old
Wedgewood when you see it. I've got a big bargain in those eight plates!"

At that statement, a quiet young fellow, who had been standing about
watching progress and noting the bids on a paper, laughed. "I don't want
anyone to say they was taken in at my folk's sale; but I got'ta tell that
young lady that I bought them blue dishes _myself_, last year, at the
tea-store in White Plains fer ten cents each."

Even Polly had to join in the laugh at Eleanor's expense now, and poor
Nolla felt like selling herself for a nickel. But the auctioneer had
scant time for jokes or reckless buyers as he was there for business. So
he finished the kitchen and called them into the parlor. Here Polly
secured a china dog such as were common sixty to eighty years ago;
Eleanor got a real bargain, this time, in buying two century old
flower-vases for fifty cents. Mrs. Fabian saw an old engraving of
"Washington Crossing the Delaware," as it was taken from the wall behind
the door, and offered for a quarter. On the spur of the moment she raised
the bid five cents and got the picture which later proved to be one of
the rare old originals, worth several hundred dollars.

Dodo ran up a pair of girandoles that stood on the narrow mantel-shelf in
the front room, and finally got them for three dollars. Such an
unheard-of price made the buyers look at her in pity, and Lemuel
remarked:

"Well, some folks has more money than sense!"

Dodo's friends laughed heartily at this criticism, but she cared little
for them all, because she knew what she had obtained for her money.

The two bed-rooms were so small that few people could get in, so the
auctioneer ordered Abner to carry the articles for sale, out on the lawn
where everyone could see them. Had it not been for this sensible advice,
Polly would never have seen or secured the fine old set of Staffordshire
toilet-ware that was knocked down to her for four dollars.

It consisted of ewer in quaint shape, basin deep enough to be a huge
punch-bowl, a soap-plate, a mug, and a commode. The rich deep coloring of
the design on the china was lovely, and every piece was in good order.

The young man who had told the truth about the eight dishes from the
tea-store, congratulated Polly and said: "That set has been in our family
for more'n a hundred years. My grandmother used to keep it fer show, er
when we had fine comp'ny comin' to see us. That's how it kept so good."

"Oh, don't you want to keep it, th