CHAPTER XIX
"An Auction Extraordinary"
"My! Just look at them perfec'ly good, new window screens. It _does_seem a shame to sell 'em, don't it now? They might come in real handysometime," cried one eager inspector of the collection of articlesdisplayed for sale in the Carruths' barn the following Saturdaymorning. That the house for which those screens had been made layalmost in ashes not a hundred feet from her, and that the chances oftheir ever fitting any other house, unless it should be expresslybuilt for them, did not enter that lady's calculations.
"Yes, and just look at his elergant sideboard. My! it must have cost aheap o' money. Say, don't you think them Carruths were just a littlemite extravagant? Seems ter me they wouldn't a been so put to it afterCarruth's death if they hadn't a spent money fer such things as them.But I wonder what it'll bring? 'Tis elergant, aint it? I'm just goin'ter keep my eyes peeled, and maybe I c'n git it."
"Why what in this world would you do with it if you _did_? You haven'ta room it would stand in," cried the friend, looking first at thehuge, old-fashioned, walnut sideboard, that Constance had called aNoah's Ark, and then at its prospective purchaser as though shequestioned her sanity.
"Yes, it _is_ big, that's so," agreed that lady, "but it's _so_elergant. Why it would give a real air to my dining-room, and I guessI could sell our table if both wouldn't stand in the room. We couldeat in the kitchen fer a spell, you know, till maybe Jim's wagers wereraised an' we could go into a bigger house. Anyway I'm goin' ter _bid_on it. It's too big a chanst ter let slip."
"Yes, it _is_ pretty big," replied her friend, turning away to hide aslight sneer, for _she_ was a woman of discretion.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen," called the auctioneer at that moment,"may I claim your attention for this most unusual sale; a sale ofarticles upon which you would never have had an opportunity to bid butfor the 'calamity at your heels'--to quote the immortal William."
The people massed in front of him, for Riveredge had turned out enmasse, started and glanced quickly over their shoulders. "But for thetragedy of them ashes these elegant articles of furniture would neverhave been placed on sale; your opportunity would never have been.Alas! 'one man's meat is ever another man's poison.' Now what am Ioffered for this roll of fine Japanese matting? Yards and yards of itas you see; all perfectly new; a rare opportunity to secure a mostsuperior floor covering for a low figure. What am I bid, ladies andgentlemen?"
"One dollar," ventured a voice.
"_One dollar!_ Did I hear right? Surely not. One dollar for at leastfifteen yards of perfectly new Japanese matting? Never. Who will dobetter 'n that? Two? Two--two--"
"Two-fifty!"
"Good, that's better, but it's a wicked sacrifice Comenow--two-fifty--two-fifty--"
"Three. Three-fifty. Four," ran up the bids in rapid competition untilseven dollars were bid for the roll. It was bought by the discreetlady. At that moment Jean, who had been everywhere, appeared upon thescene.
"Oh, did you buy those pieces of matting?" she observed. "Mother toldme to tell the auctioneer not to bother with them 'cause she didn'tthink there were two yards of any single pattern. I didn't get here intime though, I'm sorry, but I had to stop on my way."
"Not two yards of any one pattern? Why there's yards and yards in thisroll. Do you mean to tell me 'taint all alike?"
"I guess not. It's pieces that were left from our house and all therest was burned up."
Just then Jean spied Constance and flew toward her leaving thediscreet lady to discover just what she _had_ paid seven dollars for.On her way she ran into Jerusha Pike, who laid upon her a detaininghand. "Jean, you're exactly the child I want. Where is your sisterConstance? I want to see her. Is your mother here?"
"No, Miss Pike, mother didn't come. Connie is right yonder. See her?"
Off hurried Miss Pike to the tree beneath which Constance stoodwatching the progress of the sale, which was now in full swing; theauctioneer feeling much elated at the returns of his initial venture,was warming up to his work. Eleanor, with her Aunt Eleanor, who wasmuch in evidence this day, was seated behind the auctioneer's raisedstand, and thus quite sheltered from observation.
"Constance Carruth, you are the very girl I must see. _You_ can andwill tell me what I wish to know, I am sure," cried Miss Pike, in astage whisper.
"If I can I will, Miss Pike," answered Constance with a mentalreservation for the "can."
"I want you to tell me what your poor dear mother most values amongthe things she has here. There _must_ be some treasures among themwhich she cherishes for sweet associations' sake. Name them, I imploreyou. I have never forgiven myself for the accident which befell thatpriceless mirror. If I can bid in something here for her let me do it,I beg of you. There is no one else to do it, and _you_ are far tooyoung to be exposed to the idle gaze of these people."
"But Miss Pike, Eleanor and----"
"No! No! I cannot permit either of you to do this thing. Your dearmother would be shocked. _I'll_ attend to it for you, if you will onlytell me."
"But," began Constance, and was interrupted by the auctioneer's voicecalling:
"_Now_, ladies and gentlemen, here is a _fine_ set of garden tools inperfect order."
"Oh, they were daddy's. That is the set mother felt so bad aboutselling, isn't it, Connie?" broke in Jean, who had not been payingmuch attention to the conversation between her sister and Miss Pike.
"There! What did I say! I was confident of it! _Now_ is my opportunityto make reparation. _Nothing_ shall balk me."
"But Miss Pike; Miss Pike; you must not. Aunt Eleanor----"
But Miss Pike had rushed toward the auction stand.
