DeJong and his dollar bid.
dollar and half!" q high clear
voice--a boys voice. Roelf.
ooh, mol" said Selina aloud. But
sAA was unheard in the gable. Roelf
had once confided to her that he bad
saved three dollars and fifty cents in
ne les. three years Five dollars