"Oh, oh! Isn't this too funny for anything! Listen and I will read it." Then Polly read aloud an advertisement in the tiny old newspaper, of a Squire at Baskingridge who wished to sell a healthy, young negro wench of unquestionable pedigree. Price and particulars would be given any interested buyer. "Polly!" chorused her audience, in surprise. "That paper must be as old as the letter!" "And see, girls!" added Mrs. Fabian. "It has great heavy black borders on the outside. What for, Polly?" Polly turned over the sheet with utmost care, as it was so dry and brittle, and to the speechless astonishment of them all, it showed that the mourning bands were used for the death of George Washington. The entire front page was devoted to the news of his demise which had occurred the day before going to press. His fame, and value to the United States, were spoken of, and other features of his life were touched upon. His picture, printed from an old wood-cut, headed the page. All the spelling was such as was common at that time with the letter "e" tacked on when possible and the old English "f's" were used for "s's" and long-stemmed "p's," and high-browed "a's" and "i's," were formed to show readers that the writer and editor was a well-educated man. "Oh my! Must we fold it up and put it back of that board again?" sighed Polly, finally. "If you want a bargain, that is what you'd better do," returned Mrs. Fabian. "Maybe the picture is as old as the paper," ventured Polly. The thought of the picture had completely vanished from the mind of Mrs. Fabian when she saw the rare old newspaper; but now she quickly picked up the article and turned it over. The magnifying glass was once more brought to bear upon the subject, and after several minutes of inspection,--minutes of impatient hesitation on the part of the girls,--she looked up bewildered with her discovery. "Polly, this is really the missing picture that will complete the set that is on exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum, in New York. It is one of the famous color-prints made in France about the sixteenth century, and the subject is the famous Bridge at Avignon. This is worth thousands of dollars, dear, and I hesitate to tell you what to offer for it." Polly would have taken the rare picture out to the still sleeping man and offered him a sum that would have made him sit up and investigate the matter for himself. But clever Dodo advised another method. "If you offer more than the old frame is actually worth, when you say you will pay so much for the frames--he will see right off that there's a 'nigger in the woodpile.' Let's tangle up a few of these old black-walnut frames with the two valuable pictures, and I'll bargain for you." "Better let Mrs. Fabian bargain--you know how she got the candle-sticks in exchange for a two-dollar 'bankit' lamp," Eleanor reminded them.