Meanwhile Eleanor had been saying: "I wish we had not offered thatgarden set at all. It was father's and mother really felt dreadfulabout selling it. I fully intended to have it put aside without sayinganything to mother, but there was so much to attend to that I forgotit, and now it is too late."
"Not in the least, _I'll_ bid it in," and rising from her chair, MadamCarruth prepared to do her duty by her niece. Just then Miss Pikeappeared from the opposite direction.
"How much am I bid for this garden set? All in perfect condition."
"Ten cents," replied a strident voice.
"Scandalous!" cried Miss Pike. "_I'll_ bid one dollar. It issanctified by the touch of a vanished hand."
"Indeed," murmured Madam Carruth, who could see Miss Pike, althoughthat lady could not be seen by _her_. "Well, I guess _not_.One-fifty."
Miss Pike was too intent upon securing the object to give heed to thespeaker's voice or recognize it.
"One-seventy-five! One-seventy-five! One-seventy-five! Going, goingat one-seventy-five."
"Two-seventy-five!"
"Ah! That's better. It would be a shame to sacrifice this set for asong. It is no ordinary set of garden implements, but a most superiorquality of steel. Two-seventy-five; two-seventy-five--"
"Three! I must have them." The last words were spoken to a bystander,but Madam Carruth's ears were sharp.
"Must you? Indeed! We'll see."
One or two others, who began to believe that a rare article was aboutto slip from their possible grasp, now started in to bid, and in a fewmoments the price had bounded up to five dollars. The original cost ofthe set had been three. Then it went gayly skyward by leaps and boundsuntil in a reckless instant Miss Pike capped the climax with ten.
"Well if she wants to be such a fool she may," exclaimed MadamCarruth. "I could buy four sets for that money and sometimes evensentiment comes too high. I'd save 'em for your mother if I could, butsound sense tells me she can make better use of a ten-dollar bill thanof a half-dozen pieces of old ironmongery. That Pike woman always_was_ a fool."
"Gone for ten dollars!" cried the auctioneer at that instant. MissPike's face was radiant. She was about to turn away when Jean made herway through the crowd to her side crying:
"Did you really get them, Miss Pike? mother'll be so glad. When wewere talking about selling these thin
gs she almost cried when shespoke about the garden tools and the lamp----"
"_What_ lamp, child? Oh these heartrending changes! Tell me what thelamp is like. If it can be saved I'll save it for her. I can'tunderstand _why_ your sisters permitted the objects, around which thetendrils of your mother's heart were so entwined, to be put up forsale. To me it seems a positive sacrilege."
"But mother made them do it. She wouldn't let----and, oh, there's thelamp now. That one with the bronze bird on it, see?"
"Oh, the tender memories that must cluster about it. I will hold themsacred for her. They shall not be desecrated. Stand beside me, child.I shall bid that in for your dear mother."
Again the lively contest for possession was on, although the sumsnamed did not mount by such startling bounds as in the case of thegarden tools. Still, more than four dollars had been offered beforeMiss Pike, in flattering imitation of a large New York departmentstore, offered $4.99, and became the triumphant owner of it. Miss Pikehad a small income, but was by no means given to flinging her dollarsto the winds. So it was not surprising that many who knew her marveledat the sums she was spending for her two purchases. Having paid herbill she promptly took possession of her lamp and her case of gardentools and stalked off through the throng of people in quest ofConstance whom she found talking to a group of schoolmates near theruins of the old home.
"Congratulate me! Congratulate me! I've saved the treasures from thevandals! I've rescued them from sacrilegious hands. Behold! Take themto your mother with my dearest love. I had a struggle to get them, forsome woman was determined to secure that garden set But _I_ came offvictorious. I had to do battle royal, but I conquered. Now, my dear,when you go home take them with you. They _did_ come rather high; Ihad to pay ten dollars for the garden set, but I got the lamp for lessthan five!--four ninety-nine. But you need not pay me until it is_perfectly_ convenient. Don't let it worry you for a moment. I amrepaid for the time being in the thought that I secured them for yourmother. I knew she would rather pay twice the sum than see them fallinto the hands of utter strangers. Good-bye, my dear, I must hurryhome, for I have been absent too long already."
As Miss Pike departed, Constance dropped upon the carriage step,which, being of stone, had survived flame and flood. Upon the groundbefore her lay their own garden set, and stood their own lamp forwhich her mother would have to return to Jerusha Pike, fourteendollars and ninety-nine cents owing to that lady's unbridled zeal. Shelooked at them a moment, then glancing up at her friends whose faceswere studies, the absurdity of the situation overcame her and themalso, and peals of laughter echoed upon the wintry air.
"Who was it that said 'Save me from my friends!' Connie?" asked a girlfriend.
Constance looked unspeakable things. Then bounding to her feet shecried:
"Well, it's lucky we can return her own money to her, but that settlesit. It might have been worse anyway. I've been on the fence forseveral days without knowing which way to jump. _Now_ I do know, andMiss Pike has given the push. It's been a case of:
'Our doubts are traitors And make us lose the good we oft might win By fearing to attempt.'
"There, Belle, is a quotation to match yours, and bear in mind what Isay: I'm going to live up to it. Now I'm going home. Come on, youpeople, and help me lug these treasures there," and off the laughingprocession set, each girl or lad burdened with some article of thepurchases, Constance leading the way with the lamp, and all singing:
'Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar, Doubt _not_ Jerusha's love.'
"I don't think I ever shall, but perhaps she has helped in one way,since she has settled _my_ doubts, and the next thing you people hearof me may make you open your eyes. No, I won't tell you a singlething. Just wait until next week, then you'll see."