Show AN AUCTIONEERS STORY V w M Told Before a Crowd at an Old Book Sale New York Sun Stin SunHe SunHe He had bad just sold a copy of Robert G a lectures lec lee lectures tures tunes bound In one volume and now turning to the shelves at his back the auctioneer took down as the book he would offer next a copy of the Bible But before inviting bids upon it n no not h talked t about it briefly This was a copy bound in flexible morocco gilt edged over red ansi and it contained a concordance And then for a moment he si sl ke of the Bible Fible itself telling what the Old Testament contained and what the new and how for ages it had bad been the guide and comforter of millions There were some who picked flaws In the book but even these trusted those who wh be believed believed In It and followed its teachings And then the auctioneer told a n little story A man mane he said who was travel traveling travelIng ing In a remote and sparsely d part of the country found himself rover over overtaken taken by nightfall at an isolated farm tarm farmhouse house It was not the most mOlt inviting looking place in the world but lut it was there or nowhere for him and so he ho knocked on the door and asked if he might stay sta there for the night and the farmer said he lie could So he went In and the farmer and his wife gave him supper and after a aUme time Ume he was ready to go to bed And as a matter of ot fact the traveler was vas troubled in his mind as he lIe had been for that matter from the moment he saw the farmer This a remote and an lonely spot and the farmer was a taU tall gaunt silent allent man with a furrowed face and he and his wife were alt all the thep people p ople in the household And as the traveler dwelt again upon how far faraway faraway faraway away he was and upon the gaunt si sl silent sll silent lent l nt farmer he recalled all the he had read of men who had been murdered and robbed in Just such out of the way places and as the tithe time came for retiring his fears increased and when the farmer showed him at last l st to his room the traveler was much troubled and he prepared for tor a sleep sleepless sleepless less hess and watchful night and to de tie defend letend fend tend himself the best he could If need be beHe He barricaded the door with all ail the movable furniture in the room for one Oile precaution and he ho disrobe hint him self f y he lie going to bed he lie was going to sit up all night and watch and when he made mad all his preparations he put ut out his lila light and sat down to keel keez guard for the night His own light out the traveler saw sawa a little beam of light coming into his room through a crack in the wall on the side toward the room whore where hr had left the tha fanner farmer and his wife an awl l to be sure pretty soon had his eye to that crack to see sec what they were do doIng doIng doing Ing and there he saw them tho the far farmer farmer farmen mer men sitting on one ond on side and his wife en er 1 the other of the table and both si sl silent lent 4 But presently the traveler saw sa the tho theold theold old man get up ui and go to the shelf and take down a big book which w h he laid upon the table and opened And then bending over ver the book the farmer read from It aloud a chapter from the th Bible DIble And the reading finished he closed the beok and then the farmer and nis wife I knelt at their chairs and a ld the th sten faced man prayed And then the traveler his fears all alii allgene gone gene took down the tha barricade Iron from the door d or and went to sleep sheep peacefully I IJ J J and refreshingly for he knew that tf t there or anywhere under the roof of e c f those who believed in the Book and lived according to its precepts he was wa s safe from all harm The Tile auctioneer paused and an for a moment the room was still and then the auctioneer spoke again this thi s time as he held the bo in hi his hand handU up U Into view vl w Gentlemen how bow much am I bid Id for forthe forthe fo r the Bible |