price is already so high,” Miss Chase said.
Before Miss Chase put up her hand, another voice raised the bid. “Sixty-six thousand,” an elderly man in the front row shouted.
“Oh my,” Miss Chase said to Henry. “That’s Ezra Bindry. I didn’t know he was back in New Orleans. He’s a rare book collector. He knew Mrs. Post quite well.”
“Seventy thousand,” Rex Phillips called out even before the auctioneer could get a word in.
“Do I hear seventy thousand, five hundred?” the auctioneer asked the bidders.
Once again, the Aldens saw Mr. Bindry start to raise his hand.
Miss Chase could sit still no longer. “Seventy thousand . . . five hundred,” she said in a nervous voice.
Benny gave Miss Chase the thumbs-up sign.
“Seventy-five thousand dollars!” Mr. Bindry yelled.
Up ahead, Mr. Phillips jumped up from his seat. He turned and stared first at Miss Chase then at Mr. Bindry. Finally, Mr. Phillips shouted: “I bid eighty thousand dollars.”
There was a hush in the audience. Over the thumping sounds of their hearts, the Aldens heard the screech of a metal chair. Mr. Bindry got up from his seat and stomped out of the courtyard.
Jessie leaned over to Miss Chase. “That’s one less bidder anyway.”
Miss Chase shook her head sadly. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t go any higher, either. Mr. Bindry has lost the shop, and so have I.”
Even the auctioneer seemed surprised that in such a short time the Old Treasures Bookshop had gone from fifty thousand to eighty thousand dollars with so few bidders. He paused before moving on. “I’ve got eighty thousand dollars for this fine old landmark and its contents,” he said slowly. “Do I hear more?”
“More,” Benny whispered under his breath.
“Shh,” Jessie warned. “You don’t want to buy a bookstore by accident, now do you?”
“Sorry, Jessie,” Benny whispered back. “I got my boxcar, and now I want Miss Chase to get her store, that’s all.”
“I’ve got a final bid of eighty thousand dollars. Going once,” the auctioneer said, raising his gavel. “Going twice . . .”
“One hundred thousand dollars,” a new bidder called out in a deep voice. “I bid one hundred thousand dollars.”
Everyone in the audience turned in the direction of the man’s voice. Who was this new bidder?
Chapter 2
A Surprise Bidder
“G randfather!” the children said, laughing and hugging Mr. Alden when the auction was over. “ You bought the bookshop!”
Everyone seemed amazed except for Benny. “Now we have a toy boxcar, a real boxcar, and a bookstore. What a good idea!”
“But what will we do with a bookstore, Grandfather?” Jessie asked in her practical way. “Greenfield is so far away from New Orleans, and you’re leaving on business tomorrow for a week.”
Trying to hide a smile, Mr. Alden scratched his chin. “Hmm. If only we knew someone who knows all about books . . . someone who has always wanted to run a bookstore.”
Violet slipped her hand into her grandfather’s. “You bought it for Miss Chase, didn’t you, Grandfather?” Violet whispered.
Miss Chase was still sitting in her seat, looking awfully confused.
“No, Violet,” Mr. Alden said, shaking his head. “I didn’t buy it for Miss Chase. I bought it as an excellent investment at a good price. I expect to rent it to whomever can get a bookstore up and running right away.” Mr. Alden smiled at his old friend. “Now you wouldn’t happen to know anyone who can do that, would you, Olivia?”
“Oh, James, I couldn’t possibly let you give the shop to me. You won it fair and square,” Miss Chase said.
“Ah, but I wouldn’t be giving it to you, I’d be renting it to you until you can pay me back. And who knows? The bookshop was called Old Treasures. You might find something valuable tucked away. What do you say to my plan, Olivia?”
Miss Chase broke into a beautiful smile. “I’ll say yes, but only if you lend me your grandchildren, too. With their
Before Miss Chase put up her hand, another voice raised the bid. “Sixty-six thousand,” an elderly man in the front row shouted.
“Oh my,” Miss Chase said to Henry. “That’s Ezra Bindry. I didn’t know he was back in New Orleans. He’s a rare book collector. He knew Mrs. Post quite well.”
“Seventy thousand,” Rex Phillips called out even before the auctioneer could get a word in.
“Do I hear seventy thousand, five hundred?” the auctioneer asked the bidders.
Once again, the Aldens saw Mr. Bindry start to raise his hand.
Miss Chase could sit still no longer. “Seventy thousand . . . five hundred,” she said in a nervous voice.
Benny gave Miss Chase the thumbs-up sign.
“Seventy-five thousand dollars!” Mr. Bindry yelled.
Up ahead, Mr. Phillips jumped up from his seat. He turned and stared first at Miss Chase then at Mr. Bindry. Finally, Mr. Phillips shouted: “I bid eighty thousand dollars.”
There was a hush in the audience. Over the thumping sounds of their hearts, the Aldens heard the screech of a metal chair. Mr. Bindry got up from his seat and stomped out of the courtyard.
Jessie leaned over to Miss Chase. “That’s one less bidder anyway.”
Miss Chase shook her head sadly. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t go any higher, either. Mr. Bindry has lost the shop, and so have I.”
Even the auctioneer seemed surprised that in such a short time the Old Treasures Bookshop had gone from fifty thousand to eighty thousand dollars with so few bidders. He paused before moving on. “I’ve got eighty thousand dollars for this fine old landmark and its contents,” he said slowly. “Do I hear more?”
“More,” Benny whispered under his breath.
“Shh,” Jessie warned. “You don’t want to buy a bookstore by accident, now do you?”
“Sorry, Jessie,” Benny whispered back. “I got my boxcar, and now I want Miss Chase to get her store, that’s all.”
“I’ve got a final bid of eighty thousand dollars. Going once,” the auctioneer said, raising his gavel. “Going twice . . .”
“One hundred thousand dollars,” a new bidder called out in a deep voice. “I bid one hundred thousand dollars.”
Everyone in the audience turned in the direction of the man’s voice. Who was this new bidder?
Chapter 2
A Surprise Bidder
“G randfather!” the children said, laughing and hugging Mr. Alden when the auction was over. “ You bought the bookshop!”
Everyone seemed amazed except for Benny. “Now we have a toy boxcar, a real boxcar, and a bookstore. What a good idea!”
“But what will we do with a bookstore, Grandfather?” Jessie asked in her practical way. “Greenfield is so far away from New Orleans, and you’re leaving on business tomorrow for a week.”
Trying to hide a smile, Mr. Alden scratched his chin. “Hmm. If only we knew someone who knows all about books . . . someone who has always wanted to run a bookstore.”
Violet slipped her hand into her grandfather’s. “You bought it for Miss Chase, didn’t you, Grandfather?” Violet whispered.
Miss Chase was still sitting in her seat, looking awfully confused.
“No, Violet,” Mr. Alden said, shaking his head. “I didn’t buy it for Miss Chase. I bought it as an excellent investment at a good price. I expect to rent it to whomever can get a bookstore up and running right away.” Mr. Alden smiled at his old friend. “Now you wouldn’t happen to know anyone who can do that, would you, Olivia?”
“Oh, James, I couldn’t possibly let you give the shop to me. You won it fair and square,” Miss Chase said.
“Ah, but I wouldn’t be giving it to you, I’d be renting it to you until you can pay me back. And who knows? The bookshop was called Old Treasures. You might find something valuable tucked away. What do you say to my plan, Olivia?”
Miss Chase broke into a beautiful smile. “I’ll say yes, but only if you lend me your grandchildren, too. With their
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