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Show 1 ! The Hampton I i Chairs By JANE OSBORN I (CupyrlilU.) pnicn SAWyiCK could hardly find room for his own broad shoulders in the narrow passageway in the small overcrow tied room where Mr. Samuels displayed his stock of antiques. "My aunt, Mrs. Jenkins, saw some chairs in here yesterday," Fred began. "1 don't know about such things but she says they're worth your price. ! There was a set of six at a hundred dollars n chair. I brought a carter along to take them. I'll just make out I my check, Mr. Samuels, if you'll see that the carter gets the chairs Into the truck without doing them any j barm." I The carter was Jusy carrying the first of the chairs out of the shop and Fred was beginning the signature of j his check when a very pretty, obviously obvi-ously excited young woman burst into the little shop. "Mr. Samuels,", said the girl, "I've decided I don't want to sell the chairs. Here Is the six dollars that you said they were worth. I'll take them back In the station wagon with me." "But what Is sold Is sold," said Mr. Samuels suavely. "That is only fair, and even if I would let you have them back, it is too late. I have already sold them to this gentleman here." "Oh, but that Is outrageous," said the girl. "It was only day before yesterday. They were up in the attic with a lot of other old 'things and I wanted to clear the place out. I really didn't notice the chairs at the time. Now I have been reading a book on old furniture, and I realize that I want those chairs back again. Six dollars for six chairs that is outrageous!" "lint you agreed to Ihe price day before be-fore yesterday," said Mr. Samuels. Fred lingered, listening. He was interested in part because Ihe discussion, discus-sion, so heated on one side, focussed around his own newly acquired chairs. Moreover, he was fascinated by the high-spirited young girl. "But you could not expect me to give up the chairs," Mr. Samuels mildly protested. "I have just this . morning sold the: lot for six hundred dollars. I have had them only two days and have made five hundred and ninety-four dollars." "It's outrageous," cried Violet. "I think there ought to be some law to prevent such things." Then, suddenly seeing and recognizing Fred, she appealed ap-pealed to him. "Don't you think it Is outrageous." But before he was ready with his answer Mr. Samuels was ready with his self-defense. "Look here, Miss Hampton," he said. "Tour father sometimes invests in stocks. Well, suppose he buys today stock at l!"ty and a very little while later it goes up to one hundred does he sell it back at fifty to the people from whom he bought it?" Violet Hampton looked a little dismayed." dis-mayed." "It doesn't seem like the same sort of thing to me does it to you i Mr. Sawyer?" "I'm afraid it does." said Fred Sawyer. "You see, I happen to know that in Mr. Samuel's business there are many losses. Tastes and fashions change in furniture and he has many thousands of dollars worth of things on hand which he could not get rid of at any price. Yesterday and today he has made goad profit but it only j makes up for some of his. losses." Outside the store Fred spoke again to Violet. lie told her that if she really wanted the chairs' he would give them to her. He valued them because his aunt, who was an expert, told him j they were very rare and he knew they were beautiful. He had bought a little old house on the mountainside and wanted to have it furnished In -keeping with its own antiquity. "Oil, then you are thinking of getting get-ting married?" asked Violet. "On the contrary that is I hadn't thought of It until you put the idea in my bead. It was going to be just a sort of bachelor's den hut it might do for a honeymoon cottage just as well. But seriously, I would like to do something about the chairs." "You might ask me over to tea or 1 something to see how they look In t their new surroundings," said Violet. It was a week later that Violet I went to have tea at Fred's little house j on the hillside with his aunt as chap- I erone. Fred was motoring her home down the bill after the party. j "I'm really crazy about your little j house," she told him. "You have so many wonderful pieces and to think i that those chairs might have been mine." I Fred hesitated for a minute, won- tiering whether be dared say the words ; that were in his mind. Then, grow-i grow-i ing brave, he said, "They still might ; be yours." ; "I don't'see how," said Violet. i "Well, if we si ould get to he quite I I friendly and I should ask you to marry j me and you should be foolish enough I i to accept and and well, you see i what I mean." j "I don't suppose you meant that as n proposal," said Violet, "hut I really do think we're very congenial, don't ! you." Fred said he hndn't thought about that and then when they had reached the level road rnd driving was not dillicult, Fred told Violet he loved her. ' They drove along lr. contented silence for a while and then Violet thought i again of the chairs. "It does seem a shame, though, that Mr. Samuels made a profit of tve Imudreil and ninety-four dollars," Rlib 68 Id. I |
