le kissing it. We used to take
it behind the door and kiss it good, and it's living yet. Ain't, Eph,
it's a wonder we ever growed up, the way we were bounced and rocked and
joggled and kissed! I say it ain't right to go back on cradles; they
belong to babies. But look, Eph, there she's buying them old copper
sheep bells! Wonder if she keeps sheep."

Phoebe, triumphant bidder for a pair of hand-beaten copper sheep bells,
turned and looked at the farmer. The tenderness of a bright smile still
played about her lips and the old man, interpreting the smile as a
personal greeting to him, drew near and spoke to her.

"I can tell you what to take to clean them bells."

"Thank you," she answered cordially, "but I do not want to clean them."

"But you can make them shiny if you take----"

"You are very kind, but I really want to keep them just as they are."

The old man looked at her for a moment, then shook his head as though in
perplexity and turned away.

Several more hours of vigorous work on the part of the noisy auctioneer
resulted in the sale of the miscellaneous collection of articles.

The loquacious old farmer was often moved to whistle or to emit a low
"Gosh" as the sale progressed and seemingly valueless articles were sold
for high prices. A linen homespun table-cloth, woven in geometrical
design, occasioned spirited bidding, but the man on the box was equal to
the task and closed the bids at twenty dollars. Homespun linen towels
were bought eagerly for seven, eight, nine dollars. A genuine buffalo
robe was knocked down to a bidder at the price of eighty dollars. Cups
and saucers and plates sold for from two to four dollars each. But it
was an old blue glass bottle that provoked the greatest sensation.
"Gosh, who wants that?" said the old man as the bottle was brought
forth. "If he throws a cup or plate in with it mebbe somebody will give
a penny for it."

But a moment later, as an antique dealer started the bid at a dollar the
old man spluttered, "Jimminy pats! Why, it's just an old glass bottle!"

Some person enlightened him--it was Stiegel glass! After the first bid
on the bottle every one became attentive. The two rival bidders were
alert to every move of the auctioneer, the bids leapt up and up--ten
dollars--eleven dollars--twelve dollars--thirteen dollars--gone at
thirteen dollars!

It was late afternoon when Phoebe and the preacher turned homeward. The
preacher's purchase had to be left at the farm